Convergence of general beams into Gaussian intensity profiles after propagation in turbulent atmosphere

It is shown that a general shaped laser beam will eventually approach a Gaussian average intensity profile after propagation in turbulent atmosphere. In our formulation, source field at the exit plane of the laser is taken as the product of arbitrary functions of source transverse coordinates with Gaussian exponential modulations. Following the expansion of the arbitrary functions in terms of Hermite polynomials, the average receiver intensity expression is derived using the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the conditions for the intensity profile to assume a Gaussian shape are stated. The results are illustrated by simulating various source field distributions.     

Propagation of modified Bessel-Gaussian beams in turbulence

We investigate the propagation characteristics of modified Bessel-Gaussian beams traveling in a turbulent atmosphere. The source beam formulation comprises a Gaussian exponential and the summation of modified Bessel functions. Based on an extended Huygens–Fresnel principle, the receiver plane intensity is formulated and solved down to a double integral stage. Source beam illustrations show that modified Bessel-Gaussian beams, except the lowest order case, will have well-like shapes. Modified Bessel-Gaussian beams with summations will experience lobe slicing and will display more or less the same profile regardless of order content. After propagating in turbulent atmosphere, it is observed that a modified Bessel-Gaussian beam will transform into a Bessel-Gaussian beam. Furthermore it is seen that modified Bessel-Gaussian beams with different Bessel function combinations, but possessing nearly the same profile, will differentiate during propagation. Increasing turbulence strength is found to accelerate the beam transformation toward the eventual Gaussian shape.     

Propagation characteristics of higher-order annular Gaussian beams in atmospheric turbulence

The propagation characteristics of higher-order annular Gaussian (HOAG) beams in turbulence are investigated. From a HOAG source plane excitation, the average intensity of the receiver plane is developed analytically. This formulation is verified against the previously derived HOAG beam solution in free space. The graphical outputs indicate that, upon traveling in turbulent atmosphere, the HOAG beam will undergo different stages of evolution. At intermediate propagation distances, it will attempt to concentrate the energy near the origin. In this process, the appearance of the single higher-order primary beam will be encountered. Eventually HOAG originated beam will become a pure Gaussian beam after propagating an excessive distance in the turbulent medium.     

Propagation aspects of Mathieu–Gaussian beams in turbulence

Based on our recent source plane formulation, the propagation characteristics of Mathieu–Gaussian beams in turbulent atmosphere are investigated. In this connection, the average receiver plane intensity expression is deduced using the Huygens–Fresnel integral. Our results offered in the form of graphical illustrations reveal that, for some settings of source and propagation parameters, the center of the source beam is evacuated after propagation, while the initially smaller side lobes begin to grow. In a parallel development, the angular distribution of the beam also changes. At small Gaussian source sizes and transverse components of the wave vector, the source beam profile remains almost invariant throughout the propagation. The larger refractive index structure constant values cause the final Gaussian beam profile to be attained at earlier propagation distances. Smaller refractive index structure constants, on the other hand, do not change the beam profile substantially from that of free space.     

Moment and kurtosis parameter of partially coherent cosh-Gaussian beam in turbulent atmosphere

An analytical expression for arbitrary moments of the cosh-Gaussian–Shell beam in turbulent atmosphere is derived. As a special case, kurtosis parameters of collimated and focused cosh-Gaussian beam with and without turbulent atmosphere are studied in detail. It can be seen from the study that the kurtosis parameters of Gaussian beam do not remain constant in turbulent atmosphere. Similar to the kurtosis parameters of a cosh-Gaussian beam at source plane, the kurtosis parameters at focal plane without turbulent atmosphere are independent of the propagation distance and vary with the parameters of the beam. But the variation of the kurtosis parameters at focal plane is different from that at source plane. However, the kurtosis parameters of collimated and focused cosh-Gaussian beam both vary with the propagation distance and gradually converge to 3 along the z-axis in turbulent atmosphere. Compared with a collimated beam, the kurtosis parameters of a focused beam converge more quickly.     

Generalized beams in ABCDGH systems

For a generalized beam at the source plane passing through co-located aperture and a propagation path consisting of an off-axis x-y asymmetric ABCDGH system, the receiver plane irradiance expression is derived using the Collins integral. A collection of source beam profiles that are obtainable from the generalized beam formulation are illustrated. Plots are given for viewing the progress of selected generalized beam types along the propagation axis, containing a single thin lens, co-centric and misaligned in the x-direction. The received power falling onto a finite aperture surface is calculated for various misalignment situations.     

Propagation of higher order Bessel–Gaussian beams in turbulence

The propagation characteristics of higher order Bessel–Gaussian beams travelling in turbulent atmosphere are investigated. Using extended Huygens–Fresnel principle, I formulated receiver plane intensity and solved it down to a double integral stage. Source beam plots are made illustrating the variation of intensity against order and width parameter. From the examination of receiver intensity graphs, it is seen that Bessel–Gaussian beam are converted into modified Bessel–Gaussian beams at intermediate propagation ranges eventually ending up as Gaussian profiles. The impacts of order and turbulence levels on beam profile are analysed. Focusing effects and beam size change along the propagation axis are studied. PACS 41.85.Ew; 42.68.Bz     

Power coupling of Gaussian vortex beam propagation through an optical system with the Cassegrain-telescope receiver in turbulent atmosphere

Model of Gaussian vortex beam propagation through an optical system with the Cassegrain-telescope receiver in turbulent atmosphere is established. With this model, the analytical formulas of the average intensity distribution at the receiver plane are derived, and the influences of the optical topological charge, the propagation distance and the turbulence strength are numerically analyzed. These studies show that optical power at the receiver plane concentrates in an annular area, which is suitable for power coupling by the Cassegrain-telescope receiver; the optical topological charge of the vortex source need to be optimized to access the most power coupling. Under the H-V 5/7 turbulence model, power coupling efficiencies of the optical system with different parameters are calculated. Results show that in comparison with the Gaussian beams, Gaussian vortex beams have great advantages in power coupling of optical systems with the Cassegrain-telescope receivers in turbulent atmosphere, which can be a new attractive application of the vortex beams.     

Intensity correlations of general type beam in weakly turbulent atmosphere

In weakly turbulent atmosphere, intensity correlations at the receiver plane are formulated for a general type optical beam. Evaluating our formula at the appropriate source parameters versus the diagonal distance, intensity correlations for cos Gaussian, cosh Gaussian, annular and flat-topped Gaussian beams are obtained. As compared to Gaussian beam, intensity correlations are found smaller for cos Gaussian and larger for cosh Gaussian beams. Intensity correlations of cos Gaussian, cosh Gaussian and flat-topped Gaussian beams become larger at large source sizes. Thicker annular beams and flatter flat-topped Gaussian beams show larger intensity correlations. Without generalizing, intensity correlations tend to increase when the link length and the structure constant decrease and the wavelength increases. Our results show that the intensity correlations are not only built up using random medium effects, but also using the diffraction pattern formed at the receiver plane for the specific incidence investigated. As a check point, for all source types and medium parameters, our evaluations indicate that intensity correlations approach zero at sufficiently large diagonal distances.     

Propagation and coherence properties of higher order partially coherent dark hollow beams in turbulence

We formulate and evaluate in terms of graphical outputs, source and receiver plane expressions, the complex degree of coherence, beam size variation and power in bucket performance for higher order partially coherent dark hollow beams propagating in turbulent atmosphere. Our formulation is able to cover square, rectangular, circular, elliptical geometries for dark hollow and flat-topped beams in one single expression. From the graphical outputs of the receiver plane, it is observed that higher order partially coherent dark hollow beams will initially develop an outer ring around a central lobe, but will eventually evolve towards a Gaussian shape as the propagation distance is extended. It is further observed that stronger turbulence levels and greater partial coherence have similar effects on beam profile. During propagation, modulus of complex degree of coherence of partially coherent dark hollow beams appears to rise above that of the source plane values, reaching as high as near unity. Beam size analysis shows that, among the types examined, (nearly) flat-topped beam experiences the least beam expansion. Power in bucket analysis indicates that lowest order square fully coherent dark beam offers the best power capturing.     

Propagation of partially coherent double-vortex beams in turbulent atmosphere

Based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel principle, we study the propagation properties of partially coherent double-vortex beams in turbulent atmosphere. The intensity distribution of the beams on propagation and the influence of the characteristic parameters are investigated in great detail. It is shown that when the beams propagate in turbulent atmosphere, the intensity distributions are of double-ring structure near the source plane, but they will experience change, which are determined by the topological charges, the spatial coherence, source beam width and atmospheric turbulence. These results may have applications in space optical communication.     

Hermite hyperbolic/sinusoidal Gaussian beams in ABCD systems

For a Hermite hyperbolic/sinusoidal Gaussian beam with focusing properties, passing through an arbitrarily shaped rectangular aperture on the source plane and an on-axis x–y asymmetric ABCD system, the receiver plane expression is derived using the Collins integral. The specific example of a single thin lens placed on the propagation path is examined at selected source, propagation and optical element parameters. Viewing the progress of the beam in propagation, we find that subjecting the source beam to an aperture will give rise to excessive spreading during propagation. The lens setup will act to concentrate the energy of the beam around its focal point as expected, while in some circumstances it will also execute beam profile changes. By adjusting the aperture opening in the shape of a narrow slit, the beam will become aligned in the opposite direction after propagating after having traveled sufficiently. The results are presented as intensity graphs in the form of contour plots and 3D illustrations.     

Partially coherent Airy beam and its propagation in turbulent media

The properties of partially coherent Airy beam propagating in turbulent media are investigated. Firstly the variations in the intensity profile and the location of the Airy beam peak with respect to dislocation and width parameters are examined. On the source plane, it is shown that there is a threshold value of the dislocation parameter which determines whether the beam peak will lie on the negative or positive side of the axis. The changes in source beam power and source beam size with respect to dislocation and width parameters are also examined. Then analysis is made for partially coherent Airy beam propagating in turbulence against variations in propagation distance, dislocation and width parameters, structure constant and partial coherence. It is found that the peak of the Airy beam will always shift to the right for increasing propagation distance. But this shift will become less as the dislocation and width parameters are increased. Finally it is shown that higher levels of turbulence and partial coherence will lead to more spreading and shift the beam peak more toward the on-axis position.     

Propagation of partially coherent Bessel-Gaussian beams in turbulent atmosphere

The characteristics of partially coherent Bessel-Gaussian beams propagating in turbulent atmosphere are investigated. Based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel principle, the influence of topological charges and coherence of the source on the intensity and the degree of coherence in the received plane are considered. The influence of atmospheric turbulence on beam profile and coherence in the received plane is also analyzed. It is found that a Bessel-Gaussian shaped intensity distribution will eventually transform into a Gaussian distribution after propagating in turbulent atmosphere. Meanwhile, topological charges, coherence of the source and atmospheric turbulence will also influence the propagation characterizations of the beams.     

Detection of a semirough target in turbulent atmosphere by a partially coherent beam

The inverse problem of the interaction of an isotropic Gaussian Schell-model beam with a semirough target in turbulent atmosphere is investigated. It is found that we can determine the target size and the transverse correlation width of the target by measuring the transverse beam widths and the transverse coherence widths of the beams at the source plane and the receiver plane. Our results are useful for remote sensing and bistatic LIDAR system.     

Propagation of Gauss--Bessel beams in turbulent atmosphere

This paper studies the propagation properties of Gauss--Bessel beams in a turbulent atmosphere. Based on the extended Huygens--Fresnel principle, it derives the intensity distribution expression for such beams propagating in a turbulent atmosphere. Then the influence of turbulence and source beam parameters on the beam propagation is studied in great detail. It finds that the intensity distribution of Gauss--Bessel beams will change into Gaussian profile in a turbulent atmosphere, and that stronger turbulence and smaller topological charges will lead to a faster changing.     

Scintillation index of a stochastic electromagnetic beam propagating in random media

We study the behavior of the scintillation index (the normalized variance of fluctuating intensity) of a wide-sense statistically stationary, quasi-monochromatic, electromagnetic beam propagating in a homogeneous isotropic medium. In particular, we show that in the case when the beam is treated electromagnetically apart from the correlation properties of the medium in which the beam travels not only its degree of coherence but also its degree of polarization in the source plane can affect the values of the scintillation index along the propagation path. We find that, generally, beams generated by unpolarized sources have reduced level of scintillation, compared with beams generated by fully polarized sources, provided they have the same intensity distribution and the same state of coherence in the source plane. An example illustrating the theory is considered which examines how the scintillation index of an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam propagates in the turbulent atmosphere. These results may find applications in optical communications through random media and in remote sensing.     

Propagation of phase-locked partially coherent flattened beam array in turbulent atmosphere

Analytical formulae for phase-locked partially coherent flattened beam array propagating in a turbulent atmosphere are derived based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel principle. Beam propagation factor (BPF) is introduced to evaluate the beam quality at the receiving plane. The influence of beam order, transverse coherence width length and the intensity of turbulence is discussed in detail.     

Study on an optical system with coherent laser array source and phase optimization in turbulent atmosphere

Model of an optical system with coherent laser array source and the piston phase optimized by the stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm is established. With this model, theory of beam propagation through the optical system in turbulent atmosphere is analyzed, and the analytical formulas of the beam average intensity along the propagation path are derived. Strehl ratio of the received beam induced by intensity disorderly distribution and power efficiency of the received beam are introduced to evaluate performance of the optical system. Under the H-V 5/7 atmospheric turbulent model, performance of an optical system with determinate parameters was calculated, and the influences of the propagation distance and the laser wavelength were numerically analyzed, respectively.     

Intensity fluctuations of partially coherent laser beam arrays in?weak atmospheric turbulence

The intensity fluctuation of a partially coherent laser beam array is examined. For this purpose, the on-axis scintillation index at the receiver plane is analytically formulated via the extended Huygens–Fresnel diffraction integral in conditions of weak atmospheric turbulence. The effects of the propagation length, number of beamlets, radial distance, source size, wavelength of operation and coherence level on the scintillation index are investigated for a horizontal propagation path. It is found that, regardless of the number of beamlets, the scintillation index always rises with an increasing propagation length. If laser beam arrays become less coherent, the scintillation index begins to fall with growing source sizes. Given the same level of partial coherence, slightly less scintillations will occur when the radial distance of the beamlets from the origin is increased. At partial coherence levels, lower scintillations are observed for larger numbers of beamlets. Both for fully and partially coherent laser beam arrays, scintillations will drop on increasing wavelengths.