Polarization gating in ultrafast-optics imaging of skeletal muscle tissues

By comparing the results of polarization-dependent, time-resolved intensity profiles of photons transmitted through diluted milk, chicken breast tissue, and chopped chicken breast tissue, we found that the inherent anisotropic optical property of skeletal muscle tissue resulted in coherent coupling between two mutually perpendicular polarization directions. This coupling process led to difficulty in using the conventional polarization gating method for imaging unless the anisotropy characteristics were well understood. However, imaging based on polarization gating in diluted milk and chopped chicken breast tissue, which had an isotropic random-scattering nature, was quite effective.