All-fiber ring-cavity based frequency swept laser source for frequency domain OCT  

作　　者：陈明惠 丁志华 徐磊 吴彤 王川 史国华 张雨东 

机构地区：[1]State Key Lab of Modern Optical Instrumentation,Zhejiang University [2]Institute of Optics and Electronics,Chinese Academy of Sciences

出　　处：《Chinese Optics Letters》2010年第2期202-205,共4页中国光学快报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2006AA02Z4E0 and 2008AA02Z422);the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.60878057 and 60478040).

摘　　要：We develop a high-speed tunable, quasi-continuous-wave laser source for frequency domain （FD） optical coherence tomography （OCT）. The laser resonance is realized within a unidirectional all-fiber ring cavity consisting of a fiber coupler, two fiber isolators, a semiconductor optical amplifier （SOA）, and a fiber Fabry- Perot tunable filter （FFP-TF） for frequency tuning. Light output from the coupler is further amplified and spectral shaped by a booster SOA terminated at both ends with two isolators. The developed laser source provides up to 8000 sweeps per second over a full-width wavelength tuning range of 120 nm at center wavelength of 1320 nm with an average power of 9 mW, yielding an axial resolution of 13.6μm in air and a maximum sensitivity of about 112 dB for OCT imaging. The instantaneous linewidth is about 0.08 nm, enabling OCT imaging over an axial range of 3.4 mm in air. For optimization consideration based on this custom-built swept laser, experimental study on imaging quality relevant parameters of the swept laser with sine and ramp driving waveforms to the FFP-TF is conducted, and investigation of the swept laser on the cavity length is done. Implementing the laser source in our established swept source based OCT （SS-OCT） system, real-time structural imaging of biological tissue is demonstrated.We develop a high-speed tunable, quasi-continuous-wave laser source for frequency domain （FD） optical coherence tomography （OCT）. The laser resonance is realized within a unidirectional all-fiber ring cavity consisting of a fiber coupler, two fiber isolators, a semiconductor optical amplifier （SOA）, and a fiber Fabry- Perot tunable filter （FFP-TF） for frequency tuning. Light output from the coupler is further amplified and spectral shaped by a booster SOA terminated at both ends with two isolators. The developed laser source provides up to 8000 sweeps per second over a full-width wavelength tuning range of 120 nm at center wavelength of 1320 nm with an average power of 9 mW, yielding an axial resolution of 13.6μm in air and a maximum sensitivity of about 112 dB for OCT imaging. The instantaneous linewidth is about 0.08 nm, enabling OCT imaging over an axial range of 3.4 mm in air. For optimization consideration based on this custom-built swept laser, experimental study on imaging quality relevant parameters of the swept laser with sine and ramp driving waveforms to the FFP-TF is conducted, and investigation of the swept laser on the cavity length is done. Implementing the laser source in our established swept source based OCT （SS-OCT） system, real-time structural imaging of biological tissue is demonstrated.

关 键 词：Coherent light Fiber optics Fibers Frequency domain analysis Light amplifiers Optoelectronic devices TOMOGRAPHY Tuning 

分 类 号：TN248[电子电信—物理电子学] P631.322[天文地球—地质矿产勘探]