We describe the second-order coherence functions of supercontinuum (SC) in terms of elementary fields that can be obtained from measurable average quantities. The representation is based on the partition of the second-order correlation functions of SC into quasi-coherent and quasi-stationary contributions. Numerical simulations of statistical ensembles of SC pulses with different coherence properties are used to illustrate the elementary field model. Comparison with the SC coherent-mode expansion is presented, and we also simulate the propagation of the elementary fields in a dispersive fiber to demonstrate the benefits of the model.
QC 20130125