Optical phase-space distributions for low-coherence light

Using a novel heterodyne technique, we measure optical phase-space distribu tions in momentum and position for low-coherence light. Quantitative inform ation is obtained simultaneously about the longitudinal and the transverse coherence properties as well as the wave-front curvature of the light field . This method can be used to monitor these optical parameters directly for signal fields scattered from samples of interest, for tomographic imaging. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.