SINGLE-PASS AND DOUBLE-PASS PROPAGATION THROUGH COMPLEX PARAXIAL OPTICAL-SYSTEMS

A generalized form of spectral representation theory is developed and used with the ABCD formulation of the Huygens-Fresnel integral for stu dying optical wave propagation through a random medium in the presence of any complex paraxial optical system that can be characterized by a n ABCD ray matrix. Formal expressions are developed for the basic opti cal field moments and various related second-order statistical quantit ies in terms of three fundamental moments of the first- and second-ord er complex phase perturbations. Special propagation environments inclu de line-of-sight propagation, single-pass propagation through arbitrar y ABCD optical systems, and double-pass propagation through the same r andom medium in the presence of an ABCD optical system. For illustrati ve purposes the method is used in the development of expressions for t he mean and the normalized variance of the irradiance associated with the Fourier-transform-plane geometry of a lens and the enhanced backsc atter effect (EBS) associated with irradiance and phase fluctuations o f a reflected Gaussian-beam wave from a Gaussian mirror. The EBS analy sis accounts for both finite size and finite focal length of the mirro r.