Double Interferometer Design for Independent Wavefront Manipulation in Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Area of Science:

• Optical Imaging
• Biomedical Optics
• Metrology

Background:

• Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) enables 3D imaging in scattering media.
• Structured illumination and beam shaping enhance SD-OCT performance, improving signal-to-noise ratio and penetration depth in biological tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a compact and easily implementable design for independent wavefront manipulation and beam shaping in interferometric OCT systems.
• To integrate this design into existing free-space SD-OCT systems by modifying only the source arm.

Main Methods:

• A single spatial light modulator is used for independent wavefront control in both reference and sample arms.
• Analytical and numerical analyses were performed to validate the design.
• Experimental data were collected to confirm theoretical predictions.

Main Results:

• The proposed system allows for independent wavefront manipulation and beam shaping.
• Experimental validation confirmed the theoretical analysis.
• The system demonstrated utility in wavefront sensorless adaptive optics and iterative optical wavefront shaping for OCT signal enhancement.

Conclusions:

• The developed system is highly versatile for applications requiring independent phase or wavefront control.
• It effectively enhances OCT signal in strongly scattering media.
• The design offers a practical solution for improving OCT imaging capabilities.