Angular spectrum representation for propagation of random electromagnetic beams in a turbulent atmosphere

The combination of an angular spectrum representation (in the space-frequency domain) and the second-order Rytov perturbation theory is applied for description of the second-order statistical properties of arbitrary (coherent and partially coherent) stochastic electromagnetic beamlike fields that propagate in a turbulent atmosphere. In particular, we derive the expressions for the elements of the cross-spectral density matrix of the beam, from which its spectral, coherence, and polarization properties can be found. We illustrate the method by applying it to the propagation of several electromagnetic model beams through the atmosphere. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.