ABSTRACT
Scattering phenomena result from light-matter interactions: when an optical wave propagates in a medium, it interacts with its constituents so that a part of the incident light is radiated and deviated from the incident light direction. In particular, when the constituents involved in this process are much smaller than the wavelength, the phenomenon is referred to as Rayleigh scattering. In single-mode optical fibers, light scattered by silica does not necessary couple to the guided mode so that Rayleigh scattering leads to a significant loss in the propagating medium. The first part of this Chapter describes the basic concepts of scattering as well as its mathematical formalism. It then focuses on the Rayleigh scattering and backscattering phenomena in optical fibers.
