Abstract
The method of generalized rays is shown to be a convenient framework for the study of the propagation of partially coherent beams in square-law media. Both on-axis and off-axis paraxial propagations are considered. Propagation characteristics of Gaussian Schell-model beams are completely worked out as an example, taking full advantage of the SL(2,R) group underlying the problem.1 All the invariants are worked out and interpreted. The degree of global coherence is one of the invariants. It is shown that every square-law medium has a characteristic one-parameter family of isotropic Gaussian Schell-model beams and a two-parameter family of anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model beams as its normal modes. This includes a new class of striplike modes. Our results are compared with the familiar results for the propagation of coherent Gaussian beams in such media.
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