Overall second-order parametric characterization of light beams propagating through spiral phase elements

In terms of the spiral spectrum of the light beams, second-order irradiance moments of partially polarized, partially coherent beams are considered. We investigate the effects generated by spiral phase elements on the beam size, divergence and waist-plane position of the field. Attention is also focused on the beam quality parameter. These results are applied to several types of depleted-center (doughnut-shape) beams.