IEVref:731-01-14ID:
Language:enStatus: Standard
Term: degree of coherence
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Definition: a measure of the extent to which radiation can be considered to be coherent

NOTE 1 – The magnitude of the degree of coherence is equal to the visibility, V, of the fringes of a 2-beam interference experiment:

V= S max S min S max + S min MathType@MTEF@5@5@+=feaagCart1ev2aqatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLnhiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbbjxAHXgarqqtubsr4rNCHbGeaGqipG0dh9qqWrVepG0dbbL8F4rqqrVepeea0xe9LqFf0xc9q8qqaqFn0lXdHiVcFbIOFHK8Feea0dXdar=Jb9hs0dXdHuk9fr=xfr=xfrpeWZqaaeqabiGaciGacaqadmaadaqaaqaaaOqaaiaabAfacaqG9aWaaSaaaeaacaWGtbWaaSbaaSqaaiaab2gacaqGHbGaaeiEaaqabaGccqGHsislcaWGtbWaaSbaaSqaaiaab2gacaqGPbGaaeOBaaqabaaakeaacaWGtbWaaSbaaSqaaiaab2gacaqGHbGaaeiEaaqabaGccqGHRaWkcaWGtbWaaSbaaSqaaiaab2gacaqGPbGaaeOBaaqabaaaaaaa@482B@

where Smax is the irradiance at a maximum of the interference pattern, and Smin is the irradiance at a minimum.

NOTE 2 – Optical radiation is considered highly coherent when the degree of coherence exceeds 0.88, partially coherent for values less than 0.88 and incoherent for values significantly less than 0.88.


Publication date:1991-10
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Internal notes:2016-02-01: Formatting of S<sub>max</sub> and min corrected to italic <i>S</i><sub>max</sub>. JGO

2017-06-02: Cleanup - Remove Attached Image 731-01-14.gif
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