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Optics Letters

Resolution improvement in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography based on classical intensity correlations

Tomohiro Shirai, Ari T. Friberg

Published Jan 7, 2013• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe a resolution-improved spectral-domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) based on classical intensity correlations as a counterpart of the recently proposed intensity-based time-domain OCT. Similarly to quantum OCT, the setup employs the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer at the output of the conventional SD-OCT. It is shown theoretically that a factor-of-√2 improvement in axial resolution is obtained with this arrangement. Some unique and useful features of our proposed system are addressed.

DOI
10.1364/ol.38.000115

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We describe a resolution-improved spectral-domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) based on classical intensity correlations as a counterpart of the recently proposed intensity-based time-domain OCT. Similarly to quantum OCT, the setup employs the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer at the output of the conventional SD-OCT. It is shown theoretically that a factor-of-√2 improvement in axial resolution is obtained with this arrangement. Some unique and useful features of our proposed system are addressed.
Quantum Optical Coherence Tomography (Q-OCT) presents many advantages over its classical counterpart, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): it provides an increased axial resolution and is immune to even orders of dispersion. The core of Q-OCT is quantum interference of negatively correlated entangled photon pairs obtained in a Hong-Ou-Mandel configuration. This two-photon interference can be observed in the time domain in the form of dips or in the Fourier domain by means of a joint spectrum. The latter approach proved to be practical in the sense that it alleviated the requirement posed on light in Q-OCT to exhibit strict negative correlations, since the negative correlations can be easily extracted in the Fourier domain as the main diagonal of the joint spectrum. In this work, we investigate the use of this spectral approach in which quantum interference is obtained with classical low-intensity light pulses. We report theoretical calculations and their experimental validation and show that although such classical light is much easier to launch into an experimental system, it offers limited benefits as compared to Q-OCT based on entangled light. We analyse the differences in the characteristics of the joint spectrum obtained with entangled photons and with classical light and explain the origins of these differences.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a 3D imaging technique that was introduced in 1991 [Science 254, 1178 (1991); Applied Optics 31, 919 (1992)]. Since 2018 there has been growing interest in a new type of OCT scheme based on the use of so-called nonlinear interferometers, interferometers that contain optical parametric amplifiers. Some of these OCT schemes are based on the idea of induced coherence [Physical Review A 97, 023824 (2018)], while others make use of an SU(1,1) interferometer [Quantum Science and Technology 3 025008 (2018)]. What are the differences and similarities between the output signals measured in standard OCT and in these new OCT schemes? Are there any differences between OCT schemes based on induced coherence and on an SU(1,1) interferometer? Differences can unveil potential advantages of OCT based on nonlinear interferometers when compared with conventional OCT schemes. Similarities might benefit the schemes based on nonlinear interferometers from the wealth of research and technology related to conventional OCT schemes. In all cases we will consider the scheme where the optical sectioning of the sample is obtained by measuring the output signal spectrum (spectral, or Fourier-domain OCT), since it shows better performance in terms of speed and sensitivity than its counterpart time-domain OCT.
Using spectrally correlated photon pairs instead of classical laser light and coincidence detection instead of light intensity detection, Quantum Optical Coherence Tomography (Q-OCT) outperforms classical OCT in several experimental terms. It provides twice better axial resolution with the same spectral bandwidth and it is immune to even-order chromatic dispersion, including Group Velocity Dispersion responsible for the bulk of axial resolution degradation in the OCT images. Q-OCT has been performed in the time domain configuration, where one line of the two-dimensional image is acquired by axially translating the mirror in the interferometer's reference arm and measuring the coincidence rate of photons arriving at two single-photon-sensitive detectors. Although successful at producing resolution-doubled and dispersion-cancelled images, it is still relatively slow and cannot compete with its classical counterpart. Here, we experimentally demonstrate Q-OCT in a much faster Fourier-domain configuration, theoretically proposed in 2020, where the reference mirror is fixed and the joint spectrum is acquired by inserting long fibre spools in front of the detectors. We propose two joint spectrum pre-processing algorithms, aimed at compensating resolution-degrading effects within the setup. While the first one targets fibre spool dispersion, an effect specific to this configuration, the other one removes the effects leading to the weakening of even-order dispersion cancellation, the latter impossible to be mitigated in the time-domain alternative. Being additionally contrasted with both the time-domain approach and the conventional OCT in terms of axial resolution, imaging range and multilayer-object imaging, Fourier-domain Q-OCT is shown to be a significant step forward towards a practical and competitive solution in the OCT arena.
Quantum optical coherence tomography (Q-OCT) presents many advantages over its classical counterpart, optical coherence tomography (OCT), provides an increased axial resolution, and is immune to even orders of dispersion. The core of Q-OCT is the quantum interference of negatively correlated entangled photon pairs which, in the Fourier domain, are observed by means of a joint spectrum measurement. In this work, we explore the use of a spectral approach in a novel configuration where classical light pulses are employed instead of entangled photons. The intensity of these light pulses is reduced to a single photon level. We report theoretical analysis along with its experimental validation to show that although such a classical light is much easier to launch into an experimental system, it offers limited benefits compared to Q-OCT based on the entangled light. We analyze the differences in the characteristics of the joint spectrum obtained with entangled photons and with classical optical pulses and point out to the differences' source: the lack of the advantage-bringing term in the signal.
Quantum optical coherence tomography (Q-OCT) is the non-classical counterpart of optical coherence tomography (OCT), a high-resolution 3D imaging technique based on white-light interferometry. Because Q-OCT uses a source of frequency-entangled photon pairs, not only is the axial resolution not affected by dispersion mismatch in the interferometer but is also inherently improved by a factor of two. Unfortunately, practical applications of Q-OCT are hindered by image-scrambling artefacts and slow acquisition times. Here, we present a theoretical analysis of a novel approach that is free of these problems: Fourier domain Q-OCT (Fd-Q-OCT). Based on a photon pair coincidence detection as in the standard Q-OCT configuration, it also discerns each photon pair by their wavelength. We show that all the information about the internal structures of the object is encoded in the joint spectrum and can be easily retrieved through Fourier transformation. No depth scanning is required, making our technique potentially faster than standard Q-OCT. Finally, we show that the data available in the joint spectrum enables artefact removal and discuss prospective algorithms for doing so.