Comparative study of propagation properties of partially coherent standard and elegant Hermite-Gaussian beams in inhomogeneous atmospheric turbulence

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle (EHFP) and the definition of the Wigner distribution function (WDF), the propagation pfoperties of partially coherent standard Hermite-Gaussian beams (SHGBs) and elegant Hermite-Gaussian beams (EHGBs) in inhomogeneous atmospheric turbulence have been investigated. The M-2-factor, the curvature radius and the root-mean-square (rms) angular width of partially coherent SHGBs and EHGBs have been explored numerically and comparatively. It can be found that the saturation propagation distances (SPDs) of the M-2-factor and the rms angular width of EHGB and SHGB in inhomogeneous turbulence with a small zenith angle of pi/6 are about 20 km and 0.3 km, respectively: What's more, the M-2-factor and the curvature radius of the partially coherent EHGB are smaller than that of the partially coherent SHGB in inhomogeneous turbulence. It can be shown that the M-2-factor and curvature radius depend on the zenith angle, coherence width, inner scale of the turbulence, beam order, wave number and waist width in inhomogeneous turbulence. Furthermore, it is found that the partially coherent SHGB and EHGB have the same rms angular width in inhomogeneous turbulence. (C) 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.