Abstract

The intensity distribution in the Fraunhofer diffraction patterns of slit and circular apertures illuminated with partially coherent light is examined both theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that a detailed knowledge of the mutual coherence function across the diffracting aperture is required to describe fully the diffraction phenomena.

© 1966 Optical Society of America

Diffraction of Partially Coherent Light by an Aberration-Free Annular Aperture

K. Singh and H. S. Dhillon
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 59(4) 395-401 (1969)

Multiple-Beam Interference with Partially Coherent Light*

Brian J. Thompson
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(9) 1157-1161 (1966)

Effects of Partial Coherence on Holography with Diffuse Illumination

M. Lurie
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(10) 1369-1372 (1966)

Effect of the Phase Term in the Mutual Coherence Function on Aperture-Diffraction Patterns

R. A. Shore
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 58(11) 1484-1490 (1968)

Anomalous behaviors of the Fraunhofer diffraction patterns for a class of partially coherent light

Jixiong Pu and Shojiro Nemoto
Opt. Express 11(4) 339-346 (2003)