Application of the spectral representation of stochastic processes to the study of nonstationary light radiation: a tutorial

Abstract

Loéve's theory of harmonizable stochastic processes, and in particular their spectral representation, is used to describe the light from nonstationary sources. After introducing the general formalism and basic relations, the case of interference with two partially coherent time Gaussian-shaped pulsed point sources is discussed, and a criterion for the measurement of spatial coherence of nonstationary sources is given.