Invariance properties of random pulses and of other random fields in dispersive media.

Abstract

This paper is concerned with one-dimensional random fields consisting of randomly distributed identical light pulses which propagate in a linear dispersive medium. It is shown that such fields are necessarily stationary and that their power spectra and their longitudinal coherence properties do not change on propagation. The invariance of the power spectrum and of the coherence properties are shown to apply more generally to any one-dimensional stationary field of any state of coherence, propagating in a linear dispersive medium. Some invariance properties of nondiffracting partially coherent fields in dispersive media and of partially coherent fields in lossless fibers are also discussed.