Handbook of Biomedical Optics

622 Handbook of Biomedical Optics

to a situation where the coherence properties of a beam B can be

analyzed by the mutual coherence properties of beams B

1

and B

2

resulting from the division of B.

For beams presenting a high or, more generally, signicant

degree of mutual coherence, the superposition of beams, or

wave elds, here called B

1

and B

2

, having any, but some degree

of coherence, i.e., nonvanishing mutual coherence terms, can

be exploited to restore the wave front emitted by the object and

therefore provide, aer reconstruction, an indirect 3D image

of the object. e sketches of Figure 29.2 illustrate schematically

the principle of wave-front reconstruction from the detection of

interfering beams.

e excitation beam E emit