Open AccessNormalization detection scheme for high-speed optical frequency-domain imaging and reflectometry
Author(s) -
Seong Mi Moon,
Dug Young Kim
Publication year - 2007
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.15.015129
Subject(s) - optics , supercontinuum , optical coherence tomography , reflectometry , dynamic range , physics , noise (video) , frequency domain , signal to noise ratio (imaging) , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , time domain , computer science , optical fiber , artificial intelligence , quantum mechanics , image (mathematics) , computer vision , photonic crystal fiber
We introduce a new signal detection method that can effectively suppress the effect of relative intensity noise (RIN) in optical frequency-domain reflectometry or imaging (OFDR/OFDI) schemes to enhance the sensitivity and dynamic range. In this method, spectral interferogram signal is normalized digitally by a spectral reference signal that contains the real-time spectrum and the RIN information of the frequency-swept source. Unlike the conventional balanced detection method that suppresses only additive intensity noises, we found that our proposed scheme removes both the additive and convolutional contributions of the RINs in the final interferogram signals. Experimental demonstrations were performed using a stretched-pulse optical coherence tomography (SP-OCT) system where the high RIN of a supercontinuum source had been a serious drawback. We have experimentally verified the superiority of our proposed scheme in terms of its improved dynamic range in comparison to the balanced detection method. In addition, we have shown that the noise suppression performance is immune to the spectral imbalance characteristics of the optical components used in the system, whereas the common-mode noise rejection of the conventional balanced detection method is influenced by them.