Abstract
Image formation due to the enhanced backscattering of light in a double-passage scattering configuration is considered. It is shown that the system mean intensity response to a coherently illuminated object consists of a coherent image of the object superposed on a uniform intensity background. The point-spread function of the system is formally identical to the point-spread function of an aberration-free conventional optical system with the same numerical aperture. We show, however, that the relative strength of the background increases with the number of independent object regions, reducing rapidly the contrast of the image. Experimental support for our conclusions is provided.
© 1996 Optical Society of America
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