Metallic rough surface retrieval from the specular intensity of scattered optical waves

We present a solution to the direct determination of the statistical parameters (root mean square deviation and correlation length), characterizing the profile of a random rough metallic surface with small slopes and heights, thus producing single scattering as well as a slight multiple scattering. This is done from the specular, coherent, component of the mean intensity of the optical waves scattered from the surface. In the frame of second-order perturbation theory, analytical expressions are derived for the specular component of the scattered radiation, and a retrieval of the rough surface parameters from the measured optical intensity is described.