Influences of surface structures on polarization properties

Abstract

The surface structure is an important factor that affects the polarization properties, which is useful information for object detection. This paper studies the influences of surface structures on polarization properties by the examination of man-made objects and nature objects using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and white light confocal microscope. In the work, polarization imaging was discussed, and a system was set up to obtain polarization images. Comparing the degree of linear polarization (DOLP) images with traditional spectral images, there are obvious differences between man-made objects and nature objects on the micro- and nano-scales. The experiment results indicate that surface structures have significant influences on polarization properties, and such characteristic can be used to identify the differences between objects or materials.