Data Analysis of Multi‐Angle Photon Correlation measurements without and with prior knowledge

Abstract The application of the singular value analysis and reconstruction method (SVR) and of the Contin method for the collective analysis of multi‐angle noisy photon correlation data sets was investigated. Provided the data are sampled equidistant in time and by proper tuning of the sampling time to the scattering angle, a collective multi‐angle SVR analysis is feasible. For homogeneous spherical particles such an analysis does not require any prior knowledge of the angular dependence of particle scattering power (e.g. Mie scattering). SVR allows the information content to be separated from noisy intensity autocorrelation data. It is illustrated that the multi‐angle SVR analysis enhances the recovery of the information content. Moreover, SVR can be used as a fast and accurate preprocessor for extracting the field autocorrelation function for a subsequent Contin analysis whereby prior knowledge of particle scattering power as a function of scattering angle is used as a constraint. Compared with the data analysis of multi‐angle time‐averaged scattered intensity measurements, the information that can be extracted from multi‐angle PCS data in comparable accumulation times is poorer.