Second-order statistics of laser-speckle patterns*
Abstract
The statistics of laser-speckle patterns in a plane some distance from a coherently illuminated object are considered in more-general terms than previously. The results obtained show that the rms irradiance is equal to the mean. The irradiance spectrum consists of two terms of equal energy. Assuming that the angular size of the object is much less than the surface roughness diffraction angle, we find that the irradiance autocorrelation function separates into a product of object irradiance and surface-roughness terms. The spectrum separates into the sum of low- and high-frequency contributions. Previous calculations are shown to be special cases or consistent with the present analysis.
- Publication:
-
Journal of the Optical Society of America (1917-1983)
- Pub Date:
- July 1975
- DOI:
- 10.1364/JOSA.65.000779
- Bibcode:
- 1975JOSA...65..779M
- Keywords:
-
- Irradiance;
- Laser Outputs;
- Speckle Patterns;
- Spectral Correlation;
- Statistical Correlation;
- Surface Roughness Effects;
- Autocorrelation;
- Energy Spectra;
- Optical Reflection;
- Wave Diffraction;
- Lasers and Masers