Wavelength tunable broadband source based on Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser applicable to FD-OCT system

Abstract

A novel wavelength swept broadband source based on an ultrashort pulse laser and an external tunable filter was proposed for application of frequency domain-optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). The laser beam coupled into the single mode fiber, which provided 0.5-nm instantaneous spectral linewidth with 1-mW average output power, was tuned from 740 nm to 850 at a 1 kHz repetition rate. The system with an axial resolution of 5 µm performed OCT imaging of air-gap between glass plates proving potential about the application of pulse laser source to FD-OCT system. The proposed swept source scheme could be applied for the implementation of ultra-high resolution FD-OCT system based on a supercontinuum source with an ultra-short pulse laser and a high nonlinear optical fiber.

Narrowband wavelength selective detector applicable SD-OCT based on Fabry-Perot tunable filter and balanced photoreceiver

“…Also, this method will reduce the inter symbol interference from side-lobes after a Fourier transform process to get OCT image. We have previously reported similar effect by using a Ti:Sapphire fs laser and an external tunable filter 13 . The dithering phenomena of the longitudinal lasing mode can be occurred from unstable lasing mode.…”