Analyzing Vortex Light Beam Scattering Characteristics from a Random Rough Surface

The propagation and scattering of vortex light beams in complex media have significant implications in the fields of laser imaging, optical manipulation, and communication. This paper investigates the scattering characteristics of vortex light beams from a random rough surface. Firstly, a two-dimensional Gaussian rough surface is generated using the Monte Carlo method combined with the linear filtering method. Subsequently, the vortex beams are decomposed into the superposition of infinite plane waves, and the scattering of each plane wave from the rough surface is calculated using the Kirchhoff Approximation method. Numerical results of the angle distribution and spatial distribution of OAM scattering Laser Radar Cross Section (LRCS) are presented, varying with different surface roughness parameters for a rough aluminum surface and the beam’s parameters. The results demonstrate that the scattering of vortex beams is influenced by the beam’s parameters, such as Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) mode number and elevation angle, which may bring new insights into vortex wave-matter interactions and their applications in high resolution imaging.