Change in degree of coherence of partially coherent electromagnetic beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence

We study the change in the degree of coherence of partially coherent electromagnetic beam (so called electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam). It is shown analytically that with a fixed set of source parameters and under a particular atmospheric turbulence model, an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating through atmospheric turbulence reaches its maximum value of coherence after the beam propagates a particular distance, and the effective width of the spectral degree of coherence also has its maximum value. This phenomenon is independent of the used turbulence model. The results are illustrated by numerical curves.     

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.     

部分相干厄米高斯光束在斜程大气湍流中的扩展

基于广义惠更斯-菲涅耳原理,推导出部分相干厄米高斯（H-G）光束通过斜程大气湍流传输的均方根束宽和角扩展的解析表达式,并用以研究了传输路径和光束阶数对部分相干H-G光束传输的影响。引入相对束宽和相对角扩展来定量描述光束抗拒大气湍流的能力。结果表明:在相同条件下,部分相干H-G光束斜程传输受大气湍流的影响要小于水平传输,与水平传输相比斜程传输更有利于部分相干光束在大气湍流中的传输,光束阶数越大部分相干H-G光束受大气湍流的影响越小。     

部分相干厄米高斯光束在斜程大气湍流中的扩展

基于广义惠更斯-菲涅耳原理,推导出部分相干厄米高斯（H-G）光束通过斜程大气湍流传输的均方根束宽和角扩展的解析表达式,并用以研究了传输路径和光束阶数对部分相干H-G光束传输的影响。引入相对束宽和相对角扩展来定量描述光束抗拒大气湍流的能力。结果表明：在相同条件下,部分相干H-G光束斜程传输受大气湍流的影响要小于水平传输,与水平传输相比斜程传输更有利于部分相干光束在大气湍流中的传输,光束阶数越大部分相干H-G光束受大气湍流的影响越小。     

Beam moments and angular momentum in non-uniformly polarized beams

The angular momentum of non-uniformly totally polarized beams is investigated using methods from the beam characterization approach. The relationship between the elements of the beam matrix for the two components of the field and the angular momentum is given. The unconventional distribution of the polarization across the beam profile could result in contributions to both the spin and orbital terms of the angular momentum. To illustrate this, a particular example with a vortex beam is considered.     

Depolarization of multiply scattered light in transmission through a turbid medium with large particles

An approximate analytical method for solving the vector radiative transfer equation is proposed. The method is based on the assumption that single scattering of light by large-scale inhomogeneities occurs predominantly through small angles. The method is applied to calculate the polarization state of multiply scattered light. The results obtained are discussed for various turbid media.     

Propagation of partially polarized, partially coherent beams in uniaxial crystals orthogonal to the optical axis

The propagation of partially polarized and partially coherent beams in uniaxial crystals orthogonal to the optical axis is investigated. The analytical formulae for the elements of the cross-spectral density matrix of partially polarized and partially coherent beams propagating through uniaxial crystals orthogonal to the optical are derived. The numerical results show that the degree of polarization decreases with the increase of the ratio of extraordinary to ordinary refractive indices at a certain propagation distance, and the influence of uniaxial crystals on the degree of coherent is not so evident. And the beams spread more rapidly in the direction parallel to the optical axis than orthogonal to the optical axis in positive crystal with the propagation distance increasing.     

Angular spread of Gaussian Schell-model array beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence

The closed-form expression for the angular spread of Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) array beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence is derived. It is shown that the angular spread θ _sp of GSM array beams for the superposition of the cross-spectral density function is smaller than of those for the superposition of the intensity. However, the θ _sp of GSM array beams for the superposition of the intensity is less sensitive to turbulence than that for the superposition of the cross-spectral density function. For the superposition of the cross-spectral density function, θ _sp of GSM array beams with smaller coherence length σ ₀, smaller waist width w ₀, smaller beam number N, and larger separation distance x _d are less affected by turbulence than of those with larger σ ₀,w ₀,N, and smaller x _d ; while, for the superposition of the intensity, the effect of turbulence on θ _sp is independent of N and x _d . In addition, the angular spread is nearly the same for the two types of superposition when σ ₀ or w ₀ is small enough, or x _d is large enough. On the other hand, it is found that there exist equivalent GSM array beams for the two types of superposition which may have the same directionality as the corresponding fully coherent Gaussian beam in free space and also in turbulence.     

Transmittance of partially coherent cosh-Gaussian, cos-Gaussian and annular beams in turbulence

Average relative power transmittance is evaluated, by incorporating atmospheric turbulence, for partially coherent cosh-Gaussian, cos-Gaussian, Gaussian and annular beams. For all the collimated versions of these beams, against the increasing propagation length, there is a typical trend of the decrease in the relative average power transmittance with incremental drop being much less for partially coherent cos-Gaussian beams. The change in the transmittance versus the propagation length will be similar to the corresponding collimated cases, when these beams are focused at a certain focal length. Also partially coherent beams are less sensitive to propagation length changes, except for cos-Gaussian case. Partially coherent cosh-Gaussian beams exhibit a drop in the transmittance as the displacement parameter of the beam is made larger, whereas this trend is just the opposite for partially coherent cos-Gaussian beams. When examined versus the source size, for all the four types of beams, the transmittance has a similar behavior, i.e., it becomes high at small source sizes, falling with increasing source size, and following a dip, it starts to rise, eventually approaching the plane wave limit of unity. The occurrence of the dip coincides with the smallest source size for cosh-Gaussian, with the largest for cos-Gaussian, and about the same source size for Gaussian and annular beams. In general, the average relative power transmittance of coherent beam is affected much more than the partially coherent beams against the variations in source properties.     

Experimental observation of focal shifts in focused partially coherent beams

We report the experimental observation of focal shifts in partially coherent beams of Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) type focused by a circularly apertured thin lens. The relative focal shift increases as the aperture radius or the state of coherence of the GSM source decrease. The experimental results agree well with theoretical predictions.     

Spatial coherence properties of monochromatic electromagnetic beams and of laser modes

It is shown that, contrary to common belief, monochromatic light beams are, in general, not spatially completely coherent, i.e., they will, in general, not produce fringes of unit visibility in a Young's double pinhole interference experiment. We cite experiments with laser modes which confirm this result.     

Overall parameters for the characterization of non-uniformly totally polarized beams

Several overall parameters are introduced to characterize the linear or circular polarization content of a non-uniformly totally polarized beam over the region of its wavefront where the irradiance is significant. These figures of merit are determined from the values of the Stokes parameters. The physical meaning of the proposed parameters is tested by computing some numerical examples, and their measurability is checked by considering non-uniformly totally polarized fields generated after propagation through uniaxial anisotropic materials.     

Spatial coherence properties of azimuthally polarized laser modes

Understanding of coherence properties of optical fields is of basic importance both in classical optics and in quantum physics. Coherence properties of electromagnetic laser modes are only now beginning to be explored and have not yet been tested experimentally, except in the simplest cases. In this paper, we first study theoretically the coherence properties of azimuthally polarized laser modes and we clarify the distinction between coherence and correlations in stochastic electromagnetic fields, a distinction which has up to now not been fully understood and has, in fact, been a subject of controversy. Our analysis clearly illustrates the distinction between these two concepts. After elucidating theoretically the coherence properties of radially polarized laser modes, we describe an experimental study of their properties, made by the use of a recently introduced reversed-wavefront Young’s interferometer. A good agreement between theory and experiment has been found.     

部分相干Airy光束在湍流大气中传输时的偏振特性

研究了部分相干Airy光束在湍流大气中传输时的偏振特性,偏振保持度作为衡量偏振传输效果的一个重要参数.结果表明:部分相干Airy光束在湍流大气中传输足够远时,其偏振度会变回到初始值;而在自由空间中传输,光束的偏振度会保持在某一个特定值;在湍流大气中,当光束传输距离不是很远时,光束对称轴上的偏振度分布为Airy函数,但是当传输足够远时,该偏振度分布逐渐趋向于类高斯状;光束的束腰半径越大,相干长度越长,越有利于光束传输后偏振的保持;存在一个指数截断因子,使得光束的偏振保持度很差.这些结论对于Airy光束在通信领域中的应用具有重要的意义.     

Focus shaping of cylindrically polarized vortex beams by a high numerical-aperture lens

The focus-shaping technique of a cylindrically polarized vortex beam by a high numerical-aperture lens is reported. Such a polarized vortex beam is decomposed into radial and azimuthal polarization. It is shown that the total intensity distribution in the focal region is dependent not only on the numerical-aperture maximal angle and the polarization rotation angle but also on the topological charge. By choosing the proper combination of parameters, the adjustably confined flat-topped focus and focal hole can be obtained. The focus-shaping technique may find wide applications, such as optical tweezers, laser printing and material processing.     

Global parameters for characterizing the radial and azimuthal polarization content of totally polarized beams

Several global parameters are proposed to characterize the radial and azimuthal polarization content of non-uniformly totally polarized beams. Such figures of merit can be written and measured in terms of two Stokes parameters, and also from the data at the output of either a radial or an azimuthal dichroic polarizer, integrated throughout the beam profile. The measurability of the proposed parameters has also been experimentally checked.     

Numerical aperture invariant focus shaping using spirally polarized beams

The concept of spiral polarization is proposed as an extension of the generalized cylindrical vector beam. The focusing properties of this spatially variant polarization under high NA are studied. It can be shown that with one such polarization, the focus maintains a flat-top intensity shape independent of NA from NA = 0.82 up to NA = 0.95.     

Electron acceleration to GeV energy by a radially polarized laser

We present a relativistic single particle simulation of vacuum acceleration of an electron by a high-intensity radially polarized laser beam. The inherent complete symmetry of radially polarized laser beam leads to improvement in the trapping and acceleration of an electron so that an electron can be accelerated to the level of GeV. In addition, the external magnetic field further enhances the electron acceleration. Hence, an electron of ultrahigh energy was observed. The strong correlation between final electron energy and scattering angle is discussed.     

Propagation of partially coherent beams carrying an edge dislocation through atmospheric turbulence along a slant path

This paper derives the explicit expressions for the average intensity, beam width and angular spread of Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) beams with edge dislocation propagating through atmospheric turbulence along a slant path. The propagation of GSM beams with edge dislocation through horizontal atmospheric turbulence can be treated as a special case through a slant one. The propagation properties of GSM beams with edge dislocation through slant atmospheric turbulence are studied, where the influence of edge dislocation parameters including the slope p and off-axis distance d on the spreading of GSM beams with edge dislocation in atmospheric turbulence is stressed. It shows that the spreading of the intensity profile of GSM beams with edge dislocation along a slant path is smaller than that along a horizontal path in the long-distance atmospheric propagation. The larger the slope vert pvert and the smaller the off-axis distance vert dvert are, the less the beam-width spreading and angular spread of GSM beams with edge dislocation are affected by turbulence. The GSM beams with edge dislocation is less affected by turbulence than that of GSM beams without edge dislocation. The results are illustrated numerically and their validity is interpreted physically.     

Parametric study of uniformly polarized stochastic electromagnetic beam and its imaging

A parametric study is performed in investigating the stochastic electromagnetic beam generated by a uniformly polarized electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model source and passing through ABCD optical systems. Through theoretical analysis, the requirement is derived that the uniformly polarized electromagnetic field can be obtained at the output plane of the imaging optical system. Furthermore, the general imaging formula of the stochastic electromagnetic beam is derived. Numerical examples are also presented to illustrate the application.