This book discusses statistical methods that are useful for treating problems in modern optics, and the application of these methods to solving a variety of such problems This book covers a variety of statistical problems in optics, including both theory and applications. The text covers the necessary background in statistics, statistical properties of light waves of various types, the theory of partial coherence and its applications, imaging with partially coherent light, atmospheric degradations of images, and noise limitations in the detection of light. New topics have been introduced in the second edition, including: Analysis of the Vander Pol oscillator model of laser light Coverage on coherence tomography and coherence multiplexing of fiber sensors An expansion of the chapter on imaging with partially coherent light, including several new examples An expanded section on speckle and its properties New sections on the cross-spectrum and bispectrum techniques for obtaining images free from atmospheric distortions A new section on imaging through atmospheric turbulence using coherent light The addition of the effects of “read noise” to the discussions of limitations encountered in detecting very weak optical signals A number of new problems and many new references have been added Statistical Optics, Second Edition is written for researchers and engineering students interested in optics, physicists and chemists, as well as graduate level courses in a University Engineering or Physics Department.

This monograph overviews classic and recent developments in theoretical statistical optics in connection with stationary and non-stationary (pulsed) optical source characterization and modeling, discusses various phenomena occurring with random light propagating in free space, on its interaction with optical systems, extended media and particulate collections. The text includes scalar, beam-like and general electromagnetic treatment of light. A brief statistical description of four fundamental experiments relating to random light: spatial and temporal field interference, intensity interferometry and phase conjugation, is also included in order to relate the analytical descriptions with practical observations.Rigorous mathematical methods for statistical manipulation of light sources useful for remote shaping of its various average properties, enhanced image resolution, optimized transmission in random media and for other applications are introduced. For illustration of efficient ways for manipulation of light polarization the generalized Stokes-Mueller calculus is applied for description of interaction of beam-like fields with classic and currently popular devices of polarization optics, including a spatial light modulator.Random light plays a special role in the image formation process. Three imaging modalities including the classic intensity-based system with structured source correlations, the polarization-based imaging system and the ghost interference approach are discussed in detail.Theoretical aspects of potential scattering of light from weakly scattering media are considered under a very broad range of assumptions: scalar/electromagnetic incident light, deterministic/random light/media, single/particulate media. Then, problems and methods in light characterization on interaction with extended, turbulent-like natural media, such as the Earth's atmosphere, oceans and soft bio-tissues that are currently widely used for communication, remote sensing and imaging purposes in these media, are provided.

Scientists and engineers in optics are increasingly confronted with problems that are of a random nature and that require a working knowledge of probability and statistics for their solution. This book develops these subjects within the context of optics, using a problem-solving approach. All methods are explicitly derived and can be traced back to three simple axioms given at the outset. This third edition contains many new applications to optical and physical phenomena, including a method of exactly estimating probability laws.

This new edition incorporates corrections of all known typographical errors in the first edition, as well as some more substantive changes. Chief among the latter is the addition of Chap. 17, on methods of estimation. As with the rest of the text, most applications and examples cited in the new chapter are from the optical perspective. The intention behind this new chapter is to empower the optical researcher with a yet broader range of research tools. Certainly a basic knowledge of estimation methods should be among these. In particular, the sections on likelihood theory and Fisher information prepare readers for the problems of optical parameter estimation and probability law estimation. Physicists and optical scientists might find this material particularly useful, since the subject of Fisher information is generally not covered in standard physical science curricula. Since the words "statistical optics" are prominent in the title of this book, their meaning needs to be clarified. There is a general tendency to overly emphasize the statistics of photons as the sine qua non of statistical optics. In view is taken, which equally emphasizes the random medium this text a wider that surrounds the photon, be it a photographic emulsion, the turbulent atmo sphere, a vibrating lens holder, etc. Also included are random interpretations of ostensibly deterministic phenomena, such as the Hurter-Driffield (H and D) curve of photography. Such a "random interpretation" sometimes breaks new ground, as in Chap.

The quantum statistical properties of radiation represent an important branch of modern physics with rapidly increasing applications in spectroscopy, quantum generators of radiation, optical communication, etc. They have also an increasing role in fields other than pure physics, such as biophysics, psychophysics, biology, etc. Interesting applications have been developed in high energy elementary particle collisions. The present monograph represents an extension and continuation of the previous monograph by this author entitled Coherence of Light (Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, London 1972, translated into Russian in the Publishing House Mir, Moscow 1974, second edition published by D. Reidel, Dordrecht-Boston 1985) and ofa review chapter in Progress in Optics, Vol. 18 (edited by E. Wolf, North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam 1980) as well. It applies the fundamental tools of the coherent-state technique, as described in Coherence of Light, to particular studies of the quantum statistical properties of radiation interacting with matter. In particular. nonlinear optical processes are considered, and purely quantum phenom ena such as antibunching of photons, their sub-Poisson behaviour and squeezing of vacuum fluctuations are discussed. Compared to the first edition of this book, pub lished in 1984, we have added much more information about squeezing of vacuum fluctuations in nonlinear optical process in this second edition; further we have included the description of experiments and their results performed from that time. Also a new brief chapter on nonlinear dynamics and chaos in quantum statistical optics has been included.

With the recent great expansion in optics and laser applications, several new areas of research have emerged, among which are: the theory of coherence, photon statistics, speckle phenomenon, statistical optics, atmospheric propa gation, optical communications, and light-beating and photon-correlation spectroscopy. A factor common to these overlapping subjects is their basic dependence on the treatment of light as a randomly fluctuating excitation. Moreover, they all necessitate a thorough understanding of the phenomenon of light detection and the additional randomness it introduces. My objective in writing this book is to provide a unified and general presentation of a basic theoretical background central to these areas. This book has a threefold purpose: to present a systematic treatment of the statistical properties of optical fields, to develop methods for deter mining the statistics of the photoelectron events that are generated when such fields are intercepted by photodetectors, and to examine methods of estimating unknown field parameters from measurements of the photoelectron events. Emphasis is placed on the photoelectron measurements that yield in formation pertinent to spectroscopy and optical communication. Although some books that treat the theory of coherence and the statisti cal properties of light are available, the vast body of information central to problems of photoelectron statistics and its applications is scattered in various professional journals and conference proceedings.

This book discusses statistical methods that are useful for treating problems in modern optics, and the application of these methods to solving a variety of such problems This book covers a variety of statistical problems in optics, including both theory and applications. The text covers the necessary background in statistics, statistical properties of light waves of various types, the theory of partial coherence and its applications, imaging with partially coherent light, atmospheric degradations of images, and noise limitations in the detection of light. New topics have been introduced in the second edition, including: Analysis of the Vander Pol oscillator model of laser light Coverage on coherence tomography and coherence multiplexing of fiber sensors An expansion of the chapter on imaging with partially coherent light, including several new examples An expanded section on speckle and its properties New sections on the cross-spectrum and bispectrum techniques for obtaining images free from atmospheric distortions A new section on imaging through atmospheric turbulence using coherent light The addition of the effects of “read noise” to the discussions of limitations encountered in detecting very weak optical signals A number of new problems and many new references have been added Statistical Optics, Second Edition is written for researchers and engineering students interested in optics, physicists and chemists, as well as graduate level courses in a University Engineering or Physics Department.