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

    Authors

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

    Comments

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    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

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