Long-Range Saturation of Spatial Decoherence in Wave-Field Transport in Random Multiple-Scattering Media

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.4807· OSTI ID:345446

Cheng, C; Raymer, M G ^[1]

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1. Oregon Center for Optics and Department of Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 (United States)

The transverse spatial coherence of an optical beam alters as the light traverses a dense, multiple-scattering, random dielectric medium. Results of measurements show the predicted initial increase of the decoherence (or decorrelation) rate with spatial separation, followed by saturation at large separation. This behavior can be modeled by using a Boltzmann-like transport equation for the Wigner function of the wave field, whereas the standard model for decoherence (developed for quantum wave fields), which is based on the Fokker-Planck phase-space diffusion equation, contains no saturation and fails at all separations to describe the observed behavior. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 345446
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 82, Issue 24; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1999
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
SCATTERING
LIGHT SCATTERING
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
TRANSPORT THEORY
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
MULTIPLE SCATTERING