Eur. Phys. J. D 59, 329-336 (2010)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2010-00136-2

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

¹ Department of Physics, Luoyang Normal College, 471022, Luoyang, P.R. China
² Institute of Laser Physics & Chemistry, Sichuan University, 610064, Chengdu, P.R. China

Corresponding author: ^a panliuzhan@263.net

Received: 9 November 2009
Revised: 26 March 2010
Published online: 12 May 2010

Abstract

Taking the stochastic electromagnetic J₀-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.