Coherent detection performance of Gaussian-Schell model pulses: impacts of temporal coherence, pulse width, and...

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Coherent laser detection is crucial for optical communication and remote sensing.
• Partially temporally coherent pulses present challenges for traditional detection methods.
• Gaussian-Schell model (GSM) describes partially coherent light.
• Continuous-wave (CW) lasers with Gaussian spectral profiles are common local oscillators (LO).

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically investigate coherent laser detection performance for partially temporally coherent pulses.
• To establish a theoretical framework for coherent detection of pulsed, partially coherent light.
• To extend existing interferometry techniques for pulsed laser characterization.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of coherent detection.
• Numerical simulations based on the Gaussian-Schell model (GSM).
• Extension of delayed self-heterodyne interferometry (DSHI) for pulsed lasers.

Main Results:

• Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spectral linewidth are critically dependent on temporal coherence.
• Pulse width and optical path difference (OPD) significantly impact detection performance.
• The established framework accurately models coherent detection of partially coherent pulses.

Conclusions:

• Temporal coherence is a key factor in coherent detection performance for pulsed lasers.
• Findings provide guidelines for optimizing system parameters in applications like remote sensing and free-space communication.
• The extended DSHI framework enables temporal coherence characterization for pulsed lasers.