Numerical investigation on polarization characteristics of coherent enhanced backscattering using SLPSTD

We investigate the polarization characteristics of coherent enhanced backscattering (EBS) using the pseudo-spectral time domain method implemented on staggered grid and local Fourier basis (SLPSTD) [Opt. Express 18, 9236 (2010)]. The studies are focused on Mie scatterers with findings profound to the understanding of polarization evolution in the scattering process. For linear polarization studies, the low-order scattering component of EBS is azimuthally anisotropic. A relationship between the degree of anisotropy and the photon's penetration depth is established to characterize the depolarization progress. For circular polarization, exact numerical solutions disclose the origin of polarization memory effect and the helicity-flipping phenomenon. The region responsible for helicity-flipping is identified. Our numerical technique can be potentially applied to subsurface imaging that explores polarization memory effect. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America