Title

Mode analysis of spreading of partially coherent beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence

Authors

Authors

T. Shirai; A. Dogariu;E. Wolf

Abbreviated Journal Title

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

Keywords

REPRESENTATION; MEDIA; Optics

Abstract

The spreading of partially coherent beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence is studied by use of the coherent-mode representation of the beams. Specifically, we consider partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model beams entering the atmosphere, and we examine the spreading of each coherent mode, represented by a Hermite-Gaussian function, on propagation. We find that in atmospheric turbulence the relative spreading of higher-order modes is smaller than that of lower-order modes, whereas the relative spreading of all order modes is the same as in free space. This modal behavior successfully explains why under certain circumstances partially coherent beams are less affected by atmospheric turbulence than are fully spatially coherent laser beams. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.

Journal Title

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

Volume

20

Issue/Number

6

Publication Date

1-1-2003

Document Type

Article; Proceedings Paper

Language

English

First Page

1094

Last Page

1102

WOS Identifier

WOS:000183131500014

ISSN

0740-3232

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