Complex and phase screen methods for studying arbitrary genuine Schell-model partially coherent pulses in nonlinear media.

Partially coherent pulses, especially those with non-Gaussian correlated functions, have rarely been explored in nonlinear media because of the demanding procedure of the widely used coherent-mode representation method. This study develops temporal analogues of the complex screen and phase screen methods, which were recently introduced for the spatial counterpart of a partially coherent beam. These methods were employed to study the beam propagation properties of partially coherent pulses, and the obtained results show that they both are highly precise, convenient, and powerful. We believe that these protocols can effectively provide useful insight into the behavior of many coherence-related phenomena in nonlinear media.

Statistical properties of a partially coherent vector beam with controllable spatial coherence, vortex phase, and polarization.

We report on a partially coherent radially polarized power-exponent-phase vortex (PC-RP-PEPV) beam with various distributions of intensity, controllable coherence width, vortex phase, and polarization. The statistical properties of the PC-RP-PEPV beam depend on topological charge, power order, polarization states, and coherence width, which differ from those of conventional radially polarized beams. Here, the initial radial polarization state will transform to complex ellipse polarization state during propagation. By modulating the topological charge of the PC-RP-PEPV beam, the intensity structure of the beam can be adjusted from circular to polygonal. Finally, PC-RP-PEPV beams were experimentally generated, and were consistent with numerical simulation results. This work has applications in optical manipulation, optical measurements, and optical information processing.

Enhanced fiber-coupling efficiency via high-order partially coherent flat-topped beams for free-space optical communications.

The fiber-coupling efficiency of signal beams is crucial in free space optical (FSO) communications. Herein, we derived an analytical expression for the fiber-coupling efficiency of partially coherent flat-topped beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence based on the cross-spectral density function. Our numerical calculation results showed that the fiber-coupling efficiency of partially coherent flat-topped beams in a turbulent atmosphere could be enhanced by increasing the beam order. Under the same conditions, the fiber-coupling efficiency of the high-order partially coherent flat-topped beams was larger than those connected to the Gaussian and Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) beams. Our results will improve the quality of partially coherent beams used in FSO communications.

Simultaneous measurement of orbital angular momentum spectra in a turbulent atmosphere without probe beam compensation.

In free-space optical (FSO) communications, the orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing/demultiplexing of Bessel beams perturbed by atmospheric turbulence is of great significance. We used the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm without a beacon beam to compensate for the aberrant helical phase of the Bessel beam distorted by the turbulent atmosphere. The optical vortex Dammann axicon grating was applied for the simultaneous measurement of the intensities of the demodulated spectra of the OAM modes of the Bessel beams disturbed by atmospheric turbulence. The experimental results demonstrate that the distorted phase of the Bessel beam can be compensated and the mode purity of the target OAM mode is enhanced from 0.85 to 0.92 in case of weak turbulence. Our results will improve the quality of the OAM modes of Bessel beam (de)multiplexing in FSO communication systems.

Flexible autofocusing properties of ring Pearcey beams by means of a cross phase.

In this Letter, we introduce a new class of angular dependent autofocusing ring Pearcey beams by imposing a cross-phase structure. Due to this structure, the beam exhibits a non-uniform abrupt autofocusing behavior. Unlike the properties of the ring Pearcey beam without a cross phase [Opt. Lett.43, 3626 (2018)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.43.003626], we can flexibly adjust the focal length of the beam and its focusing ability, as well as the direction of the ring Pearcey beams, with the help of only the cross-phase structure. Furthermore, the Poynting vectors are employed to demonstrate convincingly the beam-focusing mechanism. Such beams with these fascinating characteristics are anticipated to find potential applications in optical tweezing, three-dimensional printing, material processing, and so on.

Young's double-slit experiment with a partially coherent vortex beam.

We perform a Young's double-slit experiment with a partially coherent vortex beam (PCVB) and explore its cross-spectral density (CSD) at the focal plane after passing through a double-slit. Our results reveal that the phase of the CSD distribution with respect to an on-axis reference point can simultaneously quantitatively characterize the sign and magnitude of the topological charge (TC) carried by such a beam. In particular, the magnitude of the TC is half of the number of coherence singularities and the sign of the TC is determined by the phase winding of the coherence singularities (i.e., counterclockwise- and clockwise increases correspond to positive and negative, respectively). Based on this property, we present and demonstrate experimentally a simple technique to measure the sign and magnitude of the TC of a PCVB through its CSD distribution after a double-slit. Our method allows for easy measurement of the TC by being conceptually simpler than other methods.

Ghost polarimetry using Stokes correlations.

We present here a novel ghost polarimeter based on Stokes parameter correlations and a spatially incoherent classical source with adjustable polarization state and Gaussian statistics. The setup enables extracting the four amplitudes and three phase differences related to the spectral $ 2 \times 2 $2×2 complex Jones matrix of any transmissive polarization-sensitive object. Our work extends the ghost imaging methods from the traditional intensity correlation measurements to the detection of polarization state correlations.

Young's interference experiment with electromagnetic narrowband light.

We consider electromagnetic spectral spatial coherence of random stationary light beams of arbitrary spectral width. We demonstrate that the normalized spectral coherence (or two-point) Stokes parameters and the electromagnetic spectral degree of coherence can be measured by narrowband filtering the light and detecting the spectral density and the polarization-state fringes around the optical axis of Young's interferometer. It is also shown that the normalized spectral polarization (or one-point) and coherence Stokes parameters are unaffected by filtering, and that the filtered light is strictly cross-spectrally pure. We further prove theoretically and confirm experimentally that the (time-domain) electromagnetic degree of spatial coherence of the filtered light at the pinholes does not increase when the passband of the filter is reduced.

Spectral line shapes in linear absorption and two-dimensional spectroscopy with skewed frequency distributions.

The effect of Gaussian dynamics on the line shapes in linear absorption and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy is well understood as the second-order cumulant expansion provides exact spectra. Gaussian solvent dynamics can be well analyzed using slope line analysis of two-dimensional correlation spectra as a function of the waiting time between pump and probe fields. Non-Gaussian effects are not as well understood, even though these effects are common in nature. The interpretation of the spectra, thus far, relies on complex case to case analysis. We investigate spectra resulting from two physical mechanisms for non-Gaussian dynamics, one relying on the anharmonicity of the bath and the other on non-linear couplings between bath coordinates. These results are compared with outcomes from a simpler log-normal dynamics model. We find that the skewed spectral line shapes in all cases can be analyzed in terms of the log-normal model, with a minimal number of free parameters. The effect of log-normal dynamics on the spectral line shapes is analyzed in terms of frequency correlation functions, maxline slope analysis, and anti-diagonal linewidths. A triangular line shape is a telltale signature of the skewness induced by log-normal dynamics. We find that maxline slope analysis, as for Gaussian dynamics, is a good measure of the solvent dynamics for log-normal dynamics.

Reduction or annihilation of aberrations of an optical system by balancing ghost-imaging technique and optimal imaging of a pure weak phase object.

It is shown, using ghost-imaging techniques, that it is possible to reduce or even to annihilate the influence of aberrations connected with an arbitrary optical system. To this end, we consider a ghost-imaging setup, which consists of two arms, each containing an optical system. The reduction cancellation of the aberrations of the total imaging system is achieved by manipulating the values of the aberrations in one arm of the optical system. The technique is then applied for the optimal reconstruction of a weak phase object, manipulating the values of the defocusing such that the "Scherzer defocus condition" is obtained.

Interdependence between the temporal and spatial longitudinal and transverse degrees of partial coherence and a generalization of the van Cittert-Zernike theorem.

The interdependence between the temporal and the longitudinal and transverse spatial coherence is analyzed. The analysis concerns both the derivation of the exact analytical propagation equation of the mutual coherence in free space from a planar and spherical boundary surface and the numerical analysis of a specific model. This model assumes the mutual coherence function to be spatially incoherent at a planar surface. The temporal coherence of the mutual coherence function on the planar or spherical boundary surface is not quasi-monochromatic but much more general and given by Eq. (41). Two theorems are derived that are a generalization of the van Cittert-Zernike theorem.

Theory of partial coherence for weakly periodic media.

The second-order theory of partial coherence for scalar and TE or TM fields is developed for weakly periodic media, and the van Cittert-Zernike theorem of classical coherence theory is generalized for such media. The coherence properties of a wave field, generated by a quasi-homogeneous source distribution at the entrance plane of a finite weakly periodic medium, are calculated both inside such a structure and in the far field. The second-order theory of partial coherence for pulse propagation through weakly periodic media is also developed.