TIME-RESOLVED BACKSCATTERING OF FEMTOSECOND PULSES FROM SCATTERING MEDIA - AN EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION

Time-resolved backscattering of ultrashort light pulses from scatterin g media is investigated with regard to potential application in the di agnosis of human skin. A Ti:sapphire laser based system is presented w hich allows recording the backscattered light with a depth resolution of approximate to 10 mu m. Under conditions similar to those of human skin, the system is able to record scattered light from depths of up t o 1 mm. Monte-Carlo simulations in combination with detailed experimen ts are used to explain the influence of various experimental parameter s on the backscattering signal. By this comparison, the scattering pro perties of the latex suspensions used as a reference medium could be d etermined in bulk and layered model structures.