Classical theory of optical fluctuations and coherence

Abstract

Abstract The study of the classical theory of optical fluctuations and coherence is an important preliminary to the development of the corresponding quantum-mechanical theory. The classical theory is useful for a physical understanding of the various effects and many of the classical concepts carry over into the quantum theory. In addition, a knowledge of the classical theory is useful for identification of the nature of the specifically quantum properties that some light beams may exhibit. Thus it is shown in Chapter 5 that the classical and quantum theories yield the ame predictions for chaotic light, but that there exist other kinds of light that elude any satisfactory classical description. The nature of such ‘nonclassical’ light i5, of course, more sharply appreciated by contrast with the limitations on the possible kinds of light inherent in the classical theory.