Abstract

We demonstrate a method for measuring elastic back-scattering patterns from single laser trapped micron-sized particles, spanning the scattering angle range of $\mathit{\theta }=167.7°–180°$ and $\phi =0°–360°$ in spherical coordinates. We calibrated the apparatus by capturing light-scattering patterns of 10 μm diameter borosilicate glass microspheres and comparing their scattered intensities with Lorenz–Mie theory. Back-scattering patterns are also presented from a single trapped Johnson grass spore, two attached Johnson grass spores, and a cluster of Johnson grass spores. The method has potential use in characterizing airborne aerosol particles, and may be used to provide back-scattering data for lidar applications.

Detection and characterization of chemical aerosol using laser-trapping single-particle Raman spectroscopy

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Appl. Opt. 56(23) 6577-6582 (2017)

Characterizing and monitoring respiratory aerosols by light scattering

Yong-Le Pan, Kevin B. Aptowicz, Richard K. Chang, Matt Hart, and Jay D. Eversole
Opt. Lett. 28(8) 589-591 (2003)

Photophoretic trapping of absorbing particles in air and measurement of their single-particle Raman spectra

Yong-Le Pan, Steven C. Hill, and Mark Coleman
Opt. Express 20(5) 5325-5334 (2012)

Measurement of circular intensity differential scattering (CIDS) from single airborne aerosol particles for bioaerosol detection and identification

Yong-Le Pan, Aimable Kalume, Jessica Arnold, Leonid Beresnev, Chuji Wang, Danielle N. Rivera, Kevin K. Crown, and Joshua Santarpia
Opt. Express 30(2) 1442-1451 (2022)

Single-Particle Light–Scattering Measurement: Photochemical Aerosols and Atmospheric Particulates

David T. Phillips and Philip J. Wyatt
Appl. Opt. 11(9) 2082-2087 (1972)