Abstract
Rankine vortex characteristics of a partially coherent optical vortex are explored using classical and physical optics. Unlike a perfectly coherent vortex mode, the circulation is not quantized. Excess circulation is predicted owing to the wave nature of composite vortex fields. Based on these findings, we propose a vortex stellar interferometer.
- Received 29 June 2007
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.163901
©2007 American Physical Society
