Shortened effect of coherence length of light due to nonselective linear absorption

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates experimentally that the coherence length of a laser beam decreases with intensity when passing through a nonselective absorption filter, revealing a novel aspect of light's wavelet structure.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental verification of the discrete wavelet structure of light through coherence length behavior under absorption.

Findings

Coherence length decreases with intensity in the presence of nonselective absorption.

Experimental evidence supports the wavelet structure of light.

The phenomenon is observed using Michelson interference with a He-Ne laser.

Abstract

Coherence length is an important feature of a real light wave. From the Michelson interference of He-Ne laser beam, it is found that the coherence length of the beam decreases with the decrease of intensity when the laser beam passes through a nonselective absorption filter and the intensity becomes low enough. This is a novel experimental phenomenon in optics, which verifies the characteristic of discrete wavelet structure of light for the first time.