Angular light scattering studies using low-coherence interferometry

A modified Michelson interferometer is used to measure path- length resolved angular distributions of light backscattered by turbid media. The path length resolution is obtained by exploiting the coherence properties of a broadband source. The angular distribution is mapped out using a simple optical system to scan the angle at which the reference field intersects the detector plane. Angular scattering distributions can be compared to Mie theory to determine the size and refractive index of spherical scatterers. Initial studies utilizing this system demonstrate the potential of low coherence interferometry for obtaining structural information using angular distributions