Measuring spatial coherence by using a mask with multiple apertures

A simple method to measure the complex degree of spatial coherence of a partially coherent quasi-monochromatic light field is presented. The Fourier spectrum of the far-field interferogram generated by a mask with multiple apertures (small circular holes) is analyzed in terms of classes of aperture pairs. A class of aperture pairs is defined as the set of aperture pairs with the same separation vector. The height of the peaks in the magnitude spectrum determines the modulus of the complex degree of spatial coherence and the corresponding value in the phase spectrum determines the phase of the complex degree of spatial coherence. The method is illustrated with experimental results.