Open AccessMeasurement and imaging of birefringence and optic axis orientation by phase resolved polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography
Author(s) -
Christoph K. Hitzenberger,
Erich Goetzinger,
Markus Sticker,
Michael Pircher,
Adolf Friedrich Fercher
Publication year - 2001
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.9.000780
Subject(s) - birefringence , optics , optical coherence tomography , polarization (electrochemistry) , optical axis , orthogonal polarization spectral imaging , orientation (vector space) , materials science , physics , laser , chemistry , geometry , mathematics , lens (geology)
We present an improved method of polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography that enables measurement and imaging of backscattered intensity, birefringence, and fast optic axis orientation simultaneously with only one single A-scan per transverse measurement location. While intensity and birefringence data are obtained in a conventional way, the optic axis orientation is determined from the phase difference recorded in two orthogonal polarization channels. We report on accuracy and precision of the method by measuring birefringence and optic axis orientation of well defined polarization states in a technical object and present maps of birefringence and, what we believe for the first time, of optic axis orientation in biological tissue.