Abstract

It is shown that the spectral degree of polarization $\mathcal{P}(\vec{r},\omega )$ of a fluctuating electromagnetic beam which is completely coherent throughout a domain D is necessarily the same at every point in D. It can take on any value in the range $0⩽\mathcal{P}⩽1$. In particular, the fully coherent beam can be completely polarized or completely unpolarized throughout D.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

Generation of complete coherence in Young’s interference experiment with random mutually uncorrelated electromagnetic beams

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Complete coherence of random, nonstationary electromagnetic fields

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Effects of coherence on the degree of polarization in a Young interference pattern

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