OCT Swept Laser with Cavity Length Compensation

摘要

An optical coherence tomography system utilizes an optical swept laser that has cavity length compensator that changes an optical length of the laser cavity for different optical frequencies to increase the length of the laser cavity for lower optical frequencies. Specifically, a spectral separation between longitudinal cavity modes of the laser cavity is shortened or alternatively lengthened as a passband of a cavity tuning element sweeps through a scanband of the swept optical signal. In some examples, the compensator is implemented as two gratings. In others, it is implemented as a chirped grating device.

主权项

1. An optical coherence tomography system, comprising:
an interferometer that combines a swept optical signal from a sample and from a reference path to generate an interference signal; a swept laser that generates the swept optical signal, the swept laser comprising a laser cavity and a cavity length compensator that changes an optical length of the laser cavity for different optical frequencies; and a detection system that detects the interference signal.