Continuous vs. discrete fractional Fourier transforms (Q1298777)

The authors consider discrete finite versions of the fractional integral Fourier transform, namely a fractionalization of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and the fractional Fourier-Kravchuk transform [cf. \textit{N. M. Atakishiyev} and \textit{K. B. Wolf}, Fractional Fourier-Kravchuk transform, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 14, 1467-1477 (1997)]. They examine the harmonic oscillatory wavefunctions and their finite counterparts: \textit{M. L. Mehta's} basis functions [J. Math. Phys. 28, 781-785 (1987; Zbl 0621.15019)] and the Kravchuk functions. In particular, the authors follow the harmonic motions of coherent states within a finite discrete optical model of a shallow multimodal waveguide. In summary, they conjecture that propagation phenomena in multimodel waveguides are best discretized as Fourier-Kravchuk transforms.