Cross-Polarization Optical Coherence Tomography with Active Maintenance of the Circular Polarization of a Sounding Wave in a Common Path System

• Published in: Radiophysics and quantum electronics Vol. 60; no. 11; pp. 897 - 911
• Main Authors: Gelikonov, V. M., Romashov, V. N., Shabanov, D. V., Ksenofontov, S. Yu, Terpelov, D. A., Shilyagin, P. A., Gelikonov, G. V., Vitkin, I. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-04-2018; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Astronomy; Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Circular polarization; Dependence; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Lasers; Maintenance; Mathematical and Computational Physics; Nuclear Physics; Observations and Techniques; Optical Coherence Tomography; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Optics; Scattering coefficients; Sounding; Theoretical; Tomography; Wave plates
• ISSN: 0033-8443; 1573-9120
• DOI: 10.1007/s11141-018-9856-9

We consider a cross-polarization optical coherence tomography system with a common path for the sounding and reference waves and active maintenance of the circular polarization of a sounding wave. The system is based on the formation of birefringent characteristics of the total optical path, which are equivalent to a quarter-wave plate with a 45° orientation of its optical axes with respect to the linearly polarized reference wave. Conditions under which any light-polarization state can be obtained using a two-element phase controller are obtained. The dependence of the local cross-scattering coefficient of light in a model medium and biological tissue on the sounding-wave polarization state is demonstrated. The necessity of active maintenance of the circular polarization of a sounding wave in this common path system (including a flexible probe) is shown to realize uniform optimal conditions for cross-polarization studies of biological tissue.