The purpose of the special issue is to provide a discussion of novel approaches and advances connected with optical correlation techniques for measurements of random optical fields and object diagnostics in diverse applications. Optical correlation techniques (including regular and polarization interferometry, interference/diffraction microscopy, specklometry, holographic correlometry, fractal optics, and measurement of optical chaos and optical singularities, including polarization singularities) constitute promising and quickly developing areas of optical information technology. Such techniques serve for solving diverse applied problems ranging from industrial quality control to modern telecommunications and life sciences, biomedical optics. This special issue will offer a unique possibility to highlight novel concepts and developments related to the optical correlation data processing and to discuss recent progress in its applications on them.

The topics to be covered include, but are not limited to:

• Informative content of statistical optical fields, including optical chaos and singular optics, polarization optics, and coherence
• Optical correlation devices based on diffractive optical elements, including optical and digital holography, fractal optics, optical sensors
• Optical correlation diagnostics, interferometry and microscopy of rough surfaces, and random media
• New applications of correlation and singular optics in biology and medicine

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aot/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: