Abstract Abstract It is shown that the cross-spectral density at a plane in the Fresnel—Fraunhofer domain can be expressed as a certain diffraction pattern, which is generated by the superposition of second-order spatial coherence wavelets that emerge from the aperture. The amplitude of each coherence wavelet exhibits units of power density (average energy) and the power spectrum at the far zone plane will be the summation of the amplitudes of such wavelets. Thus, the spatial coherence wavelet constitutes a vehicle for both correlation and energy transport in free space. Some simulation results are discussed to illustrate these ideas.