Signal-to-noise ratio of intensity interferometry experiments with highly asymmetric x-ray sources

摘要

We discuss the signal-to-noise ratio of an intensity interferometry experiment for a highly asymmetric x-ray source using different aperture shapes in front of the photodetectors. It is argued that, under ideal conditions using noiseless detectors and electronics, the use of slit-shaped apertures, whose widths are smaller but whose lengths are much greater than the transverse coherence widths of the beam in the corresponding directions, provides no signal-to-noise advantage over the use of pinhole apertures equal to or smaller than the coherence area. As with pinholes, the signal-to-noise ratio is determined solely by the count degeneracy parameter and the degree of coherence of the beam. This contrasts with the signal-to-noise ratio enhancement achievable using slit-shaped apertures with an asymmetric source in a Young's experiment.