Generation and spatio-temporal evolution of polarization speckle

In this paper, we review our recent work on the statistical properties of polarization speckle generated by a birefringent material with rough surface. After a short introduction of a less-known concept of polarization speckle with its unique properties of random polarization states fluctuating in space, we provide an intuitive explanation of the cause of polarization speckle by vector random walks in the complex plane for two components of the vectorial electric fields. The surface polarization scattering is investigated in terms of the coherence matrix, and a relationship between the statistical properties of the scattered light at the scattering surface and the micro-structure of the anisotropic media has been explored to understand the underlying mechanism. The coherence and polarization properties of the stochastic electric fields at the far field after propagation have been studied in order to describe their spatial structure and evolution. Furthermore, the dynamic properties of polarization speckle have also been investigated in order to investigate the simultaneous reduction of coherence and polarization of the scattered light for the first time.