Open AccessExtended bandwidth wavelength swept laser source for high resolution optical frequency domain imaging
Author(s) -
Sahar Hosseinzadeh Kassani,
Martin Villiger,
Néstor Uribe-Patarroyo,
Changsu Jun,
Reza Khazaeinezhad,
Norman Lippok,
Brett E. Bouma
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.25.008255
Subject(s) - optics , wavelength , laser , materials science , bandwidth (computing) , fiber laser , free spectral range , semiconductor laser theory , speckle pattern , optical amplifier , optoelectronics , physics , telecommunications , computer science
Improving the axial resolution by providing wider bandwidth wavelength swept lasers remains an important issue for optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI). Here, we demonstrate a wide tuning range, all-fiber wavelength swept laser at a center wavelength of 1250 nm by combining two ring cavities that share a single Fabry-Perot tunable filter. The two cavities contain semiconductor optical amplifiers with central wavelengths of 1190 nm and 1292 nm, respectively. To avoid disturbing interference effects in the overlapping spectral region, we modulated the amplifiers in order to obtain consecutive wavelength sweeps in the two spectral regions. The two sweeps were fused together in post-processing to achieve a total scanning range of 223 nm, corresponding to 3.3 µm axial resolution in air. We confirm improved image quality and reduced speckle size in tomograms of swine esophagus ex vivo, and human skin and nailbed in vivo.