G. Popescu and A. Dogariu, Optical path-length spectroscopy of wave propagation in random media, Opt. Lett.. vol. 24, 442, (1999).
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We propose optical path-length spectroscopy as a new approach to obtaining information from media that exhibit multiple light scattering. By using a backscattering technique based on low-coherence interferometry, we are able to determine the optical path-length distribution for light ref lected from a random medium and to infer the value of the transport mean free path. We illustrate how a diffusion approximation model leads to a satisfactory description of depth-resolved profiles of the backscattered intensity and discuss potential applications of this technique.