arXiv subjects

Arnaud Derode

Publications and source records attributed to Arnaud Derode.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Reflection Measurement of the Scattering Mean Free Path at the Onset of Multiple Scattering

Multiple scattering of waves presents challenges for imaging complex media but offers potential for their characterization. Its onset is actually governed by the scattering mean free path $\ell_s$ that provides crucial information on the medium micro-architecture. Here, we introduce a reflection matrix method designed to estimate this parameter from the time decay of the single scattering rate. Our method is first validated by an ultrasound experiment on a tissue-mimicking phantom before being applied in-vivo to a human liver. This study opens important perspectives for quantitative imaging of heterogeneous media with waves, whether it be for non-destructive testing, biomedical or geophysical applications.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2022

Weight of single and recurrent scattering in the reflection matrix of complex media

In a heterogeneous medium, the wavefield can be decomposed as an infinite series known as the Born expansion. Each term of the Born expansion corresponds to a scattering order, it is thus theoretically possible to discriminate single and multiple scattering field components. Experimentally, what is actually measured is the total field in which all scattering orders interfere. Conventional imaging methods usually rely on the assumption that the multiple scattering contribution can be disregarded. In a back-scattering configuration, this assumption is valid for small depths, and begins to fail for depths larger than the scattering mean-free path $\ell_s$. It is therefore a key issue to estimate the relative amount of single and multiple scattering in experimental data. To this end, a single scattering estimator $\hat{\rho}$ computed from the reflection matrix has been introduced in order to assess the weight of single scattering in the backscattered wavefield. In this article, the meaning of this estimator is investigated and a particular attention is given to recurrent scattering. In a diffraction-limited experiment, a multiple scattering sequence is said to be recurrent if the first and last scattering events occur in the same resolution cell. Recurrent scattering is shown to be responsible for correlations between single scattering and higher scattering orders of the Born expansion, inducing a bias to the estimator $\hat{\rho}$ that should rather be termed confocal scattering ratio. Interestingly, a more robust estimator is built by projecting the reflection matrix in a focused basis. The argument is sustained by numerical simulations as well as ultrasonic data obtained around 1.5~MHz in a model medium made of nylon rods immersed in water. From a more general perspective, this work raises fundamental questions about the impact of recurrent scattering on wave imaging.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2020

A Distortion Matrix Framework for High-Resolution Passive Seismic 3-D Imaging: Application to the San Jacinto Fault Zone, California

Reflection seismic imaging usually suffers from a loss of resolution and contrast because of the fluctuations of the wave velocities in the Earth's crust. In the literature, phase distortion issues are generally circumvented by means of a background wave velocity model. However, it requires a prior tomography of the wave velocity distribution in the medium, which is often not possible, especially in depth. In this paper, a matrix approach of seismic imaging is developed to retrieve a three-dimensional image of the subsoil, despite a rough knowledge of the background wave velocity. To do so, passive noise cross-correlations between geophones of a seismic array are investigated under a matrix formalism. More precisely, the detrimental effect of wave velocity fluctuations on imaging is overcome by introducing a novel mathematical object: The distortion matrix. This operator essentially connects any virtual source inside the medium with the distortion that a wavefront, emitted from that point, experiences due to heterogeneities. A time reversal analysis of the distortion matrix enables the estimation of the transmission matrix that links each real geophone at the surface and each virtual geophone in depth. Phase distortions can then be compensated for any point of the underground. Applied to seismic data recorded along the Clark branch of the San Jacinto fault zone, the present method is shown to provide an image of the fault until a depth of 4 km with a transverse resolution of 80 m. Strikingly, this resolution is almost one eighth below the diffraction limit imposed by the geophone array aperture. The heterogeneities of the subsoil play the role of a scattering lens and of a transverse wave guide which increase drastically the array aperture.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2019

Matrix Approach of Seismic Imaging: Application to the Erebus Volcano, Antarctica

Multiple scattering of seismic waves is often seen as a nightmare for conventional migration techniques that generally rely on a ballistic or a single scattering assumption. In heterogeneous areas such as volcanoes, the multiple scattering contribution limits the imaging-depth to one scattering mean free path, the mean distance between two successive scattering events for body waves. In this Letter, we propose a matrix approach of passive seismic imaging that pushes back this fundamental limit by making an efficient use of scattered body waves drowned into a noisy seismic coda. As a proof-of-concept, the case of the Erebus volcano in Antarctica is considered. The Green's functions between a set of geophones placed on top of the volcano are first retrieved by the cross-correlation of coda waves induced by multiple icequakes. This set of impulse responses forms a reflection matrix. By combining a matrix discrimination of singly-scattered waves with iterative time reversal, we are able to push back the multiple scattering limit beyond 10 scattering mean free paths. The matrix approach reveals the internal structure of the Erebus volcano: A chimney-shaped structure at shallow depths, a magma reservoir at 2500 m and several cavities at sea level and below it. The matrix approach paves the way towards a greatly improved monitoring of volcanic structures at depth. Beyond this specific case, the matrix approach of seismic imaging can generally be applied to all scales and areas where multiple scattering events undergone by body waves prevent in-depth imaging of the Earth's crust.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2016

Radiative transfer of acoustic waves in continuous complex media: Beyond the Helmholtz equation

Heterogeneity can be accounted for by a random potential in the wave equation. For acoustic waves in a fluid with fluctuations of both density and compressibility (as well as for electromagnetic waves in a medium with fluctuation of both permittivity and permeability) the random potential entails a scalar and an operator contribution. For simplicity, the latter is usually overlooked in multiple scattering theory: whatever the type of waves, this simplification amounts to considering the Helmholtz equation with a sound speed $c$ depending on position $\mathbf{r}$. In this work, a radiative transfer equation is derived from the wave equation, in order to study energy transport through a multiple scattering medium. In particular, the influence of the operator term on various transport parameters is studied, based on the diagrammatic approach of multiple scattering. Analytical results are obtained for fundamental quantities of transport theory such as the transport mean-free path $\ell^*$, scattering phase function $f$ and anisotropy factor $g$. Discarding the operator term in the wave equation is shown to have a significant impact on $f$ and $g$, yet limited to the low-frequency regime i.e., when the correlation length of the disorder $\ell_c$ is smaller than or comparable to the wavelength $\lambda$. More surprisingly, discarding the operator part has a significant impact on the transport mean-free path $\ell^*$ whatever the frequency regime. When the scalar and operator terms have identical amplitudes, the discrepancy on the transport mean-free path is around $300\,\%$ in the low-frequency regime, and still above $30\,\%$ for $\ell_c/\lambda=10^3$ no matter how weak fluctuations of the disorder are. Analytical results are supported by numerical simulations of the wave equation and Monte Carlo simulations.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2014

Full transmission and reflection of waves propagating through a maze of disorder

Thirty years ago, theorists showed that a properly designed combination of incident waves could be fully transmitted through (or reflected by) a disordered medium, based on the existence of propagation channels which are essentially either closed or open (bimodal law). In this Letter, we study elastic waves in a disordered waveguide and present direct experimental evidence of the bimodal law. Full transmission and reflection are achieved. The wave field is monitored by laser interferometry and highlights the interference effects that take place within the scattering medium.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2014

Scattering mean-free path in continuous complex media: beyond the Helmholtz equation

We present theoretical calculations of the ensemble-averaged (a.k.a. effective or coherent) wavefield propagating in a heterogeneous medium considered as one realization of a random process. In the literature, it is usually assumed that heterogeneity can be accounted for by a random scalar function of the space coordinates, termed the potential. Physically, this amounts to replacing the constant wavespeed in Helmholtz' equation by a space-dependent speed. In the case of acoustic waves, we show that this approach leads to incorrect results for the scattering mean-free path, no matter how weak fluctuations are. The detailed calculation of the coherent wavefield must take into account both a scalar and an operator part in the random potential. When both terms have identical amplitudes, the correct value for the scattering mean-free paths is shown to be more than four times smaller (13/3, precisely) in the low frequency limit, whatever the shape of the correlation function. Based on the diagrammatic approach of multiple scattering, theoretical results are obtained for the self-energy and mean-free path, within Bourret's and on-shell approximations. They are confirmed by numerical experiments.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2014

A random matrix approach to detect defects in a strongly scattering polycrystal: how the memory effect can help overcome multiple scattering

We report on ultrasonic imaging in a random heterogeneous medium. The goal is to detect flaws embedded deeply into a polycrystalline material. A 64-element array of piezoelectric transmitters/receivers at a central frequency of 5 MHz is used to capture the Green's matrix in a backscattering configuration. Because of multiple scattering, conventional imaging completely fails to detect the deepest flaws. We utilize a random matrix approach, taking advantage of the deterministic coherence of the backscattered wave-field which is characteristic of single scattering and related to the memory effect. This allows us to separate single and multiple scattering contributions. As a consequence, we show that flaws are detected beyond the conventional limit, as if multiple scattering had been overcome.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2014

Recurrent scattering and memory effect at the Anderson localization transition

We report on ultrasonic measurements of the propagation operator in a strongly scattering mesoglass. The backscattered field is shown to display a deterministic spatial coherence due to a remarkably large memory effect induced by long recurrent trajectories. Investigation of the recurrent scattering contribution directly yields the probability for a wave to come back close to its starting spot. The decay of this quantity with time is shown to change dramatically near the Anderson localization transition. The singular value decomposition of the propagation operator reveals the dominance of very intense recurrent scattering paths near the mobility edge.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2011

Multiple scattering of ultrasound in weakly inhomogeneous media: application to human soft tissues

Waves scattered by a weakly inhomogeneous random medium contain a predominant single scattering contribution as well as a multiple scattering contribution which is usually neglected, especially for imaging purposes. A method based on random matrix theory is proposed to separate the single and multiple scattering contributions. The experimental set up uses an array of sources/receivers placed in front of the medium. The impulse responses between every couple of transducers are measured and form a matrix. Single-scattering contributions are shown to exhibit a deterministic coherence along the antidiagonals of the array response matrix, whatever the distribution of inhomogeneities. This property is taken advantage of to discriminate single from multiple-scattered waves. This allows one to evaluate the absorption losses and the scattering losses separately, by comparing the multiple scattering intensity with a radiative transfer model. Moreover, the relative contribution of multiple scattering in the backscattered wave can be estimated, which serves as a validity test for the Born approximation. Experimental results are presented with ultrasonic waves in the MHz range, on a synthetic sample (agar-gelatine gel) as well as on breast tissues. Interestingly, the multiple scattering contribution is found to be far from negligible in the breast around 4.3 MHz.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2010

Singular value distribution of the propagation matrix in random scattering media

The distribution of singular values of the propagation operator in a random medium is investigated, in a backscattering configuration. Experiments are carried out with pulsed ultrasonic waves around 3 MHz, using an array of 64 programmable transducers placed in front of a random scattering medium. The impulse responses between each pair of transducers are measured and form the response matrix. The evolution of its singular values with time and frequency is computed by means of a short-time Fourier analysis. The mean distribution of singular values exhibits very different behaviours in the single and multiple scattering regimes. The results are compared with random matrix theory. Once the experimental matrix coefficients are renormalized, experimental results and theoretical predictions are found to be in a very good agreement. Two kinds of random media have been investigated: a highly scattering medium in which multiple scattering predominates and a weakly scattering medium. In both cases, residual correlations that may exist between matrix elements are shown to be a key parameter. Finally, the possibility of detecting a target embedded in a random scattering medium based on the statistical properties of the strongest singular value is discussed.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2009

Detection and imaging in a random medium: A matrix method to overcome multiple scattering and aberration

We present an imaging technique particularly suited to the detection of a target embedded in a strongly scattering medium. Classical imaging techniques based on the Born approximation fail in this kind of configuration because of multiply scattered echoes and aberration distortions. The experimental set up we consider uses an array of programmable transmitters/receivers. A target is placed behind a scattering medium. The impulse responses between all array elements are measured and form a matrix. The core of the method is to separate the single-scattered echo of the target from the multiple scattering background. This is possible because of a deterministic coherence along the antidiagonals of the array response matrix, which is typical of single scattering. Once this operation is performed, target detection is achieved by applying the DORT method (French acronym for decomposition of the time reversal operator). Experimental results are presented in the case of wide-band ultrasonic waves around 3 MHz. A 125-element array is placed in front of a collection of randomly distributed steel rods (diameter 0.8mm). The slab thickness is three times the scattering mean free path. The target is a larger steel cylinder (diameter 15 mm) that we try to detect and localize. The quality of detection is assessed theoretically based on random matrix theory and is shown to be significantly better than what is obtained with classical imaging methods. Aside from multiple scattering, the technique is also shown to reduce the aberrations induced by an heterogeneous layer.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2008

Fluctuations of correlations and Green's function reconstruction: role of scattering

Correlations of ambient seismic or acoustic vibrations are now widely used to reconstruct the impulse response between two passive receivers as if a source was placed at one of them. This provides the opportunity to do imaging without a source, or \textsl{passive imaging}. Applications include terrestrial and solar seismology, underwater acoustics, and structural health monitoring, to cite only a few. Nevertheless, for a given set of data, correlations do not only yield the Green's function between the sensors. They also contain residual fluctuations that result from an imperfect time or source averaging that might eventually blur the images. In this article, we propose a heuristic model to describe the level of fluctuations of the correlations in the case of non-stationary wavefields, and more particularly in the case of scattering media. The work includes theoretical derivations and numerical simulations. The role of multiple scattering is quantitatively evaluated. The level of fluctuations decreases when the duration and intensity of the diffuse waves increase. The role of absorption is also discussed: absorption is properly retrieved by correlation, but the level of fluctuations is greater, thus degrading the Green's function reconstruction. Discrepancies of our simple model in the case of strong multiple scattering ($k\ell^*\leq 18$) are discussed.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2007

Passive Retrieval of Rayleigh Waves in Disordered Elastic Media

When averaged over sources or disorder, cross-correlation of diffuse fields yield the Green's function between two passive sensors. This technique is applied to elastic ultrasonic waves in an open scattering slab mimicking seismic waves in the Earth's crust. It appears that the Rayleigh wave reconstruction depends on the scattering properties of the elastic slab. Special attention is paid to the specific role of bulk to Rayleigh wave coupling, which may result in unexpected phenomena like a persistent time-asymmetry in the diffuse regime.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2004

The relation between Time Reversal focusing and Coherent Backscattering in multiple scattering media: a diagrammatic approach

In this paper, we revisit one-channel time reversal (TR) experiments through multiple scattering media in the framework of the self-consistent multiple scattering theory. The hyper resolution and the self-averaging property are retrieved. The developed formalism leads to a deeper understanding of the role of the ladder and most-crossed diagrams in a TR experiment, and also establishes the link between TR and Coherent Backscattering (CBS). Especially, we show that when the initial source and the time reversal point are at the same location, the time-reversed amplitude is twice higher. Surprisingly, this enhancement is due to the ladder diagrams and not to the most-crossed ones, contrary to CBS. These theoretical predictions are confirmed by experimental results. The experiments are performed with ultrasonic waves propagating through a random collection of parallel steel rods.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗