Coherence properties of nonstationary light wave fields

Abstract

A spectral approach to the theory of partial coherence of nonstationary light [ M. Bertolotti , Pure Appl. Opt.6, 153 (1997)] is applied to the study of spatial coherence properties of nonstationary wave fields on propagation in free space. Three types of nonstationary light sources are considered—a point source, a spatially incoherent source, and a uniformly coherent source, the last being perfectly coherent in both space–time and space–frequency domains. An example of the diffraction pattern from a slit with nonstationary partially coherent illumination is used to illustrate the general discussion.