Radiation from sources of

difference states of coherence

Yan Joe Lee, ENGN2912Q

Introduction/Contents
Sources with different coherence properties
Correlations and spectral density in the far field
Radiation from model sources
Conclusion

Sources with different (spatial) coherence properties

Lambertian source

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Incandescent_light_bulb_on_db.jpg

Spatially coherent source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser#/media/File:LASER.jpg

Correlations and the spectral density in the far field

Planar secondary source, far field

2 1

= 2 2 0
cos 1 cos 2
1 2

= , =
Mandel and Wolf, Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics, Fig. 5.6

Low and high spatial frequency components?

Spectral density

, =

2 2
0

, , cos 2

Radiant intensity
Mandel and Wolf, Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics, Fig. 5.7

Spectral degree of coherence

Two cases:

1. 2 = 1 (two points in same direction) => complete longitudinal spectral coherence at each
frequency regardless of coherence of the source

2.

Two points located at same distance (r1 = r2) => transverse degree of coherence, independent
of the distance r, depends only the directions
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Radiation from model sources

Quasi-homogeneous sources (subclass of Schell-model sources)
Schell-model source: (0) 1 , 2 , = (0) (2 1 , )
Quasi-homogeneous: Spectral density is a slow function of p, spectral
degree of coherence is a fast function of p=p2-p1 (varies much faster
than the spectral density)
(0)

Source plane

Far zone

Spectral Density

Spectral degree of
coherence

Spectral Degree of
Coherence

Radiant intensity

Example: Gaussian spectral intensity and spectral degree of coherence

6

Conclusion
Sources of different states of spatial coherence have different radiation and
coherence properties
Can derive properties of far field using the cross-spectral density of the far field
(in our case defined for planar, statistically stationary sources of any state of
coherence)
Far field has complete longitudinal spectral coherence at each frequency
regardless of the state of coherence of the source
Transverse degree of coherence is independent of distance from source
For quasi-homogeneous sources:
1. Generated radiant intensity (far field) is independent of the shape of the source
and spatial distribution of spectral intensity across the source.
2. Spectral degree of coherence (far field) is the Fourier transform of spectral
density across the source.
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References
Wolf, Emil. Introduction to the Theory of Coherence and Polarization
of Light. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Mandel, Leonard and Emil Wolf. Optical Coherence and Quantum
Optics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.