On correlation lengths of thermal electromagnetic fields in equilibrium and out of equilibrium conditions

Abstract

Spatial coherence of thermal fields in far- and near-field zones generated by heated half-space into vacuum is studied at essentially different thermodynamical conditions. It is shown that correlation lengths of fields in any field zone are different in equilibrium and out of equilibrium systems. In wide range of distances from sample surface correlation functions are should be calculated using a total sum of evanescent and propagating contributions due to their mutual compensation at some conditions because of anticorrelations. It is demonstrated that correlation lengths as calculated with a proposed formula are in agreement with a behavior of correlation functions of thermal fields in spectral range of surface excitations