Understanding Spectral Coherence w/ Radiation Sources

[pbeierle]

TL;DR

What is the relationship between spectral coherence with respect to a radiation source's mean wavelength and bandwidth? I have no idea how to estimate, given a particular radiation spectrum from a source, what it's spectral coherence is going to be.

What is the relationship between spectral coherence with respect to a radiation source's mean wavelength and bandwidth? I have no idea how to estimate, given a particular radiation spectrum from a source, what it's spectral coherence is going to be.

 

[Charles Link]

A couple simple calculations should get you there: $L_c=c \Delta t$, and $\Delta t=\frac{1}{\Delta f}$ (approximately). Since $f=\frac{c}{\lambda}$, $|\Delta f|=\frac{c}{\lambda^2}\Delta \lambda$. The result is $L_c=\frac{\lambda^2}{\Delta \lambda}$, so that $\Delta \lambda=\frac{\lambda^2}{L_c}$ if I got all of the algebra right. $\\$ See also http://electron6.phys.utk.edu/optics421/modules/m5/Coherence.htm Factors of 2 and $\pi$ are somewhat arbitrary here.