Statistical Optics

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 problemsThis 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 lightCoverage on coherence tomography and coherence multiplexing of fiber sensorsAn expansion of the chapter on imaging with partially coherent light, including several new examplesAn expanded section on speckle and its propertiesNew sections on the cross-spectrum and bispectrum techniques for obtaining images free from atmospheric distortionsA new section on imaging through atmospheric turbulence using coherent lightThe addition of the effects of “read noise” to the discussions of limitations encountered in detecting very weak optical signalsA 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.