Polarized light reflection from strained sinusoidal surfaces.
We propose optical polarization imaging as a minimally invasive technique for measuring the mechanical properties of plastics and soft tissues through their change in reflectance properties with applied strain or force. We suggest that changes in surface roughness are responsible for the linear reflectivity changes with applied stretch or strain. Several aspects of this model are tested, including the dependence on the angle of incidence, the change in scattering and absorption coefficients with strain, and the lateral spatial resolution. The application of the technique to multilayer structures such as skin and competing optical effects such as laser speckle are discussed.
Schulkin
Brian
B
Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA.
Lim
Hee C
HC
Guzelsu
Nejat
N
Jannuzzi
Glen
G
Federici
John F
JF
D000042:Absorption; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013314:Stress, Mechanical