Spatial periodicity in coherent and incoherent speckle patterns

Mechanisms of propagation of wave fields produced by spatially periodic bou ndary conditions in the form of a periodic complex amplitude distribution i n the boundary plane (in the case of coherent light fields) or a periodic i ntensity distribution tin the case of incoherent or diffuse-coherent fields referred to as speckle fields are discussed. A concise review of known res ults is given and new possibilities of application of spatially incoherent light fields to studying structures with phase inhomogeneity are considered .