Novel polarization-sensitive micropulse lidar measurement technique
Polarization-sensitive detection of elastic backscatter is useful for detection of cloud phase and depolarizing aerosols. The U.S. DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurements (ARM) Program has deployed micropulse lidar (MPL) for over a decade, but without polarized detection. Adding an actively-controlled liquid crystal retarder provides the capability to identify depolarizing particles by alternately transmitting linearly and circularly polarized light. This represents a departure from established techniques which transmit exclusively linear polarization or exclusively circular polarization. Mueller matrix calculations yield simple relationships between the well-known linear depolarization ratio δlinear, the circular depolarization ratio δcirc, and the hybrid MPL depolarization ratio δMPL. This research was supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research of the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 902665
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-54319; KP1205010; TRN: US200718%%47
- Journal Information:
- Optics Express, 15(6):2785-2790, Vol. 15, Issue 6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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