Abstract

Experimental results are presented for the angular correlation functions of far-field intensity scattered by a conducting, one-dimensionally rough surface that produces backscattering enhancement. A detailed study of the special case of equal incident and scattering angles is presented, in which it is found that the intensity correlation functions exhibit two distinct and equal maxima, both of which imply perfect correlation within experimental accuracies. One of these is an autocorrelation peak, and the second peak arises from the cross correlation between two distinct intensities related by a reciprocity condition. It is found that, if the rough surface is illuminated by a +45° polarization state, the angular correlation functions of scattered intensity polarized at −45° have broad structures that are interpreted as arising from single-scattering processes. The scattered intensity polarized at +45° has quite different correlation functions whose properties are attributed to multiple-scattering processes; this interpretation is based on generalizations of arguments presented in previous studies of backscattering enhancement. In support of these conclusions, rigorous theoretical results for the angular correlation functions of scattered amplitude are presented.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

Angular correlation functions of amplitudes scattered from a one-dimensional, perfectly conducting rough surface

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