A random walk through surface scattering phenomena: Theory and phenomenology

TL;DR

This paper reviews the theoretical and computational foundations of electromagnetic wave scattering from rough surfaces, explaining phenomena like enhanced backscattering, satellite peaks, and nonlinear effects, with implications across various scientific fields.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the physical origins and computational methods for multiple scattering phenomena on rough surfaces, including recent advances.

Findings

Explanation of enhanced backscattering and satellite peaks

Analysis of coherent effects in angular intensity correlations

Discussion of second harmonic generation on rough surfaces

Abstract

No surface is perfectly planar at all scales. The notion of flatness of a surface therefore depends on the size of the probe used to observe it. As a consequence rough interfaces are abundant in nature. Here the old, but still active field of rough surface scattering of electromagnetic waves is addressed. This topic has implications and practical applications in fields as diverse as observational astronomy and the electronics industry. This article reviews the theoretical and computational foundation and methods used in the study of rough surface scattering. Furthermore, it presents and explains the physical origin of a series of multiple scattering surface phenomena. In particular what is discussed are: the enhanced backscattering and satellite peak phenomena, coherent effects in angular intensity correlation functions and second harmonic generated light (a non-linear effect).