Spectral shift of a twisted electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam focused by a thin lens

Spectral changes of a twisted electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam focused by a thin lens are investigated by using a tensor method. It is shown that the spectral shift is mainly determined by the degree of polarization, twist phase and correlation coefficients of the initial beam. Generically the blue shift occurs at on-axis points, while the red shift can occur at off-axis points.     

Degree of paraxiality of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam

The concept of the degree of paraxiality introduced recently for monochromatic fields is extended to the domain of stochastic electromagnetic fields. Analytical expression for the degree of paraxiality of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam is derived. Numerical results show that the degree of paraxiality of an EGSM beam is determined by the degree of polarization, r.m.s. widths of the spectral densities and of the correlation functions of its source. Degree of paraxiality of an EGSM beam after passing through a linear polarizer is also analyzed. Our results show that one can modulate the degree of paraxiality of an EGSM beam by a linear polarizer.     

Spectral properties of apertured stochastic electromagnetic twist anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating in turbulent atmosphere

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle, analytical formulas are derived for the cross-spectral density matrix of an apertured stochastic electromagnetic twist anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model (ETAGSM) beam propagating in a turbulent atmosphere by use of a tensor method. Spectral properties of apertured ETAGSM beam are closely related with the strength of atmospheric turbulence, the aperture widths and the beam's parameters, etc. Our main attention was focused on the influence of the aperture widths, atmospheric turbulence, twist parameters and partial coherence on the spectral properties (including spectral degree of polarization, the spectral degree of coherence and the spectral density) of apertured ETAGSM beam propagating in turbulent atmosphere. Numerical calculation results and analysis are given.     

Coincidence fractional Fourier transform with a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam

Based on classical theory of optical coherence and polarization, coincidence fractional Fourier transform (FRT) with a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam is investigated. Dependences of the quality and visibility of the coincidence FRT pattern of an object on the degree of polarization and correlation coefficients of the EGSM beam are studied numerically. It is shown that the quality and visibility of the coincidence FRT pattern of an object are determined by the polarization and coherence of the EGSM beam together.     

Evolution of the degree of polarization of an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam in a Gaussian cavity

The interaction of an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam with a Gaussian cavity is analyzed. In particular, the evolution of the degree of polarization of the EGSM beam is investigated. The results show that the behavior of the degree of polarization depends on both the statistical properties of the source that generates the EGSM beam and the parameters of the cavity.     

Propagation of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam through an optical system in turbulent atmosphere

A generalized diffraction integral formula for stochastic electromagnetic beams propagating through an optical system in turbulent atmosphere is derived with the help of tensor method. Some analyses are illustrated by a numerical example relating to changes in the average intensity and the degree of polarization of an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating through a double-lenses system. It is shown that the optical system has strong influence on the propagation properties of the beam. The method used in this paper can be widely applied to the propagation of astigmatic beams through an optical system in turbulent atmosphere.     

Polarization ellipse and Stokes parameters of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating through a polarization grating

An analytical propagation formula for the cross-spectral density matrix of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam after propagating through a polarization grating is derived with the help of a tensor method. The statistics properties, particularly the degree of polarization, polarization ellipse and Stokes parameters, of the EGSM beam on propagation after passing through a polarization grating are studied numerically. Our results clearly show that the statistics properties of the EGSM beam on propagation are closely determined by the initial parameters of the EGSM beam and the parameter of the polarization grating. The polarization grating provides one way for modulating the polarization properties of an EGSM beam.     

Focusing of stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beams through a high numerical aperture objective

Based on vectorial Debye diffraction theory, the focusing properties of stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beams in the focal region of high numerical aperture objective are investigated. Expressions for the intensity distribution and the degree of polarization are derived near the focus. Numerical calculations are performed to analyze the influences of varying corresponding parameters on the changes in the intensity distribution and in the degree of polarization in the focal region.     

Effect of polarization on the evolution of electromagnetic hollow Gaussian Schell-model beam

Based on the theory of coherence, an analytical propagation formula for partially polarized and partially coherent hollow Gaussian Schell-model beams (HGSMBs) passing through a paraxial optical system is derived. Furthermore, we show that the degree of polarization of source may affect the evolution of HGSMBs and a tunable dark region may exist. For two special cases of fully coherent and partially coherent δ_xx = δ_yy, normalized intensity distributions are independent of the polarization of source.     

M2-factor of a truncated electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam

Based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel integral and the second-order moments of the Wigner distribution function, analytical expression for the M ²-factor of a truncated electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam in turbulent atmosphere is derived by expanding the hard-aperture function into a finite sum of complex Gaussian functions. It is found that the evolution properties of the normalized M ²-factor of a truncated EGSM beam are closely determined by the truncation parameter, the parameters of the source beam and the parameters of the turbulent atmosphere together. The advantage of the EGSM beam for overcoming the turbulence-induced degradation disappears gradually as the truncation parameter decreases.     

Propagation properties of a partially polarized electromagnetic twist anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model beam in turbulent atmosphere

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel integral formula, analytical formulae for the elements of cross-spectral density matrix of partially polarized electromagnetic twist anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model (TAGSM) beam propagating in turbulent atmosphere can been derived by a tensor method. Our main attention was focus on the effect of the atmospheric turbulence, twist parameters and partial coherence on the spectral degree of polarization, the spectral degree of coherence and the spectral density. Numerical calculation results and analysis are given.     

Thermal-lens effect induced changes of polarization, coherence and spectrum of a stochastic electromagnetic beam in a Gaussian cavity

Based on the unified theory of coherence and polarization, the interaction of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam with a Gaussian cavity containing thermal-lens medium is analyzed. In particular, the effect of the thermal medium of the lens on the evolution properties of the degree of polarization, the degree of coherence and the spectral shift are investigated in detail. It is shown that the thermal-lens medium has a strong influence on the behavior of the EGSM beam especially in unstable resonators, thus it is necessary for us to take the thermal-lens effect into consideration in practice.     

Focal shift of partially polarized Gaussian Schell-model beams

A detailed study of the focal shift of partially polarized Gaussian Schell-model (PGSM) beams is made on the basis of the beam coherence-polarization (BCP) matrix approach. It is shown that, apart from the Fresnel number and truncation parameter, the focal shift of PGSM beams depends on the angle of polarizer and the ratio of degree of spatial coherence.     

Hollow Gaussian Schell-model beam and its propagation

In this paper, we present a new model, hollow Gaussian Schell-model beams (HGSMBs), to describe the practical dark hollow beams. An analytical propagation formula for HGSMBs passing through a paraxial first-order optical system is derived based on the theory of coherence. Based on the derived formula, an application example showing the influence of spatial coherence on the propagation of beams is illustrated. It is found that the beam propagating properties of HGSMBs will be greatly affected by their spatial coherence. Our model provides a very convenient way for analyzing the propagation properties of partially coherent dark hollow beams.     

Twist phase-induced polarization changes in electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beams

Electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam with twist phase (i.e., twisted EGSM beam) is introduced as an extension of its scalar version based on the unified theory of coherence and polarization. We show how analytical paraxial propagation formulae of isotropic and anisotropic EGSM beams passing through a general astigmatic ABCD optical system can be modified in the presence of the twist phase. Numerical examples demonstrate that the twist phase affects the spectral density, the state of coherence, and the degree of polarization of EGSM beams on propagation.     

Off-axis Gaussian Schell-model beam and partially coherent laser array beam in a turbulent atmosphere

The propagation of an off-axis Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) beam in a turbulent atmosphere is investigated based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel integral formula. Analytical formulae for the cross-spectral density and corresponding partially coherent complex curvature tensor of an off-axis GSM beam propagating in a turbulent atmosphere are derived. Based on these formulae, the propagation properties of such kind of beam in a turbulent atmosphere are investigated in detail. Furthermore, the methods are extended to investigate the propagation properties of a partially coherent laser array beam in a turbulent atmosphere. The properties of an off-axis GSM beam and a partially coherent laser array beam in a turbulent atmosphere are closely related with the beam parameters and the structure constant of the turbulent atmosphere.     

Experimental study of the focusing properties of a Gaussian Schell-model vortex beam

We carry out an experimental and theoretical study of the focusing properties of a Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) vortex beam. It is found that we can shape the beam profile of the focused GSM vortex beam by varying its initial spatial coherence width. Focused dark hollow, flat-topped, and Gaussian beam spots can be obtained in our experiment, which will be useful for trapping particles. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical results.     

Propagation of a twisted anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model beam beyond the paraxial approximation

With the help of a tensor method, an analytical nonparaxial propagation formula for a twisted anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) beam in free space is derived based on the generalized Raleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction integral. The far-field nonparaxial propagation expression for a twisted anisotropic GSM beam is also derived. The paraxial approximation is dealt with as a special case of our general result. Our numerical results show that the nonparaxial propagation properties of a twisted anisotropic GSM beam are closely related to the initial beam parameters (i.e., twist factor, transverse spot width matrix, coherence width matrix and wavelength) and the propagation distance. Our formulae provide a convenient and powerful way for studying the paraxial and nonparaxial propagation of an isotropic or anisotropic GSM beam with or without twist phase in free space.     

Characteristics of a partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating in slanted atmospheric turbulence

On the basis of the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the model of the refractive-index structure constant in the atmospheric turbulence proposed by the International Telecommunication Union-Radio Communication Sector,the characteristics of the partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model(GSM) beams propagating in slanted atmospheric turbulence are studied.Using the cross-spectral density function(CSDF),we derive the expressions for the effective beam radius,the spreading angle,and the average intensity.The variance of the angle-of-arrival fluctuation and the wander effect of the GSM beam in the turbulence are calculated numerically.The influences of the coherence degree,the propagation distance,the propagation height,and the waist radius on the propagation characteristics of the partially coherent beams are discussed and compared with those of the fully coherent Gaussian beams.