Polarization properties of polarized and partially coherent Electromagnetic Gaussian-Schell model pulse beams on slant path in turbulent atmosphere

•The polarized spatially and spectrally partially coherent pulse beam propagates through turbulence in slant path is analyzed.•The expression for the electromagnetic cross-spectral density matrix elements is derived.•The expression for the degree of cross-polarization is also derived.•The effects of the relative parameters on the polarization properties of the fully polarized beam are discussed.•A comparison of the effects of those factors on the partially polarization beams is made.

This paper is based on the unified theory of coherence and polarization of stochastic electromagnetic beams and the extended Huygens–Fresnel principle, combined with the quadratic approximation of Rytov’s phase structure function and the generalized Stokes parameters. We have derived the novel expressions for the cross-spectral density matrix elements and the degree of cross-polarization of a class of elliptically polarized spatially and spectrally partially coherent Electromagnetic Gaussian-Schell model pulse (EGSMP) beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence along a slant path. Additionally, we calculate and analyze the effects of the turbulent intensity, the initial pulse duration, waist width of the beam, the spatial coherence length and temporal coherence length et al. on the polarization properties of fully polarized and partially coherent EGSMP beams. Finally, a comparison of the impact of those factors on the partially polarization beams is made. The results show that the influences of the turbulent intensity, the initial pulse duration, waist width of the beam, the spatial coherence length and temporal coherence length et al. on the polarization properties of fully polarized and partially coherent EGSMP beams are larger. While the effects of those parameters on the partially polarization and partially coherent EGSMP beams are smaller. It is noted that the results of this paper have established sound theoretical basis on the topic of improving performance of the laser system propagating through the atmospheric turbulence.