Open AccessTransversal ultrahigh-resolution polarizationsensitive optical coherence tomography for strain mapping in materials
Author(s) -
Karin Wiesauer,
Michael Pircher,
Erich Goetzinger,
Christoph K. Hitzenberger,
Rainer Engelke,
Gisela Ahrens,
G. Gruetzner,
David Stifter
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.14.005945
Subject(s) - optical coherence tomography , materials science , birefringence , optics , microelectromechanical systems , image resolution , nondestructive testing , optoelectronics , physics , quantum mechanics
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and its extension, polarization-sensitive (PS-)OCT, are techniques for contactless and nondestructive imaging of internal structures. In this work, we apply PS-OCT for material characterization. We use a transversal scanning, ultra-high resolution (UHR-)PS-OCT setup providing cross-sectional as well as inplane information about the internal microstructure, the birefringence and the orientation of the optical axis within the material. We perform structural analysis and strain-mapping for different samples: we show the necessity of UHR imaging for a highly strained elastomer sample, and we discuss the effect of large birefringence on the PS-OCT images. Furthermore, we investigate high-aspect ratio photoresist moulds for the production of microelectromechanical parts (MEMS), demonstrating that transversal UHR-PSOCT is a promising tool for non-destructive strain-mapping.