Backscattering of light from a dielectric layer on a reflecting substrate

Scattering of light from rough dielectric films is studied experimentally. It is shown that the interference pattern of the scattered field depends critically on the power spectrum of the roughness, especially on its long-scale component. When the height of roughness is small compared with the wavelength, the backscattering peak (if it exists) is due to the interference of the singly scattered fields; hence the properties of the backscattered peak are rather unusual. In particular, the width of the peak is determined by the thickness of the film and is independent of the parameters of disorder. The intensity of the peak increases with an increase of the rms height of the surface roughness and becomes independent of the rms when the roughness is of the order of the wavelength.