Abstract

The scattering of light by a one-dimensional rough surface is investigated in terms of the Stokes scattering matrix. It is shown that only four unique quantities appear in this matrix. Two of these are simply related to the s- and p-polarized scattering cross sections, although the other two quantities contain the cross correlation of electric-field amplitudes scattered by s and p incident states. Through experimental measurements with a well-characterized rough surface fabricated in photoresist, it is shown that all four unique Stokes matrix elements are significant for a surface that produces backscattering enhancement.

© 1991 Optical Society of America

Measurements of light scattering by a series of conducting surfaces with one-dimensional roughness

M. E. Knotts and K. A. O’Donnell
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 11(2) 697-710 (1994)

Stokes matrix of a one-dimensional perfectly conducting rough surface

T. R. Michel, M. E. Knotts, and K. A. O’Donnell
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 9(4) 585-596 (1992)

Angular correlation functions of polarized intensities scattered from a one-dimensionally rough surface

M. E. Knotts, T. R. Michel, and K. A. O’Donnell
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 9(10) 1822-1831 (1992)

Comparisons of theory and experiment in light scattering from a randomly rough surface

M. E. Knotts, T. R. Michel, and K. A. O’Donnell
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 10(5) 928-941 (1993)

Statistics of the polarization properties of one-dimensional randomly rough surfaces

E. R. Méndez, A. G. Navarrete, and R. E. Luna
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 12(11) 2507-2516 (1995)