A study of polarization decay as applied to improved imaging in scattering media

Polarization decay of linearly polarized light propagating in a multiply scattering isotropic medium with embedded model inhomogeneity (absorbing half-plane) is studied experimentally and by means of Monte Carlo simulation. Possibilities of polarization visualization and the location of inhomogeneities masked by scattering media are discussed on the basis of results obtained after comparison with direct measurements of the spatial distribution of the intensity of the scattered light.