title: Coherence and polarization properties of a radially polarized beam with variable spatial coherence.
abstract: In a recent publication [Appl. Phys. Lett, 100, 051108 (2012)], a radially polarized (RP) beam with variable spatial coherence (i.e., partially coherent RP beam) was generated experimentally. In this paper, we derive the realizability conditions for a partially coherent RP beam, and we carry out theoretical and experimental study of the coherence and polarization properties of a partially coherent RP beam. It is found that after passing through a thin lens, both the degree of coherence and the degree of polarization of a partially coherent RP beam varies on propagation, while the state of polarization of the completely polarized part of such beam remains invariant. The variations of the degree of coherence and the degree of polarization depend closely on the initial spatial coherence. Our experimental results agree well with the theoretical predictions.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
authors.forename: Gaofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yangjian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008027:Light; D008029:Lighting / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation