Olivier Merchiers

Microwave measurements of the full amplitude scattering matrix of a complex aggregate: a database for the assessment of light scattering codes

We present an extensive experimental study of microwave scattering by a fully characterized complex aggregate. We measured the full amplitude scattering matrix (amplitude and phase of the four elements) for a wide range of configurations. The presented results are of special interest to the light scattering community. Our experiments offer the possibility to validate numerical methods against experiments, since the geometrical and dielectric properties of the complex target are known to a high degree of precision, a situation difficult to attain in the optical regime. We analyze in detail the behaviour of amplitude and phase as a function of the scattering angle and target orientation. Furthermore, we compare different computational methods for a specific experimental configuration.

Gold nanoparticle self-assembly moderated by a cholesteric liquid crystal

We show that the study of gold nanoparticle self-assemblies induced by a liquid crystal matrix reveals the intimate distorted structure of the liquid crystal existing prior to nanoparticles incorporation. We also show how this intimate structure monitors the spacing between nanoparticles in the self-assemblies. We have created hybrid films of cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) and gold nanoparticles, the CLC being deformed by competing anchorings at its two interfaces. Whereas previous results have evidenced formation of only slightly anisotropic clusters of large nanoparticles (diameter 20nm), we now demonstrate for smaller nanoparticles (diameter 4.2nm) formation of long needles of length larger than 50 nanoparticles and width smaller than 5 nanoparticles, on average oriented perpendicular to the anchoring direction. The difference between the two kinds of nanoparticle aggregations is interpreted by a modification of the balance between aggregation between nanoparticles and trapping by the defects, favoured by the disorder induced by the alkylthiol molecules grafted around the nanoparticles. This leads to a well-defined, anisotropic Localized Surface Plasmonic Resonance (LSPR) of the 4.2nm embedded nanoparticles. Interpretation of these optical properties using generalized Mie theory allows for a comparison between CLC/gold nanoparticles and the same nanoparticles trapped within smectic topological defects or deposited on the same substrate without liquid crystal. A smaller spacing between nanoparticles is demonstrated in the CLC system with an attraction between nanoparticles induced by the CLC matrix, related to the additionnal disorder associated with the nanoparticles presence. The experimental observations allow us to estimate the disordered size of the liquid crystal shell around the nanoparticles in the CLC to be of some nanometers. They also suggest that the CLC distorted by competing anchorings is characterized by the presence of arrays of defects with topological cores of width smaller than 5nm that act as efficient anisotropic traps for the nanoparticles.

Microwave analog to light scattering measurements on a fully characterized complex aggregate

We present experimental measurements of three-dimensional electromagnetic wave scattering in the microwave frequency range, by a complex aggregate consisting of 74 primary spheres with fully known optical and geometrical properties. We measured the complete amplitude scattering matrix (or Jones matrix), from which the electric fields (amplitude and phase) with arbitrary polarization can be obtained. These results offer the opportunity to test approximate computational methods against experiments.

Polarization effects in 3D vectorial-induced current reconstructions

In tomography algorithms, the complex amplitude scattering matrix corresponds to the input parameter. When considering 3D targets, the scattering matrix now contains vectorial information. Thus, this scattering matrix might be calculated with various polarization projections. Moreover, when dealing with experimental data, we are almost every time faced with truncated data. We focus here on the impact of selecting parts of the amplitude scattering matrix elements versus others and in particular on the influence of the polarization choices on the imaging results. In order to better apprehend the physical content associated to each polarization term, the study is conducted with a simple vectorial-induced current reconstruction algorithm allowing reconstruction of qualitative maps of the scene. This algorithm is applied on scaled models of aggregates combined with experimental scattered fields acquired in the microwave frequency range.

Effects of polarization on microwave imaging reconstructions

The imaging of a target from its scattered field thanks to an inversion procedure is an interesting way to characterize this object. When dealing with experimental data we are almost every time faced with truncated data. We will focus here on the interest of some field polarizations versus others and in particular on the influence of the polarization choices on the imaging reconstructions.