Experimental study on modulation of Stokes parameters on propagation of a Gaussian Schell model beam in free space.

The effect on the Stokes parameters of a Gaussian Schell model beam on propagation in free space is studied experimentally and results are matched with the theory [X. H. Zhao, et al. Opt. Express 17, 17888 (2009)] that in general the degree of polarization of a Gaussian Schell model beam doesn't change on propagation if the three spectral correlation widths δ xx, δ yy, δ xy are equal and the beam width parameters σ x =σ y. It is experimentally shown that all the four Stokes parameters at the center of the beam decrease on propagation while the magnitudes of the normalized Stokes parameters and the spectral degree of polarization at the center of the beam remain constant for different propagation distances.