Topological reactions of correlation functions in partially coherent electromagnetic beams

Generalization of Malus' law and spatial coherence relations for linear polarizers and non-uniform polarizers

We study the transmission of partially polarized, partially coherent beams through linear polarizers and polarization elements that are non-uniform. An expression for the transmitted intensity, which reproduces Malus' law for special cases, is derived, as are formulas for the transformation of spatial coherence properties.

Coherence modification and phase singularities on scattering by a sphere: Mie formulation

When light that is spatially partially coherent, such as sunlight, is incident on a sphere, the scattered field exhibits surprising coherence properties. The observed oscillatory behavior with deep minima means that the field in certain pairs of directions is highly correlated, whereas in others, it is essentially uncorrelated, and can even have correlation singularities. Because any subsequent scattering event is strongly affected by the state of coherence, these results are particularly important for multiple scattering in discrete disordered media.

Cycle of phase, coherence and polarization singularities in Young's three-pinhole experiment

It is now well-established that a variety of singularities can be characterized and observed in optical wavefields. It is also known that these phase singularities, polarization singularities and coherence singularities are physically related, but the exact nature of their relationship is still somewhat unclear. We show how a Young-type three-pinhole interference experiment can be used to create a continuous cycle of transformations between classes of singularities, often accompanied by topological reactions in which different singularities are created and annihilated. This arrangement serves to clarify the relationships between the different singularity types, and provides a simple tool for further exploration.

Correlation singularities in a partially coherent electromagnetic beam with initially radial polarization

We have investigated the correlation singularities, coherence vortices of two-point correlation function in a partially coherent vector beam with initially radial polarization, i.e., partially coherent radially polarized (PCRP) beam. It is found that these singularities generally occur during free space propagation. Analytical formulae for characterizing the dynamics of the correlation singularities on propagation are derived. The influence of the spatial coherence length of the beam on the evolution properties of the correlation singularities and the conditions for creation and annihilation of the correlation singularities during propagation have been studied in detail based on the derived formulae. Some interesting results are illustrated. These correlation singularities have implication for interference experiments with a PCRP beam.

Shape-invariant difference between two Gaussian Schell-model beams

The difference between two Gaussian Schell-model cross-spectral densities can give a new genuine correlation function if suitable conditions are met. Generally speaking, the structure of such cross-spectral density changes in a complicated way upon propagation. We consider here the notable exception of shape-invariant beams, and we investigate their intensity and coherence properties. The modal analysis of this class of cross-spectral densities is exploited to devise a synthesis scheme for this type of beam.

Twisted Gaussian Schell-model beams as series of partially coherent modified Bessel-Gauss beams

We show that twisted Gaussian Schell-model (TGSM) beams can be represented through an incoherent superposition of partially coherent beams carrying optical vortices and whose cross-spectral densities are expressed in terms of modified Bessel functions. Moreover, starting from this result, we show that the modal expansion of the cross-spectral density of a TGSM source can be directly obtained through simple mathematics.

Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect with partially coherent electromagnetic beams

We derive expressions that allow us to examine the influence of different source parameters on the correlation of intensity fluctuations (the Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect) at two points in the same cross section of a random electromagnetic beam. It is found that these higher-order correlations behave quite differently than the lower-order amplitude-phase correlations that are described by the spectral degree of coherence.