Statistical accuracy in the digital autocorrelation of photon counting fluctuations

Abstract

The authors investigate the statistical errors which arise in digital autocorrelation of photon counting fluctuations due to the finite duration of experiments. An expression for the accuracy with which individual points of the autocorrelation function of intensities can be measured is derived analytically and evaluated for Gaussian- Lorentzian light. The appropriate weighting for a 'least-squares' fitting procedure is determined and the error in spectral linewidth, obtained by this procedure from experiment, is calculated.