Partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model electromagnetic beams

Abstract

The characteristics of highly directional electromagnetic beams generated by planar sources of different states of spatial coherence are investigated by using variations of Gaussian Schell-model beams. Azimuthally symmetric beams with the electric vector polarized in the azimuthal direction and dipolar beams with linearly polarized electric fields are treated. The effect on the shape of the beam of decreasing the coherence length of the source distribution is discussed.