Shower curtain effect: Simulations via wave propagation

Roseanne A. Novesteras* and Percival F. Almoro

National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City Philippines 1100
*Corresponding author: rnovesteras@nip.upd.edu.ph

Abstract
Shower curtain effect describes distance conditions for enhanced image
formation through a scattering medium (curtain). Best images are formed when
object is closer to the medium and observer is farther from the medium. A
point-scanning method that benefits from shower curtain effect called optical
coherence tomography has been simulated using various Monte Carlo
algorithms. Here we developed a model that simulates shower curtain effect
using a wave propagation equation. The effectiveness of the model is
demonstrated using amplitude-type (absorbing) and phase-type (transparent)
scattering media. Our FFT-based model is non-scanning and could pave the
way for evaluation of object complex fields through scattering media.
Keywords: 42.30.Wb, 42.62.Be, 87.63.L-
1. Introduction
When light passes through a scattering medium, it changes direction in some manner. The shower curtain
effect is the observation of illuminated objects hidden behind such scattering layer and where the image quality
depends on the relative positions of the object and observer from the scattering medium. As early as 1998, shower
curtain effect has been experimentally demonstrated by investigating the change in the point spread function
passing through a scattering media using incoherent light [1]. The observed image is best when the object is placed
near the diffuser and the observer is farther [1].
The shower curtain effect has been considered in imaging situations that require looking through an obstacle.
This is the situation in optical coherence tomography (OCT) aimed at capturing images underneath a scattering
layer usually a layer of tissue [2]. Shower curtain effect has also been utilized in imaging objects behind a smoke
layer [3] or clouds and fog [4]. Previous demonstrations of shower curtain effect used incoherent light [1] and
coherent light via digital holography [7]. Different processing algorithms [8-10] have also been reported to recover
enhanced images of objects behind a curtain or a scattering medium. OCT systems are a scanning type imaging
system and have been modeled using various Monte Carlo algorithms [11-14].
In this study, what we believe to be a first time demonstration of shower curtain effect using wave propagation
based simulations will be presented. Wave propagation is implemented using an FFT-based algorithm that permits
access to the object complex field yielding valuable information that can be used for phase analysis and
interferometry. The rest of the manuscript is organized as follows…

2. Wave propagation - based simulation

In simulating the shower curtain effect, principles of wave propagation and lens imaging were applied. First,
an object image was read and then converted into an object wave by inserting the read values into an equation of
a wave as in equation (1).

𝑂(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝐴(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑒𝑥𝑝(𝑖𝜙(𝑥, 𝑦)) (1)

The read values are put in A(x,y) of the object wave for an amplitude type object. The object wave is then
propagated into the diffuser plane which is at a distance d. The wave propagation was done using equation (2)
where the U1(x,y) is the input field U2(x,y) is the output field and G is the transfer function shown in equation (3)
where λ is the wavelength set to 633 nm, M and N are matrix sizes of the fields, ∆x and ∆y are the pixel sizes
which are both set to 0.0052 mm. [5]

𝑈2 (𝑥, 𝑦) = ℱ −1 [ℱ(𝑈1 (𝑥, 𝑦)) ∗ 𝐺(𝑛, 𝑚)] (2)

32nd Physics Congress of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas

University of the Philippines Diliman
17 – 20 October 2014
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 2 2
𝑁 2 ∆𝑥 2 𝑁 2 ∆𝑦 2
2𝜋𝑑 √ 𝜆2 (𝑛 + ) 𝜆2 (𝑚 + )
2𝑑𝜆 2𝑑𝜆
𝐺(𝑛, 𝑚) = exp −𝑖 1− − (3)
𝜆 𝑁 2 ∆𝑥 2 𝑁 2 ∆𝑦 2
{ }

This is the Rayleigh Sommerfeld convolution method [5] and this was used for all the wave propagations in this
paper. After propagation, the wave is multiplied to a modelled diffuser. The diffuser was generated by creating an
M×N matrix, a random value ranging from 0 to 1 is assigned to each pixel. For the amplitude-type diffuser, the
generated matrix was inserted into A(x,y) and the argument of the exponential form was set constant following
equation (1). And for the phase-type diffuser, the generated matrix was substituted to 𝜑(x,y) while A(x,y) was kept
constant. The resulting wave was then propagated into the optics plane where there is a lens. A transmittance
function for focus to simulate the lens is applied to the wave, shown in equation (4) where k is the wave number
and f is the focal length [6].

𝑘 2 (4)
𝑡𝐴 (𝑥, 𝑦) = exp [−𝑗 (𝑥 + 𝑦 2 )]
2𝑓

The image is then observed after propagating again at the image distance zi which is calculated using the lens
equation in equation (5) where zo is the object distance.

1 1 1 (5)
+ =
𝑧𝑜 𝑧𝑖 𝑓

To observe mainly the shower curtain effect, the simulation uses the setup shown in figure 1.

Figure 1. Setup used to demonstrate the shower curtain effect.

The ratio of the distance d between the object plane and the diffuser and the distance zo from the object plane
to the imaging lens are varied to observe the phenomenon of the shower curtain effect. To better observe the
“blurring” effect expected, the focal length of the imaging lens is set to 12.5 mm and the object distance is set to
25 mm such that the image distance is equal to the object distance and therefore no magnification will be observed
in the output.

3. Results
From the description of the simulation above, the shower curtain effect was demonstrated by varying the ratio
of the distance d from the object plane to the diffuser and the object distance zo with respect to the imaging lens.
The d was varied to 0.04zo, 0.27zo, 0.50zo, 0.73zo and 0.96zo. And again, zo is set to a constant 25 mm, f is 12.5
mm. Using an amplitude-type diffuser, the randomization of the pixel values are varied by increasing the pixel
sizes of the diffuser. This was done by initially setting a 16×16, 64×64 and 256×256 matrix with random values
and resizing them to M×N or 512×512. The first column of images in figure 2 gives a better visualization of the
diffusers used. From the same figure, it is observable that the edges of the letters NIP are more defined as d is
decreased. However, varying pixel sizes of the diffuser affect the images in such a way that artifacts of the diffuser
show. Say, for the diffuser with the largest pixel size (16×16), the maximum gray level (white part) gives the

32nd Physics Congress of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas

University of the Philippines Diliman
17 – 20 October 2014
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resulting image artifacts at the edges and therefore affects the clarity. Amplitude-type diffuser are absorbing,
hence darker pixels are more absorbing and does not transmit most of the light.

Figure 2. Images observed at the image plane where d is set to 0.04zO, 0.27zO, 0.50zO, 0.73zO and 0.96zO
from left to right and varying pixel sizes of diffuser as shown on the first column. 16×16, 64×64 and
256×256 from top to bottom, respectively.

For the phase-type diffuser, the depth of randomization was also varied and observed how this affected the
image quality as the relative position of the scattering layer changed. The diffuser used had a phase φ(x,y) of iR
where R is a random number set to each pixel ranging from 0 to the depth of randomization. The depth of
randomization used were 2π, 3π/2 and π. This means that the phase of each point of the diffuser ranged from zero
to the specified depth of randomization.

Figure 3. Images observed at the image plane where d is set to 0.04zO, 0.27zO, 0.50zO, 0.73zO and 0.96zO
from left to right and depth of randomization is set to 2π, 3π/2 and π from top to bottom, respectively.

From figure 3, the shower curtain effect has been demonstrated that as d is decreased the image improves.
Larger depth of randomization scatters the light at larger angles and so faster blurring of the image occurs as the
d is increased. When the diffuser was near the object the image produced had higher contrast and lessens as it
moved along the z axis towards the imaging lens. This is because as the diffuser scatters light when it is near the
object, rays scattered at larger angles escapes the optical system and therefore the imaging system collects only
the rays at smaller angles [2]. Consequently, when the diffuser is near the imaging system, rays transmitted at
larger angle is collected by the lens as well and this causes the image to be blurry.[2] It can also be seen that

32nd Physics Congress of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas

University of the Philippines Diliman
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amplitude-type diffuser had less effect on the images compared to the phase-type diffuser because from the
equation of the wave (as in equation (1)), the random phase of the diffuser is the argument of an exponential
therefore it had a larger effect on the image.

4. Conclusions and Recommendations

A model that simulates the shower curtain effect using Rayleigh Sommerfeld wave propagation has been
demonstrated. The model is FFT-based as well and non-scanning and could be used in evaluating object complex
field through scattering media. The results show the effectiveness of the model in both amplitude-type (absorbing)
and phase-type (transparent) diffusers. The shower curtain effect is qualitatively correct with coherent illumination
for both amplitude- and phase-type diffusers. The maximum gray levels (white) at the amplitude-type diffusers
scatter light more than the others and this blurs the edges of the images as d is increased. Increasing depth of
randomization of a phase-type diffuser can cause the image to blur faster because it scatters the incoming light at
larger angles.
Directions for future research include investigations of the shower curtain effect with 3-D diffusers, use of
dynamic scatterers such as a cloud, smoke or fog, and reconstruction of object wavefronts. Furthermore, one can
also observe the shower curtain effect with varying size of particulates for the scattering media. Since the results
are qualitatively evaluated, it is recommended to further investigate on the same optical system by comparing the
MTF or the modulation transfer functions of the scattering media.

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University of the Philippines Diliman
17 – 20 October 2014
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