Interplay of helical and linear phase correlations in the orbital angular momentum flux dynamics

Abstract The orbital angular momentum (OAM) flux density of a partially coherent vortex (PCV) beam with the source’s linear phase of the complex degree of coherence is investigated for the first time on propagation in free space. It is shown that such a beam exhibits symmetry breaking (tilting) in its transverse OAM flux density at small propagation distances. However, after propagation at larger distances, the OAM flux density gradually recovers its symmetric structure, hence manifesting the self-healing phenomenon.The stability of the OAM flux density on propagation illustrates the interplay between linear phase correlation and the helical phase correlation in random light.