Field correlations of partially coherent optical beams in underwater turbulence.

Abstract

Field correlations of partially coherent optical beams at the receiver plane are formulated and evaluated in underwater turbulence. Variations of the field correlations are examined against changes in the degree of source coherence, diagonal length from the receiver point, receiver point, propagation distance, source size, ratio of temperature to salinity contributions to the refractive index spectrum, rate of dissipation of mean-squared temperature, and rate of dissipation of kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid. Under any underwater turbulence and link conditions, it is found that field correlations at the receiver plane reduce when the optical source becomes less coherent.