Lensless Ghost Diffraction with Partially Coherent Sources: Effects of the Source Size, Transverse Coherence, Detector Size and Defocusing Length

Lensless ghost diffraction with partially coherent sources is investigated theoretically and numerically. Based on the classical optical coherent theory and the Gauss–Shell model of the partially coherent sources, we derive an analytical imaging formula of lensless ghost diffraction (LGD). Using this formula, we can see the effects of the transverse size and coherence of the sources, the detector size and defocusing length on the quality of LGD. Numerical results are presented to show that for different detector sizes and defocusing lengths, high quality LGD can be realized by using sources with appropriate transverse sizes and coherent widths. These findings can be used to choose the optimal parameters in the design of a realistic LGD system.