title: Backscattered polarization patterns determined by conservation of angular momentum.
abstract: It is demonstrated that the occurence of backscattered polarization patterns relates to the conservation of angular momentum of light. Using the geometrical phase formalism in the spin space, we develop a model where the helicity-maintaining and the helicity-flipping multiple-scattering processes can be accounted for. The model explains practically all the symmetries present in the spatially resolved Mueller matrices.
authors.affiliation: CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA.
authors.forename: Chaim
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Aristide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dogariu