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We investigate the scattering and multiple scattering of a typical laser beam (lambda = 800 nm) in the intermediate scattering regime. The turbid media used in this work are homogeneous solutions of monodisperse polystyrene spheres in distilled water. The two-dimensional distribution of light intensity is recorded experimentally, and calculated via Monte Carlo simulation for both forward and side scattering. The contribution of each scattering order to the total detected light intensity is quantified for a range of different scattering phase functions, optical depths, and detection acceptance angles. The Lorentz-Mie scattering phase function for individual particles is varied by using different sphere diameters (D = 1 and 5 mum). The optical depth of the turbid medium is varied (OD = 2, 5, and 10) by employing different concentrations of polystyrene spheres. Detection angles of theta(a) = 1.5 degrees and 8.5 degrees are considered. A novel approach which realistically models the experimental laser source is employed in this paper, and very good agreement between the experimental and simulated results is demonstrated. The data presented here can be of use to validate any other modern Monte Carlo models which generate spatially resolved light intensity distributions. Finally, an effective correction procedure to the Beer-Lambert law is proposed based on the Monte Carlo calculation of the ballistic photon contribution to the total detected light intensity.

Many important scientific questions in physics, chemistry and biology require effective methodologies to spectroscopically probe ultrafast intra- and inter-atomic/molecular dynamics. However, current methods that extend into the femtosecond regime are capable of only point measurements or single-snapshot visualizations and thus lack the capability to perform ultrafast spectroscopic videography of dynamic single events. Here we present a laser-probe-based method that enables two-dimensional videography at ultrafast timescales (femtosecond and shorter) of single, non-repetitive events. The method is based on superimposing a structural code onto the illumination to encrypt a single event, which is then deciphered in a post-processing step. This coding strategy enables laser probing with arbitrary wavelengths/bandwidths to collect signals with indiscriminate spectral information, thus allowing for ultrafast videography with full spectroscopic capability. To demonstrate the high temporal resolution of our method, we present videography of light propagation with record high 200 femtosecond temporal resolution. The method is widely applicable for studying a multitude of dynamical processes in physics, chemistry and biology over a wide range of time scales. Because the minimum frame separation (temporal resolution) is dictated by only the laser pulse duration, attosecond-laser technology may further increase video rates by several orders of magnitude.

Abstract:In this article, Structured Laser Illumination Planar Imaging (SLIPI) is used in combination with the LIF/Mie ratio technique for extracting a reliable two-dimensional mapping of the droplets Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD). We show that even for the case of a fairly dilute spray, where single scattering events are in majority, the conventional LIF/Mie technique still remains largely affected by errors introduced by multiple light scattering. To remove this unwanted light intensity on both the LIF and Mie images SLIPI is used prior to apply the image ratio. For the first time, the SLIPI LIF/Mie results are calibrated and compared with measurement data from Phase Doppler Interferometry (PDI).

Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is a well-established method that measures rapid changes in scattered coherent light to identify blood flow and functional dynamics within a tissue. While its sensitivity to minute scatterer displacements leads to a number of unique advantages, conventional DCS systems become photon-limited when attempting to probe deep into the tissue, which leads to long measurement windows (∽1 sec). Here, we present a high-sensitivity DCS system with 1024 parallel detection channels integrated within a single-photon avalanche diode array and demonstrate the ability to detect mm-scale perturbations up to 1 cm deep within a tissue-like phantom at up to a 33 Hz sampling rate. We also show that this highly parallelized strategy can measure the human pulse at high fidelity and detect behaviorally induced physiological variations from above the human prefrontal cortex. By greatly improving the detection sensitivity and speed, highly parallelized DCS opens up new experiments for high-speed biological signal measurement.