Superposition scheme for J/sub 0/-correlated partially coherent sources

A simple model, based on incoherent superpositions of suitably shifted and tilted lowest order Gaussian beams, is used to describe J/sub 0/-correlated partially coherent sources, whose intensity profile is Gaussian. Such a model also provides a generalization of the J/sub 0/-correlated source and turns out to be effective in completely characterizing the propagation features of the radiated beam, such as its propagated optical intensity. The closed-form expression for the M/sup 2/ quality factor is also given, together with a possible experimental setup for the synthesis of such sources.