Intensity properties of partially coherent beam waves

Abstract

The extended Huygens-Fresnel principle is used to investigate the lateral coherence and the average on-axis intensity of partially coherent beam waves propagating in the turbulent atmosphere. A factor that determines the shift of the focal point toward the source when a beam wave propagates in turbulence is calculated. It is also shown that optimum beam wave propagation in atmospheric turbulence occurs for wavelength in the IR.