Application of the Wigner distribution function to studying spectral changes of twisted anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model beams

By using the Wigner distribution function (WDF), a general closed-form expression for the spectrum of twisted anisotropic Gaussian Schell-model (AGSM) beams in passage through a first-order ABCD system is derived. The spectral changes of twisted AGSM beams propagating in free space and through a thin lens, and the spectral changes of conversional Gaussian-Schell model (GSM) beams are treated as special cases of our general expression. Our theoretical and numerical results show that the WDF provides a powerful and simple tool in analyzing propagation properties of general AGSM beams. Specifically, the spectral behavior of twisted AGSM beams and conventional GSM beams can be treated in a unified and analytical way.