The state of the art of the Monte Carlo studies of randomly modulated optical waves in regular and randomly inhomogeneous nonlinear media is reviewed. A wide range of phenomena dealt with in nonlinear statistical optics are discussed, including self-phase noise pulse modulation, the self-action of partially coherent beams, the formation and instability of solitons, stimulated Raman scattering, intensive light beams in a turbulent atmosphere, and adaptive radiation focusing. Special attention is given to the justification of the phase screen model for a randomly inhomogeneous nonlinear continuum, and the numerical simulation of random light fields is discussed in detail.

PACS: 02.70.Lq DOI: 10.1070/PU1996v039n12ABEH000185 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/1996/12/c/ A1996WE26100003 Citation: Kandidov V P "Monte Carlo method in nonlinear statistical optics" Phys. Usp. 39 1243–1272 (1996) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Оригинал: Кандидов В П «Метод Монте-Карло в нелинейной статистической оптике» УФН 166 1309–1338 (1996); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0166.199612c.1309