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EFFECTS OF COHERENCE IN ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION.

E. Wolf

Published Sep 1, 1967• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Abstract : The report summarizes researches concerned with theoretical studies of coherence effects in electromagnetic fields, with special reference to the electromangetic range of the spectrum. Various properties of fluctuating fields were investigated and second and higher order coherence effects were analyzed. Relation between the classical and quantum theory of coherence was also considered. A degree of coherence of arbitrary order was introduced which has some advantages over that introduced earlier by other authors. Further, diagonal coherent state representation of quantum operators was studied. Some related investigations in statistical mechanics, and in diffraction theory of the electromagnetic field were also carried out. (Author)

Related papers

Coherence Properties of Optical Fields

L. Mandeļ, E. Wolf

This article presents a review of coherence properties of electromagnetic fields and their measurements, with special emphasis on the optical region of the spectrum. Analyses based on both the classical and quantum theories are described. After a brief historical introduction, the elementary concepts which are frequently employed in the discussion of interference phenomena are summarized. The measure of second-order coherence is then introduced in connection with the analysis of a simple interference experiment and some of the more important second-order coherence effects are studied. Their uses in stellar interferometry and interference spectroscopy are described. Analysis of partial polarization from the standpoint of correlation theory is also outlined. The general statistical description of the field is discussed in some detail. The recently discovered universal "diagonal" representation of the density operator for free fields is also considered and it is shown how, with the help of the associated generalized phase-space distribution function, the quantum-mechanical correlation functions may be expressed in the same form as the classical ones. The sections which follow deal with the statistical properties of thermal and nonthermal light, and with the temporal and spatial coherence of blackbody radiation. Later sections, dealing with fourth- and higher-order coherence effects include a discussion of the photoelectric detection process. Among the fourth-order effects described in detail are bunching phenomena, the Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect and its application to astronomy. The article concludes with a discussion of various transient superposition effects, such as light beats and interference fringes produced by independent light beams.

Reviews of Modern Physics•Apr 1, 1965•1,174 citations

COHERENCE PROPERTIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION

WANG CHIH-CHIANG

摘要 本文的主要目的在综合评述近年来在光的相干性方面研究的成就。表明光子简并度和相干度等在有关问题中起重要作用,诸如干涉、拍频、强度起伏等。由于辐射过程的随机性质,拍频信号的强度由过程的相关度决定;由于光子是玻色子,这就决定了强度起伏中有相关项。从已有实验结果看来,光的相于性完全可从量子力学的基础概念得到解释。 Abstract In this paper, recent advances in the research of coherence properties of electromagnetic radiation are discussed. Using the conception of photon degeneracy and degree of coherence the author is able to explain many problems such as light mixing, intensity fluctuations and the properties of coherent light source. Since the occurrence of radiation process is at random, the intensity of the signal generated by the mixing of different sources can be determined by the correlation of radiation processes as derived in the present paper. Regarding photons as bosons, the phenomena "intensity interferense" is explained as quantum fluctuations. The coherence properties of radiation may thus be interpreted well on the basic conception of quantum machanics. 作者及机构信息 王之江 Authors and contacts WANG CHIH-CHIANG 参考文献 [1] 施引文献

Acta Physica Sinica•Jan 1, 1963•1 citation

FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES OF THE COHERENCE PROPERTIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION.

David L. Falkoff, E. Lipworth

Theoretical studies have been made of the quantum mechanical description of coherence in materials such as ferromagnets and superconductors and of electromagnetic radiation. In the latter studies, application has been made to effects of coherence and high power on photodetection. A practical result is that the photon echo measurement is shown to provide a sensitive detector of coherence. Experimental work has been carried out to determine the diffusion coefficients and spin depolarization cross sections of optically pumped alkali vapors in noble buffer gases. A method has been developed to measure the density of cesium vapor as a function of temperature. (Author)

•Feb 28, 1966•0 citations

Some Recent Research on Coherence and Fluctuations of Light

A review is presented of various investigations on coherence and fluctuations of light which have been carried out within the last few years. In particular some of the research carried out at the University of Rochester and related investigations undertaken elsewhere are described. This research is mainly concerned with the following topics: classical and quantum description of higher order coherence effects, photon correlation and coincidence experiments, stellar correlation interferometry, photon bunching, and the determination of the statistical properties of light from photoelectric counting experiments.

Optica Acta International Journal of Optics•Oct 1, 1966•9 citations

Second-order coherence theory of scalar wavefields

L. Mandeļ, E. Wolf

Introduction We will now study the properties of fluctuating electromagnetic fields, paying attention mainly to the optical region of the electromagnetic spectrum. It seems hardly necessary to stress that every electromagnetic field found in nature has some fluctuations associated with it. Even though these fluctuations are, as a rule, much too rapid to be observed directly, one can deduce their existence from suitable experiments that provide information about correlations between the fluctuations at two or more space-time points. The simplest manifestations of correlations in optical fields are the well-known interference effects that arise when two light beams that originate from the same source are superposed. With the availability of modern light detectors and electronic circuitry of very short resolving time, other types of correlations in optical fields began to be studied in more recent times. These investigations, as well as the development of lasers and other novel types of light sources, led to a systematic classification of optical correlation phenomena and the complete statistical description of optical fields. The area of optics concerned with such questions is now generally known as optical coherence theory . The first investigations of coherence phenomena are due to Verdet (1865, 1869) and von Laue (1907a, b). Some early investigations of Stokes (1852) and Michelson (1890, 1891a, b, c, 1892, 1920) although not explicitly mentioning coherence – because this concept is of a much later origin – have also contributed to the clarification and development of this subject.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Sep 29, 1995•5 citations

THEORY OF COHERENCE FOR THE QUANTIZED ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD,

Solimene,Nicholas

A preliminary account of the quantum theory of coherence for electromagnetic radiation is presented using the method of Schwinger's variational action principle. The generating functional for the quantum expectation values of arbitrary products of field operators for the free electromagnetic field subject to any homogeneous boundary conditions is explicitly given in terms of the dyadic Green's function for the corresponding classical problem. Although thermal expectation values are generated directly by the process of functional differentiation in this formulation, it is possible to generate expectation values for any free field state by employing projection operations. In particular Glauber's coherent state expectation values may be obtained. Results for the radiation field coupled only to c-number sources may trivially be extracted from the free field formulation. (Author)

•Feb 1, 1965•0 citations
Abstract : The report summarizes researches concerned with theoretical studies of coherence effects in electromagnetic fields, with special reference to the electromangetic range of the spectrum. Various properties of fluctuating fields were investigated and second and higher order coherence effects were analyzed. Relation between the classical and quantum theory of coherence was also considered. A degree of coherence of arbitrary order was introduced which has some advantages over that introduced earlier by other authors. Further, diagonal coherent state representation of quantum operators was studied. Some related investigations in statistical mechanics, and in diffraction theory of the electromagnetic field were also carried out. (Author)
This article presents a review of coherence properties of electromagnetic fields and their measurements, with special emphasis on the optical region of the spectrum. Analyses based on both the classical and quantum theories are described. After a brief historical introduction, the elementary concepts which are frequently employed in the discussion of interference phenomena are summarized. The measure of second-order coherence is then introduced in connection with the analysis of a simple interference experiment and some of the more important second-order coherence effects are studied. Their uses in stellar interferometry and interference spectroscopy are described. Analysis of partial polarization from the standpoint of correlation theory is also outlined. The general statistical description of the field is discussed in some detail. The recently discovered universal "diagonal" representation of the density operator for free fields is also considered and it is shown how, with the help of the associated generalized phase-space distribution function, the quantum-mechanical correlation functions may be expressed in the same form as the classical ones. The sections which follow deal with the statistical properties of thermal and nonthermal light, and with the temporal and spatial coherence of blackbody radiation. Later sections, dealing with fourth- and higher-order coherence effects include a discussion of the photoelectric detection process. Among the fourth-order effects described in detail are bunching phenomena, the Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect and its application to astronomy. The article concludes with a discussion of various transient superposition effects, such as light beats and interference fringes produced by independent light beams.
摘要 本文的主要目的在综合评述近年来在光的相干性方面研究的成就。表明光子简并度和相干度等在有关问题中起重要作用,诸如干涉、拍频、强度起伏等。由于辐射过程的随机性质,拍频信号的强度由过程的相关度决定;由于光子是玻色子,这就决定了强度起伏中有相关项。从已有实验结果看来,光的相于性完全可从量子力学的基础概念得到解释。 Abstract In this paper, recent advances in the research of coherence properties of electromagnetic radiation are discussed. Using the conception of photon degeneracy and degree of coherence the author is able to explain many problems such as light mixing, intensity fluctuations and the properties of coherent light source. Since the occurrence of radiation process is at random, the intensity of the signal generated by the mixing of different sources can be determined by the correlation of radiation processes as derived in the present paper. Regarding photons as bosons, the phenomena "intensity interferense" is explained as quantum fluctuations. The coherence properties of radiation may thus be interpreted well on the basic conception of quantum machanics. 作者及机构信息 王之江 Authors and contacts WANG CHIH-CHIANG 参考文献 [1] 施引文献
Theoretical studies have been made of the quantum mechanical description of coherence in materials such as ferromagnets and superconductors and of electromagnetic radiation. In the latter studies, application has been made to effects of coherence and high power on photodetection. A practical result is that the photon echo measurement is shown to provide a sensitive detector of coherence. Experimental work has been carried out to determine the diffusion coefficients and spin depolarization cross sections of optically pumped alkali vapors in noble buffer gases. A method has been developed to measure the density of cesium vapor as a function of temperature. (Author)
A review is presented of various investigations on coherence and fluctuations of light which have been carried out within the last few years. In particular some of the research carried out at the University of Rochester and related investigations undertaken elsewhere are described. This research is mainly concerned with the following topics: classical and quantum description of higher order coherence effects, photon correlation and coincidence experiments, stellar correlation interferometry, photon bunching, and the determination of the statistical properties of light from photoelectric counting experiments.
Introduction We will now study the properties of fluctuating electromagnetic fields, paying attention mainly to the optical region of the electromagnetic spectrum. It seems hardly necessary to stress that every electromagnetic field found in nature has some fluctuations associated with it. Even though these fluctuations are, as a rule, much too rapid to be observed directly, one can deduce their existence from suitable experiments that provide information about correlations between the fluctuations at two or more space-time points. The simplest manifestations of correlations in optical fields are the well-known interference effects that arise when two light beams that originate from the same source are superposed. With the availability of modern light detectors and electronic circuitry of very short resolving time, other types of correlations in optical fields began to be studied in more recent times. These investigations, as well as the development of lasers and other novel types of light sources, led to a systematic classification of optical correlation phenomena and the complete statistical description of optical fields. The area of optics concerned with such questions is now generally known as optical coherence theory . The first investigations of coherence phenomena are due to Verdet (1865, 1869) and von Laue (1907a, b). Some early investigations of Stokes (1852) and Michelson (1890, 1891a, b, c, 1892, 1920) although not explicitly mentioning coherence – because this concept is of a much later origin – have also contributed to the clarification and development of this subject.
A preliminary account of the quantum theory of coherence for electromagnetic radiation is presented using the method of Schwinger's variational action principle. The generating functional for the quantum expectation values of arbitrary products of field operators for the free electromagnetic field subject to any homogeneous boundary conditions is explicitly given in terms of the dyadic Green's function for the corresponding classical problem. Although thermal expectation values are generated directly by the process of functional differentiation in this formulation, it is possible to generate expectation values for any free field state by employing projection operations. In particular Glauber's coherent state expectation values may be obtained. Results for the radiation field coupled only to c-number sources may trivially be extracted from the free field formulation. (Author)