Nonparaxial propagation properties of a vector partially coherent dark hollow beam

Abstract

Based on the generalized Raleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction integrals, analytical nonparaxial propagation formulas for the elements of the cross-spectral density matrix of a vector partially coherent dark hollow beam (DHB) in free space are derived. The effect of spatial coherence and beam waist sizes on the statistical properties of a nonparaxial vector DHB is studied numerically. It is found that one can modulate the statistical properties of a nonparaxial vector DHB by varying its initial spatial coherence, which will be useful in some applications where nonparaxial beams are commonly encountered.