Homodyne optical fiber dynamic light scattering

Optical fiber homodyne dynamic light scattering employs both the advantage of a sensitivity improvement over the standard self-beating technique and the inherent self-aligning simplicity of the optics. Ultralow concentrations of approximately nanometer-sized particles become accessible by dynamic light-scattering techniques.     

Average path-length parameter of diffuse light in scattering media

We use Monte Carlo simulations to study in detail the propagation of light in a plane-parallel medium containing scattering particles. In particular, we compute the forward and backward average path-length parameters (FAPP and BAPP, respectively) of four-flux radiative transfer models as functions of the optical depth. Strong dependence on the single scattering albedo and phase function asymmetry is found for both quantities. In general the values of the FAPP decrease with increasing absorption, whereas the opposite occurs for the BAPP. A similar effect is produced when changing from isotropic phase functions to phase functions with a large asymmetry in the forward direction. We present analytical results for the asymptotic values of the FAPP and BAPP as functions of albedo for the particular case of isotropic scattering. Our results differ markedly from the predictions obtained recently with two multiple-scattering models by Vargas and Niklasson [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 14, 2243 (1997); Appl. Opt. 36, 3735 (1997)]. The differences found point out the intrinsic limitations of these models.     

Viscosity of liquidn-heptane by dynamic light scattering

The dynamic viscosity of liquidn-heptane was measured in the temperature range 293–353 K by dynamic light scattering employing a newly designed optical setup. Commercial stearyl-coated silica particles were used as a seed, where a calibration of particle sizes to obtain absolute viscosity values was performed in other alkanes. The measurements included experimental runs at various particle concentrations and scattering vectors and in both a heating and a cooling cycle with a total standard deviation of 0.8–0.9%. As established reference values exist for alkane viscosities, from which the deviations were below 1% over the whole range of relevant temperatures, the experiments may also be regarded as a successful test of the accuracy of the method.     

Effective suppression of multiply scattered light in static and dynamic light scattering

The evaluation of conventional light-scattering experiments in turbid media is often highly complicated because of the presence of multiple scattering contributions. The three-dimensional (3-D) cross-correlation method presented provides an effective and handy method to suppress the influence of multiply scattered light. As the time dependence of the 3-D cross-correlation function is determined solely by the singly scattered light, the evaluation of the decay constant yields reliable values for the effective diffusion coefficient and the hydrodynamic particle size of the suspended particles. Furthermore, analysis of the amplitude of the 3-D cross-correlation function permits the determination of the differential scattering cross section even for highly turbid suspensions.     

Path-length-resolved dynamic light scattering: modeling the transition from single to diffusive scattering

Dynamic light-scattering spectroscopy is used to study Brownian motion within highly scattering samples. The fluctuations of the light field that is backscattered by a suspension of polystyrene microspheres are measured as power spectra by use of low-coherence interferometry to obtain path-length resolution. The data are modeled as the sum of contributions to the detected light weighted by a Poisson probability for the number of events that each component has experienced. By analyzing the broadening of the power spectra as a function of the path length for various sizes of particles, we determine the contribution of multiple scattering to the detected signal as a function of scattering anisotropy.     

Radiative transfer in inhomogeneous stratified scattering media with use of the auxiliary function method

The auxiliary function method consists of taking full advantage of the expansion of the phase function on spherical harmonics in order to deduce an integral equation from the radiative transfer equation. In contrast to the discrete-ordinate method, it is free of the channel concept, the unknowns being a function only of the optical depth. After presenting the method, we show that it is very accurate and particularly well fitted when the scattering medium is continuously inhomogeneous in albedo and phase function and also for sublayers with different refractive index.     

Barrier effects in dispersive media

The effect of barrier layers with a generalized dielectric response on the measurement of the dielectric properties of materials are investigated, using the cluster model of relaxation to represent both the bulk and barrier properties. It is shown that the Maxwell-Wagner response is a limiting case and only applicable when the series elements are perfect, non-dispersive capacitors and resistors. A number of experimentally investigated systems are examined and it is shown that there is clear evidence for the proposed model in a wide range of applications.     

From angle-resolved ellipsometry of light scattering to imaging in random media

A procedure is described to allow selective cancellation of polarized scattering within optical substrates and multilayers. It is shown how bulk scattering (respectively surface) can be directly eliminated while the remaining roughness (respectively bulk) signal is still measurable. The same procedure can be applied to isolate a single interface or bulk within a stack or to detect slight departure from perfect correlation within multilayers. Experiments and a procedure for selective imaging in random media are described.     

Anisotropic scattering of light in random media: incoherent backscattered spotlight

We discuss the anisotropic scattering of unpolarized light in optically dense random media and the flux analysis of an incoherent backscattered spotlight. We present a classic statistical approach based on the photon-diffusion approximation and Monte Carlo simulations to describe the anisotropic propagation of ballistic and long-path photons in a semi-infinite random medium with internal reflections. An imagery technique with high gray-level resolution is used to measure the surface flux density in the incoherent backscattered spotlight. We investigated light scattering from homogeneous suspensions of nonspherical alumina particles in water. We analyzed the particle volume fraction and the particle-size dependence of the surface flux density to determine the transport mean free path and the optical properties of scatterers from scaling laws that account for short-path photons and internal reflections.     

用于动态光散射颗粒测量的迭代CONTIN算法

恰当地调整动态光散射颗粒测量反演算法的反演范围,使之趋近真实颗粒分布范围是改善反演结果的主要途径之一。目前通用的CONTIN算法尚没有自动调整反演范围的能力,反演质量还有待提高。因此,提出了一种自动调整反演范围的迭代CONTIN算法,并通过动态光散射数值模拟分析,比较了在无噪声和多种噪声水平影响下CONTIN算法和迭代CONTIN算法对单分散和双分散颗粒系的反演结果。研究表明,迭代CONTIN算法与CONTIN算法相比,在反演分布峰值位置、峰宽度、峰对称性、双峰识别能力以及抗噪声干扰等方面都具有明显优势。     

Influence of forward and multiple light scatter on the measurement of beam attenuation in highly scattering marine environments

Using three-dimensional Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations, we examine the effect of beam transmissometer geometry on the relative error in the measurement of the beam-attenuation coefficient in an aquatic environment characterized by intense light scattering, especially within submerged bubble clouds entrained by surface-wave breaking. We discuss the forward-scattering error associated with the detection of photons scattered at small angles (< 1 degrees) and the multiple-scattering error associated with the detection of photons scattered more than once along the path length of the instrument. Several scattering phase functions describing bubble clouds at different bubble void fractions in the water are considered. Owing to forward-scattering error, a beam-attenuation meter (beam transmissometer) with a half-angle of receiver acceptance of 1.0 degrees and a path length of 0.1 m can underestimate the true beam attenuation within the bubble cloud by more than 50%. For bubble clouds with a beam attenuation of as much as 100 m(-1), the multiple-scattering error is no more than a few percent. These results are compared with simulations for some example phase functions that are representative of other scattering regimes found in natural waters. The forward-scattering error for the Petzold phase function of turbid waters is 16% for a typical instrument geometry, whereas for the Henyey-Greenstein phase function with the asymmetry parameter of 0.7 and 0.9 the error range is 8-28%.     

Yet another look at light scattering from particles in absorbing media

We examine the scattering properties of particles contained in absorbing media. Rather than consider energy fluxes through arbitrary integrating spheres, we examine the extinction from its fundamental definition: the energy removed from the plane wave, or incident beam. The resulting energy received by a detector contains two terms: one the result of the incident beam traversing through the medium that would have occurred if the particle were not present, and a correction term due to the presence of the particle. Both terms have the same dependence on the pathlength that the beam travels between two arbitrarily located parallel planes and are independent of where the particle is located within the medium. The result is that the definition of the extinction cross section is not dependent on a reference plane or the particle location within the medium.     

Statistical properties of dynamic small-N speckles within highly scattering media

Statistics of the phase and intensity of speckles formed with a small number of scattering events (small-N speckles) within multiple-scattering media have been studied. It has been demonstrated that first-order statistics of the intensity fluctuations of small-N speckles nearly obey a Nakagami n distribution in the case considered. The correlation function of the complex amplitude of scattered light is close to a negative exponent. Theoretical results have been experimentally verified using the Shack-Hartmann wavefront analysis technique.     

Fast multi-tau real-time software correlator for dynamic light scattering

We present a PC-based multi-tau software correlator suitable for processing dynamic light-scattering data. The correlator is based on a simple algorithm that was developed with the graphical programming language LabVIEW, according to which the incoming data are processed on line without any storage on the hard disk. By use of a standard photon-counting unit, a National Instruments Model 6602-PCI timer-counter, and a 550-MHz Pentium III personal computer, correlation functions can be worked out in full real-time over time scales of ~5 mus and in batch processing down to time scales of ~300 ns. The latter limit is imposed by the speed of data transfer between the counter and the PC's memory and thus is prone to be progressively reduced with future technological development. Testing of the correlator and evaluation of its performances were carried out by use of dilute solutions of calibrated polystyrene spheres. Our results indicate that the correlation functions are determined with such precision that the corresponding particle diameters can be recovered to within an accuracy of a few percent rms.     

Mode-selective dynamic light scattering: theory versus experimental realization

We present a quantitative experimental comparison of fiber-based, single- and few-mode dynamic light scattering with the classical pinhole-detection optics. The recently presented theory of mode-selective dynamic light scattering [Appl. Opt. 32, 2860 (1993)] predicts a collection efficiency and a signal-tobaseline ratio superior to that of a classical pinhole setup. These predictions are confirmed by our experiments. Using single-mode optical fibers with different cutoff wavelengths and commercially available mechanical components, we have constructed a mode-selective detection optics in a simple and compact dynamic light-scattering spectrometer that permits an optimal compromise between signal intensity and dynamical resolution.     

Application of dynamic light scattering to the study of small marine particles

Small particles ranging from approximately 0.1 μm to several micrometers in size, which include detrital material, bacteria, and other planktonic microorganisms, make a significant contribution to light scattering in the upper ocean. The scattering properties of these particles are strongly dependent on their size, which is difficult to measure in the submicrometer range with commonly used electronic resistive counters and microscopic techniques. We examined the size of small marine particles by application of the dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. In this method the time-dependent autocorrelation function of scattered intensity by particles undergoing Brownian motion provides information about the size of particles. The samples were collected in clear oceanic waters off the coast of Southern California. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of particles, determined from the DLS measurements at a scattering angle of 45°, was 0.54μ m. This indicates that the major contribution to scattering at this angle comes rom submicrometer particles. We also described an inverse method for estimating the general slope of the size distribution of small marine particles from the mean hydrodynamic diameter. This method is based on calculations of the size distribution weighted by distribution from Mie theory and assumes that a power-law approximation represents the actual particle scattered intensity. These calculations suggested that particulate assemblage in our seawater samples was best characterized by a differential size distribution with a slope of -4.35. This estimation was supported by independent measurements of particle size distribution and the spectral beam attenuation coefficient taken from the same samples as those used for the DLS measurements. We also demonstrated that multiangle DLS measurements may be used to determine the representative value of the refractive index of particles.     

动态光散射法测定纳米材料粒度的比对实验

对纳米材料粒度的检测是研究纳米材料及相关产品性能的重要手段之一,不同实验室之间测试结果的比对将有助于了解和掌握目前国内对纳米材料粒度的检测能力和水平。比对实验选用动态光散射法,对10台不同型号的仪器的测量结果用Z比分数法进行评价。结果表明:使用动态光散射法测定纳米材料粒度方法可行,参与比对实验室目前的检测水平基本上可为相关科研单位或生产厂家提供较准确的粒度检测结果。     

基于LabVIEW的纳米颗粒动态散射光模拟

采用实验室虚拟仪器工程平台LabVIEW实现了纳米颗粒动态光散射信号的计算机模拟。用G语言(图形语言)设计了信号模拟的框图程序,给出了5nm, 15 nm两种粒径颗粒的模拟动态散射光信号及自相关函数。对模拟信号的粒度分析表明,这两种模拟信号产生的测量偏差分别为0.4nm和-0.6nm。