The evolution of spectral intensity and orbital angular momentum of twisted Hermite Gaussian Schell model beams in turbulence.

We introduce a new class of twisted partially coherent beams with a non-uniform correlation structure. These beams, called twisted Hermite Gaussian Schell model (THGSM) beams, have a correlation structure related to Hermite functions and a twist factor in their degree of coherence. The spectral density and total average orbital angular momentum per photon of these beams strongly depend on the distortions applied to their degree of coherence. On propagation through free space, they exhibit both self-splitting and rotation of their spectral density profile, combining the interesting effects of twisted beams and non-uniformly correlated beams. We demonstrate that we can adjust both the beam order and the twist factor of THGSM beams to improve their resistance to turbulence.