Polarization-sensitive optical frequency domain imaging based on unpolarized light

Abstract

Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is an augmented form of OCT, providing 3D images of both tissue structure and polarization properties. We developed a new method of polarizationsensitive optical frequency domain imaging (PS-OFDI), which is based on a wavelength-swept source. In this method the sample was illuminated with unpolarized light, which was composed of two orthogonal polarization states (i.e., separated by 180° in the Poincaré sphere) that are uncorrelated to each other. Reflection of these polarization states from within the sample was detected simultaneously and independently using a frequency multiplexing scheme. This simultaneous sample probing with two polarization states enabled determination of the depth-resolved Jones matrices of the sample. Polarization properties of the sample were obtained by analyzing the sample Jones matrices through eigenvector decomposition. The new PS-OFDI system ran at 31K wavelength-scans/s with 3072 pixels per wavelength-scan, and was tested by imaging a polarizer and several birefringent tissues such as chicken muscle and human skin. Lastly the new PS-OFDI was applied to imaging two cancer animal models: a mouse model by injecting cancer cells and a hamster cheek pouch model. These animal model studies demonstrated the significant differences in tissue polarization properties between cancer and normal tissues in vivo. 90-91 (1989). 35. J. J. Salley, "Experimental carcinogenesis in the cheek pouch of the Syrian hamster," J. Dent. Res. 33(2), 253-262 (1954). 36. J. J. Gil, and E. Bernabeu, "Obtainment of the polarizing and retardation parameters of a non-depolarizing optical system from the polar decomposition of its Mueller matrix," Optik (Stuttg.) 76, 67-71 (1987). ©2011 Optical Society of America

Dermoscopy guided dark-field multi-functional optical coherence tomography

“…Dispersion mismatch between the reference and sample arms was numerically corrected by pre-calibration data of a mirror sample [37,38]. Polarization properties of the sample were obtained by Jones matrix-based analysis [39,40], and the accumulated phase retardation with depth was calculated and displayed. Angiographic OCT images were obtained by a complex differential variance technique [41].…”

Correlation between polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography and second harmonic generation microscopy in skin

“…PS-OCT is an augmented form of OCT and provides information of both structure and birefringence by measuring polarization as well as intensity of reflected light from within tissues [1][2][3]. Birefringence is an optical property indicating anisotropy of refractive index depending on polarization.…”

Experimental implementation of tightly focused beams with unpolarized transversal component at any plane

“…The objective of this paper is to develop a method for designing focused fields with a non-polarized transversal component at any plane in the focal area and a non-zero longitudinal component on axis. This kind of fields may be useful in tomography, plasmonics spectroscopy, or invisibility cloaking [29][30][31].…”