Abstract

A classic theorem due to van Cittert and Zernike establishes a one-one correspondence between the distribution of the degree of coherence of light generated by a spatially incoherent planar source and the distribution of the complex amplitude in a certain monochromatic field produced by diffraction at an aperture.¹ In this paper we present a somewhat analogous theorem which expresses a one-one correspondence between the distribution of the degree of spatial coherence throughout any statistically homogeneous wavefield that propagates into a half-space and the complex amplitude distribution in an associated monochromatic wavefield that propagates into the same half-space. With the help of this theorem one can readily obtain information about the 3-D distribution of the degree of spatial coherence in certain types of statistical wavefield from well-known solutions of some wave propagation problems.

© 1989 Optical Society of America