Algorithms for simulation of speckle (laser and otherwise)

The speckle phenomenon is observed in any coherent imaging modality such as synthetic aperture radar, optical coherence tomography, ultrasound, or any number of measurement schemes involving laser illumination. Quantitative interpretation of the data from such measurement schemes (whether imaging or non-imaging) often hinges on accurate knowledge of the statistical behavior of the speckle phenomenon. To complement experimental measurements, researchers often turn to computer simulation of the phenomenon of interest. Over the years we have developed a variety of algorithms for simulating objective and subjective speckle for static and dynamic object fields. In this paper we detail the implementation of these algorithms and illustrate their use in a range of applications that include Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI), Laser Speckle Imaging (LSI), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), etc.