Multiple scattering of polarized light in uniaxial turbid media with arbitrarily oriented linear birefringence

Polarimetric imaging in backscattering for the structural characterization of strongly scattering birefringent fibrous media

Interpreting the polarimetric data from fiber-like macromolecules constitutive of tissue can be difficult due to strong scattering. In this study, we probed the superficial layers of fibrous tissue models (membranes consisting of nanofibers) displaying varying degrees of alignment. To better understand the manifestation of membranes' degree of alignment in polarimetry, we analyzed the spatial variations of the backscattered light's Stokes vectors as a function of the orientation of the probing beam's linear polarization. The degree of linear polarization reflects the uniaxially birefringent behavior of the membranes. The rotational (a-)symmetry of the backscattered light's degree of linear polarization provides a measure of the membranes' degree of alignment.

Multiple scattering of polarized light in birefringent slab media: experimental verifications and simulations

The effective scattering Mueller matrices were measured for backward and forward scattering by applying a narrow polarized light on a polyacrylamide slab gel, which was strained vertically to generate birefringence inside. Monte Carlo simulations were performed in conditions that were the same as possible. The measured and simulated matrices were simplified to the reduced ones. They agreed well in both original and reduced forms. While they approximately take reciprocal forms for backward scattering, they approximately satisfy matrix forms that correspond to a reciprocal position of the mirror image for forward scattering. The reduced matrices were factorized by the Lu-Chipman polar decomposition to obtain the polarization parameters. The polarization parameters were in good agreement between the measurement and simulation and showed characteristic features of anisotropic slab media with a birefringence axis parallel to the slab surface.