Degree of polarization of light scattered from correlated surface and bulk disorders

Using a single scattering theory, we derive the expression of the degree of polarization of the light scattered from a layer exhibiting both surface and volume scattering. The expression puts forward the intimate connection between the degree of polarization and the statistical correlation between surface and volume disorders. It also permits a quantitative analysis of depolarization for uncorrelated, partially correlated and perfectly correlated disorders. We show that measuring the degree of polarization could allow one to assess the surface-volume correlation function, and that, reciprocally, the degree of polarization could be engineered by an appropriate design of the correlation function.(c) 2023 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

Using a single scattering theory, this study derives the expression of the degree of polarization for light scattered from a layer with both surface and volume scattering. The expression reveals the close connection between the degree of polarization and the statistical correlation between surface and volume disorders, and allows for quantitative analysis of different levels of correlations. The study shows that measuring the degree of polarization can assess the surface-volume correlation function, and vice versa, the degree of polarization can be controlled through appropriate design of the correlation function.