Amplified Dispersive Optical Tomography

摘要: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has proven to be a powerful technique for studying tissue morphology in ophthalmology, cardiology, and endomicroscopy. Its performance is limited by the fundamental trade-off between imaging sensitivity acquisition speed -- predicament common virtually all systems. In this paper, we circumvent limit using distributed Raman post-amplification of reflection from sample. We combine amplification with simultaneously performed dispersive Fourier transformation, process that maps optical spectrum into an easily measured time-domain waveform. The enables measurement weak signals which are otherwise buried noise. It extends depth range without sacrificing or causing damage As proof concept, single-shot 15 dB improvement at axial scan rate 36.6 MHz demonstrated.