The Wiener Khinchin Theorem for chaotic light

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the Wiener Khinchin theorem as it applies to chaotic light, specifically addressing the relationship between the Fourier transform of the electric field and the spectral power density. Participants are attempting to clarify the professor's expectations regarding the problem statement and the implications of the theorem.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are exploring the differences between the Fourier transform of a plane wave and its autocorrelation, questioning how these relate to the spectral power density. There is confusion about the professor's wording and the implications of the theorem.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants sharing insights and attempting to clarify misunderstandings. Some guidance has been offered regarding the comparison of Fourier transforms and autocorrelations, but no consensus has been reached on the interpretation of the problem.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of the need to consider additive noise in the context of the Fourier transform and autocorrelation, which may influence the interpretation of results. The original poster has expressed confusion about the problem's wording, indicating a potential gap in understanding the expectations.

Wminus
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Homework Statement



It's problem 4:[/B]
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Homework Equations



The Wiener Khinchin theorem gives that the normalized spectral power density (I assume this is what my professor means with "normalized spectral distribution function") is found from: $$F(\vec{r},\omega) = \frac{1}{2 \pi} \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} g^{(1)}(\vec{r},t) e^{i \omega \tau} d \tau$$ where $$g^{(1)}(\vec{r},t) = \frac{<E^*(\vec{r},t)E(\vec{r},t+\tau)>}{<E^*(\vec{r},t)E(\vec{r},t)>}$$.The <> brackets denote taking the mean of the electrical field ##E## over a period ##T##which is much larger than the coherence time.

The Attempt at a Solution


Problem 4:
Hey all. I'm a bit confused by the wording of this problem. What exactly is my professor asking for? The Wiener Khinchin theorem is BASED on using the Fourier transform of the E field to get to the spectral power density... But he is saying now that this Fourier transform and the W-K theorem give different results??
 
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Sorry was a bit unclear in the OP; the <> brackets denote taking means/autocorrelations of expressions that include the electrical field ##E##.
 
I think you might understand the issue if you compare the Fourier transform of a plane wave, which is a delta function, with the autocorrelation of a plane wave (i.e. sinc funtion).
 
Fred Wright said:
I think you might understand the issue if you compare the Fourier transform of a plane wave, which is a delta function, with the autocorrelation of a plane wave (i.e. sinc funtion).
What do you mean? The autocorrelation of a plane wave ## e^{i \omega t}## is another plane wave. $$<E^*(\vec{r},t) E(\vec{r},t+\tau)> = <e^{i \omega \tau}> = e^{i \omega \tau}$$
 
Dear Wminus,
I appologize for my nonsence. I think that if you consider a plane wave with additive noise, the Fourier transform will contain all the frequency components of the noise but the Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function will not.
 
Fred Wright said:
Dear Wminus,
I appologize for my nonsence. I think that if you consider a plane wave with additive noise, the Fourier transform will contain all the frequency components of the noise but the Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function will not.

No problem. And yeah I ended up using this kind of argument in my answer. I used the collision broadening of spectral lines as my example.
 

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