Generalized theory of spatial coherence for superposition of two speckle patterns with polarization diversity

Abstract

A generalized theory of spatial coherence for superposition of two speckle patterns with polarization diversity is presented. The presented theory deals with superposition in different scenarios i.e. superposition of two fully correlated, partially correlated and completely uncorrelated speckle patterns, and describes the effect on the spatial coherence-polarization (CP) property of the superposed random field from the study of the spatial degree of coherence and degree of polarization. The change in the spatial CP property with the polarization diversity is studied for different correlation factors of the constituent random fields, and a modulation of the spatial CP property is observed, when the constituent speckle patterns are not fully correlated. The effect of the average intensity ratio of the two random fields on the spatial CP property is also studied. Thus, this theoretical study completes the case of superposition of two speckle patterns with polarization diversity and its effect on the spatial CP property.