Statistical properties of a laser beam propagating in a turbulent medium
I. V. Kolokolov, V. V. Lebedev, Pavel M. Lushnikov
Abstract
We examine statistical properties of a laser beam propagating in a turbulent medium. We prove that the intensity fluctuations at large propagation distances possess a Gaussian probability density function and establish quantitative criteria for realizing the Gaussian statistics depending on the laser propagation distance, laser beam waist, laser frequency, and turbulence strength. We calculate explicitly the laser envelope pair correlation function and corrections to its higher-order correlation functions breaking Gaussianity. We discuss also statistical properties of the brightest spots in the speckle pattern.
Topics & Concepts
Speckle patternEnvelope (radar)LaserPhysicsOpticsGaussianTurbulenceCorrelation function (quantum field theory)Probability density functionBeam (structure)Intensity (physics)Laser beamsStatistical physicsComputational physicsStatisticsMechanicsMathematicsQuantum mechanicsTelecommunicationsComputer scienceDielectricRadarRandom lasers and scattering mediaOptical Coherence Tomography ApplicationsOrbital Angular Momentum in Optics