Abstract

The estimation of the refractive index from optical scattering off a target’s surface is an important task for remote sensing applications. Optical polarimetry is an approach that shows promise for refractive index estimation. However, this estimation often relies on polarimetric models that are limited to specular targets involving single surface scattering. Here, an analytic model is developed for the degree of polarization (DOP) associated with reflection from a rough surface that includes the effect of diffuse scattering. A multiplicative factor is derived to account for the diffuse component and evaluation of the model indicates that diffuse scattering can significantly affect the DOP values. The scattering model is used in a new approach for refractive index estimation from a series of DOP values that involves jointly estimating $n$, $k$, and ${\rho }_d$ with a nonlinear equation solver. The approach is shown to work well with simulation data and additive noise. When applied to laboratory-measured DOP values, the approach produces significantly improved index estimation results relative to reference values.

© 2015 Optical Society of America

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