Abstract
The effect on the Stokes parameters of a Gaussian Schell model beam on propagation in free space is studied experimentally and results are matched with the theory [X. H. Zhao, et al. Opt. Express 17, 17888 (2009)] that in general the degree of polarization of a Gaussian Schell model beam doesn't change on propagation if the three spectral correlation widths δ xx, δ yy, δ xy are equal and the beam width parameters σ x =σ y. It is experimentally shown that all the four Stokes parameters at the center of the beam decrease on propagation while the magnitudes of the normalized Stokes parameters and the spectral degree of polarization at the center of the beam remain constant for different propagation distances.
Highlights
A lot of research has shown that the spectral degree of coherence and spectral degree of polarization may change on propagation of an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell model beam in free space [1,2,3,4], and in different media [5,6,7]
The study might be helpful in the area of free space optical communication (FSO) technology in which various polarization shift keying (PolSK) modulation schemes are used [13]
It is shown that the magnitudes of the Stokes parameters decrease and the magnitudes of the normalized Stokes parameters and spectral degree of polarization remain unchanged on propagation of a Gaussian Schell model beam in free space
Summary
A lot of research has shown that the spectral degree of coherence and spectral degree of polarization may change on propagation of an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell model beam in free space [1,2,3,4], and in different media [5,6,7]. In this paper we have verified experimentally the theoretical prediction [1, 9,10,11], that in general the degree of polarization of a Gaussian Schell model beam doesn’t change on propagation in free space if the spectral correlation lengths δxx , δ yy , δxy are equal to each other and the beam width parameters σ x = σ y. The study might be helpful in the area of free space optical communication (FSO) technology in which various polarization shift keying (PolSK) modulation schemes are used [13]
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