Two-frequency mutual coherence function for Gaussian-beam pulses propagating along a horizontal path in weak anisotropic atmospheric turbulence.

A theoretical formulation of the spherical-wave two-frequency mutual coherence function (MCF) for a propagation path characterized by a complex ABCD matrix with anisotropic atmospheric turbulence existing somewhere is developed. A specialization of this formulation leads to an expression for the two-frequency MCF of an equivalent pulsed Gaussian beam propagating in weak anisotropic atmospheric turbulence along a horizontal line-of-sight path; relevant closed-form analytical solutions under both near- and far-field conditions are obtained. The small- and large-scale solutions for both the plane- and spherical-wave spatial-coherence radii in either horizontal or vertical direction are derived. Analysis shows that the formula for the on-axis two-frequency MCF of a pulsed Gaussian beam under the weak-turbulence condition in both the near- and far-field regions is distinguished from that applicable in the strong-turbulence limit only by whether the turbulence-induced beam broadening can be thought of as negligible. Under both the near- and far-field conditions, the turbulence-induced increment of the mean-square temporal-pulse half-width is proportional to the effective anisotropy factor of turbulence. The MCF becomes statistically anisotropic due to the anisotropy of turbulence. For the spatial coherence radius of either a plane or spherical wave propagating along a horizontal line-of-sight path in anisotropic atmospheric turbulence, the corresponding small-scale solution is proportional to that for the plane-wave spatial-coherence radius in the isotropic-turbulence case with a proportionality coefficient depending only on the effective anisotropy factor of turbulence. The corresponding large-scale solution is proportional to that for the plane-wave spatial-coherence radius in the isotropic-turbulence case with a proportionality coefficient that depends on both the effective anisotropy factor and spectral index of turbulence.