Spatiotemporal-coupled partially coherent pulsed source and its propagation

Abstract

We present a new partially coherent pulsed source with spatiotemporal coupling. The stochastic optical pulse, which we call a spatiotemporal coupled cosine–Gaussian-correlated Schell-model pulsed (STC–CGCSMP) source, has its spatial and temporal (or spectral) dimensions coupled by a stochastic factor. Within the frame of the extended Collins formula, we derive the expression for the two-point, two-frequency cross-spectral density (CSD) function as this such source propagates through an ABCD optical system. We then simulate the spectral density, the two-point, two-frequency CSD, and the spectral degree of coherence to discuss how the spatiotemporal coupling factor affects the beam structure during transmission. Our theoretical models enrich the classical theory of propagating stochastic optical pulses and may provide a feasible method for further exploration of novel kinds of optical field modulation.