Scattering of partially coherent Gaussian pulses from a random medium with semi-hard boundary

Abstract This article extends the scope of scattering theory by exploring the scattering of partially coherent pulses from a random media with semi-hard boundary. Applying the pulse scattering theory and the first-order Born approximation, we obtain the cross-spectral density (CSD) function, normalized scattered intensity, and degree of spectral coherence of the scattered optical field. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that, in the spatial domain, the spectral intensity of the scattered field depends solely on the transverse coherence length of the incident pulse and the correlation length of the medium; Additionally, the scattered spectral distribution would become more concentrated when lengthening the coherence time of both the incident pulse and the medium; In the temporal domain, the intensity of the scattered beam depends solely on the incident pulse width. It is also shown that the longer the incident pulse width, the broader the distribution range of the scattered beam. Furthermore, the only factor affecting the scattered spectral coherence is the coherence time of the incident pulse. The decay rate of coherence of the scattered optical field is slower when lengthening the coherence time of the incident pulse. These findings could have potential application in fields such as laser radar, non-destructive testing, biomedical imaging, and laser communication.