Course Description This is an advanced course in which we explore the field of Statistical Optics. Topics covered include such subjects as the statistical properties of natural (thermal) and laser light, spatial and temporal coherence, effects of partial coherence on optical imaging instruments, effects on imaging due to randomly inhomogeneous media, and a statistical treatment of the detection of light. Development of this more comprehensive model of the behavior of light draws upon the use of tools traditionally available to the electrical engineer, such as linear system theory and the theory of stochastic processes.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/3/23094/01073023.pdf

Statistical optics

https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/1.3047693

Introduction to the Theory of Coherence and Polarization of Light

Polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) are pathologically activated neutrophils that are crucial for the regulation of immune responses in cancer. These cells contribute to the failure of cancer therapies and are associated with poor clinical outcomes. Despite recent advances in the understanding of PMN-MDSC biology, the mechanisms responsible for the pathological activation of neutrophils are not well defined, and this limits the selective targeting of these cells. Here we report that mouse and human PMN-MDSCs exclusively upregulate fatty acid transport protein 2 (FATP2). Overexpression of FATP2 in PMN-MDSCs was controlled by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, through the activation of the STAT5 transcription factor. Deletion of FATP2 abrogated the suppressive activity of PMN-MDSCs. The main mechanism of FATP2-mediated suppressive activity involved the uptake of arachidonic acid and the synthesis of prostaglandin E2. The selective pharmacological inhibition of FATP2 abrogated the activity of PMN-MDSCs and substantially delayed tumour progression. In combination with checkpoint inhibitors, FATP2 inhibition blocked tumour progression in mice. Thus, FATP2 mediates the acquisition of immunosuppressive activity by PMN-MDSCs and represents a target to inhibit the functions of PMN-MDSCs selectively and to improve the efficiency of cancer therapy.

/pdf/fatty-acid-transport-protein-2-reprograms-neutrophils-in-39oive2jf0.pdf

Fatty acid transport protein 2 reprograms neutrophils in cancer

Partially coherent beams with nonconventional correlation functions have displayed many extraordinary properties, such as self-focusing and self-splitting, which are totally different from those of partially coherent beams with conventional Gaussian correlated Schell-model functions and are useful in many applications, such as optical trapping, free-space optical communications, and material thermal processing. In this paper, we present a review of recent developments on generation and propagation of partially coherent beams with nonconventional correlation functions.

Generation and propagation of partially coherent beams with nonconventional correlation functions: a review [invited].

Partially coherent beams hold much promise in free-space optical communications for their resistance to the deleterious effects of atmospheric turbulence. We describe the basic theoretical and computational tools used to investigate these effects, and review the research to date.

Partially coherent beam propagation in atmospheric turbulence [invited].

Two classes of scalar, stochastic sources are introduced, each capable of producing far fields with intensities forming rings. Although the Bessel–Gaussian and the Laguerre–Gaussian Schell-model sources are described by two different math models, the behavior of their degrees of coherence and, hence, the shapes of their far fields are qualitatively similar. The new beams are of importance for optical methods of particle manipulation.

Random sources generating ring-shaped beams

We introduce a new class of partially coherent sources of Schell type with cosine-Gaussian spectral degree of coherence and confirm that such sources are physically genuine. Further, we derive the expression for the cross-spectral density function of a beam generated by the novel source propagating in free space and analyze the evolution of the spectral density and the spectral degree of coherence. It is shown that at sufficiently large distances from the source the degree of coherence of the propagating beam assumes Gaussian shape while the spectral density takes on the dark-hollow profile.

Cosine-Gaussian Schell-model sources.

A recently introduced class of scalar multi-Gaussian Schell-model (MGSM) beams is extended to the electromagnetic domain. The realizability conditions and the beam conditions for the parameters of the new source are established. The behavior of the polarization properties of the beam on propagation in free space and in first-order imaging systems is investigated. The formation of the uniform polarization state in the central part of the transverse beam cross-section is explored in detail.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2040-8978/15/2/025705/pdf

Electromagnetic multi-Gaussian Schell-model beams

The propagating modes of a wide-sense stationary Schell-like source with arbitrary coherence state and a twist factor are determined. This suggests a convenient practical method for modeling novel classes of twisted partially coherent beam-like fields. The first example discusses the previously introduced twisted anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model source and verifies the feasibility of this method. As a second example, we introduce a new type of twisted partially coherent beam in which a radiated flat-top average intensity pattern remains invariant in shape (but not size) while it twists around the axis upon propagation.

Random sources for rotating spectral densities.

We introduce a novel class of planar, quasi-homogeneous Schell-model source for producing far fields with optical lattice average intensity patterns and derive the corresponding beam conditions. The array dimension, lobes intensity profile, and periodicity of the optical lattice can be flexibly tuned by changing the correlation parameters of the source field. It is also found that, with an appropriate choice of the source parameters, the radiant intensity may possess flat-topped intensity patterns.

Zhangrong Mei

Papers

Random sources generating ring-shaped beams

Cosine-Gaussian Schell-model sources.

Electromagnetic multi-Gaussian Schell-model beams

Random sources for rotating spectral densities.

Gaussian Schell-model arrays.