Lensless imaging with partially coherent light

Based on the fourth-order correlation of light, lensless imaging with incoherent or partially coherent light is investigated theoretically by use of classical optical coherence theory. A novel lensless optical system for implementing imaging is proposed. The visibility and quality of the image are influenced by the coherence and transverse size of the light source. The results suggest useful imaging applications in x-ray, gamma-ray, or other wavelengths where no effective lens is available, and they have potential applications in optical metrology and holography.