Coherent-mode representation of Gaussian Schell-model sources and of their radiation fields

Abstract

A recently formulated theory of partial coherence in the space-frequency domain is used to determine the mode structure of an important class of partially coherent sources and of the radiation fields generated by them. The effective number of modes is found to depend in a fundamental way on the ratio of the coherence length to the effective size of the source. The contribution of the effective modes to the far-field intensity is also analyzed.