This monograph examines selected applications of the optical correlation approaches and techniques in diverse problems of modern optics. These problems include linear singular optics of monochromatic, fully spatially coherent light fields; phase singularities in polychromatic (white-light) optical fields; optical correlation techniques for diagnostics of rough surfaces; and Mueller-matrix images of biological tissues and their statistical and fractal structures

2. Optical correlation diagnostics of phase singularities in polychromatic fields / P.V. Polyanskii: 2.1. Introduction -- 2.2. Manifestations of phase singularities on the strength of scattering in white light -- 2.3. Phase singularities in polychromatic Laguerre-Gaussian modes-- (rainbow vortices) and the Young's diagnostics of them -- 2.4. Optical correlation diagnostics of phase singularities in polychromatic speckle fields -- References

3. Optical correlation approaches in rough surface characterization / O.V. Angelsky and P.P. Maksimyak: 3.1. Introduction -- 3.2. Random surfaces -- 3.3. Fractal surfaces -- 3.4. Interferometric study of phase singularities in a field scattered by rough surfaces -- 3.5. Conclusions -- References

4. Statistical and fractal structure of biological tissue Mueller matrix images / O.V. Angelsky, V.P. Pishak, A.G. Ushenko and Yu.A. Ushenko: 4.1. Techniques for diagnostics of phase-inhomogeneous layer structure -- 4.2. Stokes parametric description of light polarization -- 4.3. Statistical analysis of biological tissue polarization properties -- 4.4. Self-similarity degree of biological tissue polarization properties -- 4.5. Mueller matrix method in diagnostics of pathological changes of biological tissue -- 4.6. First- through fourth-order statistics of biological tissue Mueller matrix images -- 4.7. Diagnostic possibilities of statistic analysis of biological tissue Mueller matrix images -- 4.8. Self-similar (fractal) 2D Mueller matrix structure of biological tissue -- 4.9. Reconstruction of the orientation structure of biological tissue birefringent architectonics using their Mueller matrix images -- 4.10. Summary -- References -- Index

Preface -- 1. Introduction to linear singular optics / I.I. Mokhun: 1.1. Introduction -- 1.2. Basics of scalar singular optics -- 1.3. Vortices and the phase structure of a scalar field -- 1.4. Singularities of a vector field -- 1.5. Singularities of the Poynting vector and the structure of optical fields -- Appendix A. Wavefront approximation -- Appendix B. Fourier image of isotropic vortex -- Appendix C. Poynting vector: the paraxial approximation -- References