Title

Spatial Coherence Of A Gaussian-Beam Wave In Weak And Strong Optical Turbulence

Authors

Authors

L. C. Andrews; W. B. Miller;J. C. Ricklin

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

J. Opt. Soc. Am. A-Opt. Image Sci. Vis.

Keywords

PROPAGATION; SYSTEMS; Optics

Abstract

A generalized Huygens - Fresnel integral, valid for optical wave propagation through random inhomogeneities in the presence of any complex optical system characterized by an ABCD ray matrix, is used to derive a general expression for the mutual coherence function (MCF) associated with a Gaussian-beam wave in the weak-fluctuation regime. The mean irradiance obtained from this expression shows excellent agreement with all known asymptotic relations. By introducing a pair of effective beam parameters THETA(t) and LAMBDA(t) that account for additional diffraction on the receiving aperture, resulting from turbulence, the normalized MCF and the related degree of coherence are formally extended into the regime of strong fluctuations. Results for the normalized MCF from this heuristic approach compare well with numerical calculations obtained directly from the formal solution of the parabolic equation. Also, the implied spatial coherence length from this analysis in moderate-to-strong-fluctuation regimes generally agrees more closely with numerical solutions of the parabolic equation than do previous approximate solutions. All calculations are based on the modified von Karman spectrum for direct comparison with established results.

Journal Title

Journal of the Optical Society of America a-Optics Image Science and Vision

Volume

11

Issue/Number

5

Publication Date

1-1-1994

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

1653

Last Page

1660

WOS Identifier

WOS:A1994NK23900013

ISSN

0740-3232

Share

COinS