Longitudinal coherence and interferometry in dispersive media

W. A. Hamilton; A. G. Klein; G. I. Opat

doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.28.3149

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Longitudinal coherence and interferometry in dispersive media

W. A. Hamilton, A. G. Klein, and G. I. Opat

Phys. Rev. A 28, 3149(R) – Published 1 November 1983

Abstract

For the nondispersive propagation of waves in one dimension, there is no essential difference between the concepts of longitudinal and temporal coherence, and these terms are often used interchangeably. For the dispersive propagation of waves, such as electrons or neutrons in vacuo, or light in a medium, this is no longer the case. We analyze the coherence properties of a dispersively propagating beam of radiation, and discuss the observation of its spatial and temporal coherence properties by means of a two-beam interferometer.

Received 19 August 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.28.3149

Authors & Affiliations

W. A. Hamilton, A. G. Klein^*, and G. I. Opat

School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia

^*Visiting scientist, Physics Dept., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.

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Vol. 28, Iss. 5 — November 1983

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