Can two planar sources with the same sets of Stokes parameters generate beams with different degrees of polarization?

It is shown that two stochastic electromagnetic beams that propagate from the source plane z = 0 into the half-space z > 0 may have different degrees of polarization throughout the half-space, even though they have the same sets of Stokes parameters in the source plane. This fact is due to a possible difference in the coherence properties of the field in that plane, but other reasons are also possible. The result is illustrated by an example.     

An inverse problem in the theory of stochastic electromagnetic beams

The cross-spectral density matrix of an electromagnetic beam has been playing increasingly important role in studies of changes of spectra, of coherence and of polarization as the beam propagates. In this paper we derive solution to an inverse problem, which makes it possible to determine the cross-spectral density matrix of the beam in the source plane z=0, from the knowledge of the matrix in any cross-section z=z₀>0 in the half-space into which the beam propagates. We apply the result to the theory of so-called Stokes beams, which were introduced not long ago.     

Changes in the statistical properties of stochastic anisotropic electromagnetic beams propagating through the oceanic turbulence

On the basis of the extended Huygens?CFresnel principle, an analytical propagation expression for the elements of the cross-spectral density matrix of a stochastic anisotropic electromagnetic beam through oceanic turbulence is derived. From this formula the spectral density, spectral degree of coherence, spectral degree of polarization, orientation angle and the degree of ellipticity of such a beam on propagation are determined. Some numerical calculations are illustrated relating to the anisotropic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beams propagating through oceanic turbulence. The results indicate that the spectral degree of coherence of stochastic anisotropic electromagnetic beams tends to zero with increasing propagation distance through oceanic turbulence, which is in agreement with results previously reported for turbulent atmosphere. It is also found that the changes in the statistical properties of the anisotropic source on propagation are qualitatively different from those of the isotropic source.     

Coherence-induced polarization changes in light beams

We consider a class of stochastic electromagnetic beams, and we show both analytically and by numerical examples that coherence properties of the electromagnetic field in the source plane affect the polarization properties of the radiated beam.     

Slanting propagation of stochastic electromagnetic twist anisotropic Gaussian–Schell model beams in turbulent atmosphere

Based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel diffraction integral and the unified theory of coherence and polarization, the slanting propagation properties of stochastic electromagnetic twist anisotropic Gaussian–Schell model (ETAGSM) beams in turbulent atmosphere have been investigated. Both numerical calculation and physical interpretation are obtained. The influence of the atmospheric turbulence and the source parameters on the polarization distribution, intensity distribution and coherence distribution has been studied in great detail. The investigation reveals that slanting propagation can weaken the influence of atmospheric turbulence on the spectral properties of stochastic ETAGSM beams more obviously. It is also shown that we can modulate the spectral degree of polarization in the output plane especially in the far field by simply controlling the coherence, the spot width or the twisty properties of the source beams. The distribution of the spectral degree of polarization and cross-polarization of the beams in the output plane is also given out.     

大气湍流对部分相干电磁平顶光束传输的影响

基于相干性和偏振性统一理论,采用Rytov相位结构函数平方近似推导出了部分相干电磁平顶光束在湍流大气中传输的偏振度、相干度和光谱强度公式,并研究了湍流对其传输特性的影响.研究表明,偏振度和相干度与源光谱的带宽无关.大气湍流使得不同阶数的部分相干电磁平顶光束的偏振度经长程传输后均趋于其初始值.大气湍流使得部分相干电磁平顶光束与电磁高斯-谢尔模型光束相干度的差别减小,并导致相干度的振荡和相位奇异现象消失.大气湍流使得相干性较好的部分相干电磁平顶光束的光谱跃变现象消失.     

大气湍流对部分相干电磁平顶光束传输的影响

基于相干性和偏振性统一理论,采用Rytov相位结构函数平方近似推导出了部分相干电磁平顶光束在湍流大气中传输的偏振度、相干度和光谱强度公式,并研究了湍流对其传输特性的影响.研究表明,偏振度和相干度与源光谱的带宽无关.大气湍流使得不同阶数的部分相干电磁平顶光束的偏振度经长程传输后均趋于其初始值.大气湍流使得部分相干电磁平顶光束与电磁高斯一谢尔模型光束相干度的差别减小,并导致相干度的振荡和相位奇异现象消失.大气湍流使得相干性较好的部分相干电磁平顸光束的光谱跃变现象消失.     

随机电磁涡旋光束的深聚焦特性

基于德拜矢量积分理论,研究了随机电磁涡旋光束经过大数值孔径透镜之后的聚焦特性及透镜的数值孔径、入射光束的偏振度、拓扑荷以及横向相干长度对焦平面附近聚焦光束的光强分布和相干度的影响.结果表明:适当地选择相关参量,可在焦平面上得到椭圆形光斑的光强分布以及平顶光强分布.随机电磁涡旋光束在焦平面上同一点处两个相互垂直分量之间的相干度,不同两点处两个相同分量之间的相干度以及不同两点处两个相互垂直分量之间的相干度研究表明,入射光束的拓扑荷和横向相干长度对聚焦光束的相干性有着十分明显的影响.     

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.     

Stokes beams formed by superposition of a completely unpolarized and a completely polarized Gaussian Schell-model beam

Analytic expressions and computed examples are given to elucidate the coherence and polarization properties of Stokes beams, i.e. beams formed by superposition of a completely unpolarized and a completely polarized electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam. We found that superposition of such two beams cannot form a Stokes beam with a constant state of polarization on propagation. An additional constraint on the source plane parameters of the two Gaussian Schell-model beams is proposed. The resultant Stokes beam with a constant state of polarization on propagation is found to be a Gaussian Schell-model beam with the same variances as the two constituent Gaussian Schell-model beams. However, the modulus of the Gaussian intensity distributions across the source planes of these beams may be different.     

The statistical properties of anisotropic electromagnetic beams passing through the biological tissues

We report the analytic formula of an electromagnetic Gaussian–Schell-model (EGSM) beam propagating through the turbulent biological tissues. With the help of this formula, the changes in characteristics of the beam such as the spectral density, the spectral degree of coherence, the spectral degree of polarization, and the spectral degree of cross-polarization of the EGSM beam passing through the biological tissues are illustrated and compared by numerical examples. The changes in anisotropic and isotropic EGSM beams are indicated. Necessary comparisons and analyses of the beams generated by the anisotropic source and the isotropic source through the turbulent biological tissues are given. Moreover, the influence of the light source and turbulence of tissues on the changes of the spectral degree of cross-polarization of the EGSM beam passing through the biological tissues are compared in the near-field and the far-field.     

Changes in the spectrum, polarization, and coherence of stochastic spatially and spectrally partially coherent electromagnetic J0-correlated Schell-model pulsed beams propagating in free space

Taking the stochastic electromagnetic J ₀-correlated Schell-model pulsed (JSMP) beam as a typical example of stochastic spatially and spectrally partially coherent electromagnetic pulsed beams, the analytical expressions for the cross-spectral density matrix, spectral density, spectral degree of polarization and spectral degree of coherence of stochastic electromagnetic JSMP beams propagating in free space are derived, and used to study the changes in the spectrum, polarization, and coherence of stochastic spatially and spectrally partially coherent electromagnetic JSMP beams. It is shown that the on-axis spectrum is blue-shifted in free-space propagation and is dependent on the pulse temporal coherence length and spatial correlation parameter. The distribution of the on-axis spectral degree of polarization depends on the frequency and spatial correlation parameter. The spectral degree of coherence increases with increasing pulse temporal coherence length. The results derived are interpreted physically.     

Propagation properties of stochastic electromagnetic double-vortex beams in a turbulent atmosphere

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle,we study the propagation properties of stochastic electromagnetic double-vortex beams in a turbulent atmosphere.The result shows that the spreading of partially coherent double-vortex beams can be smaller than that of fully coherent ones.The degree of polarization of this kind of beam will experience change,which is dependent on the degree of polarization of the source plane,the atmospheric turbulence,topological charge,and the spatial coherence.The results may have applications in space optical communication.     

Coherence properties of the scattered electromagnetic field generated by anisotropic quasi-homogeneous media

The coherence properties of the scattered field generated by linearly polarized and uniformly unpolarized electromagnetic plane waves incident on anisotropic quasi-homogeneous media are studied. The analytical expressions for the spectral density and the spectral degree of coherence of the three dimensional scattered field are derived. The results of the numerical simulations indicate that not only the properties of the anisotropic media have a great effect on the coherence properties of the scattered field, but also the polarization of the incident wave. And most important, the effect of the polarization of the incident wave on the coherence properties of the scattered field nearly concerns the properties of the anisotropic media. There are also close and interesting relations between the coherence properties of the scattered field that generated by the anisotropic media and by the corresponding isotropic media.     

Propagation properties of stochastic electromagnetic double-vortex beams in turbulent atmosphere

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle, we study the propagation properties of stochastic electromagnetic double-vortex beams in turbulent atmosphere. The result shows that the spreading of the partially coherent double-vortex beams can be smaller than that of the fully coherent ones. The degree of polarization of this kind of beam will experience change, which is dependent on the degree of polarization of the source plane, the atmospheric turbulence, topological charge, and the spatial coherence. The results may have applications in space optical communication.     

Polarization properties of partially coherent electromagnetic elegant Laguerre–Gaussian beams in turbulent atmosphere

Based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel Principle and the unified theory of coherence and polarization, the analytical formulas for the polarization degree and spectral coherence degree of partially coherent electromagnetic elegant Laguerre–Gaussian (PCEELG) beams through turbulent atmosphere are obtained theoretically in detail. It is found that the polarization degree of PCEELG beams tends to the value of its source plane after a sufficiently long propagation distance in turbulent atmosphere. Furthermore, this value is independent of the beam orders, the correlation length in the source plane and the structure constant of the turbulent atmosphere ( $C_{n}^{2}$ ). The polarization degree of PCEELG beams also acquires a particular value at a certain distance in free space, which is different from the value in the source plane. The spectral coherence degree of PCEELG beams has an oscillatory behavior for different propagation distance, beam orders and  $C_{n}^{2}$ .     

Changes in the spectrum and polarization of polychromatic partially coherent electromagnetic beams in the turbulent atmosphere

The polychromatic partially coherent electromagnetic Cosh-Gaussian (EChG) beam is introduced and taken as a typical example of polychromatic partially coherent electromagnetic beams. Based on the unified theory of coherence and polarization, the expressions for the spectrum and the degree of polarization of polychromatic partially coherent EChG beams in the turbulent atmosphere are derived, and the conditions for keeping polarization invariance and for determining the position where the degree of polarization becomes zero along the propagation path are also given. It is shown that the normalized spectrum is close to the normalized source spectrum due to turbulence. The reasonable physical explanation of spectral shift is given. On the other hand, the bandwidth does not affect the degree of polarization, and the degree of polarization tends to the value at the source plane due to turbulence in the long-propagation distance limit. The spectrum and polarization of polychromatic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beams and electromagnetic Gaussian (EG) beams in turbulence are treated as special cases of polychromatic partially coherent EChG beams.     

光阑对高斯谢尔模型光束偏振特性的影响

根据光束的相干-偏振矩阵理论,应用柯林公式对部分相干光经光阑衍射后的轴向、横向偏振特性从近场区到远场区的演化规律进行了详细的数值计算。经研究表明,由于光阑的衍射效应,使得高斯谢尔模型光束的偏振出现非均匀分布,光束偏振度沿轴向、横向分布出现多峰振荡现象,并且随着光阑截断参数的减小、光束空间相干长度的增大和传输距离的增大,多峰振荡逐渐增强。光束在自由空间沿轴向传输时,在近场区偏振度分布均匀,与源平面相同,随着传输距离的增大和空间相干长度的减小,偏振度沿轴向分布逐渐增大,无振荡现象。     

Polarization Changes of Partially Coherent Electromagnetic Vortex Beams Propagating in Turbulent Atmosphere

We investigate the polarization change of partially coherent electromagnetic vortex beams propagating in turbulent atmosphere. It is shown that the polarization of the beams will experience changes, and the changes of the polarization are dependent on the spatial coherence, topological charges of the beams, and the degree of polarization of the source plane and the atmospheric turbulence. The results obtained may have applications in space optical communication.     

Sensing of semi-rough targets embedded in atmospheric turbulence by means of stochastic electromagnetic beams

An active bistatic LIDAR system operating through atmospheric turbulence is considered. Illumination field is assumed to be an electromagnetic Gaussian-Schell model beam. Target surface is modeled as a combination of isotropic phase screen governed by Gaussian statistics, to account for its roughness, and a Gaussian lens to account for its size and radius of curvature. With the help of a recently developed tensor method for propagation of stochastic electromagnetic beams through ABCD systems and random media we examine the evolution of states of coherence and polarization of the beam. In the case of unresolved flat (planar) target we show that by comparing coherence and polarization properties of the illumination beam and of the return beam it is possible to predict the typical roughness of the target surface.