Two-window heterodyne methods for measurement of optical coherence in multiple scattering media

Summary form only given. The study of optical coherence in multiple scattering media is currently receiving renewed attention because it impacts the development of optical diagnostics based on light propagation in biological tissue. New methods have been developed for characterizing the propagation of optical coherence in multiple scattering media based on the measurement of mutual coherence and Wigner functions. The Wigner function is Fourier transform related to the mutual coherence function of the field. Maximum information is obtained by polarization sensitive measurement of the transverse optical coherence to determine the field correlation functions C/sub ij/ (x, x') = (e*/sub i/(x)/spl epsiv//sub j/(x')), where i, j are the polarizations of the fields measured at transverse positions x and x'. We have developed a novel two-window heterodyne method for determining the field correlation functions by measuring the generalized Wigner functions for the optical field. In the experiments, a signal field is transmitted through or reflected from a multiple scattering medium consisting of a water-glycerol suspension of polystyrene spheres.