Enhanced backscattering: the universal wave phenomenon

Backscattering enhancement is discussed as a universal wave phenomenon inherent to waves of whatever physical nature: electromagnetic, acoustic, spin, etc. This phenomenon arises due to multichannel wave propagation from a source to a scatterer and back and may be observed in the vicinity of the source because of mutual coherence of waves passing in opposite directions along identical (coherent) channels. Backscattering enhancement may be revealed when the wave field is scattered: by a system of chaotically distributed scatterers or by a system of inhomogeneities; by a body embedded in a turbulent medium; by a single body placed near an interface or within a waveguide (randomness of body position is assumed); by a body of complex form or a system of several scatterers randomly oriented in space; by a rough surface; and by many other physical systems. Possible practical applications of these effects are analyzed