Rapid and scalable scans at 21  m/s in optical low-coherence reflectometry

Abstract

An optical low-coherence reflectometer is presented that uses a fiber Michelson interferometer with a rotating cube to generate rapid depth scans at a high repetition rate. A folded optical path geometry allows the reference arm to scale up the scan range, scan speed, and scan repetitiveness. Thickness measurements with a repetitiveness of 384  Hz and a longitudinal scanning speed of 21  m/s in air over a range of $\sim 3$  mm are demonstrated.

© 1997 Optical Society of America

Video-rate optical low-coherence reflectometry based on a linear smart detector array

S. Bourquin, V. Monterosso, P. Seitz, and R. P. Salathé
Opt. Lett. 25(2) 102-104 (2000)

Integrated-optic variable delay line and its application to a low-coherence reflectometer

K. Takiguchi, M. Itoh, and H. Takahashi
Opt. Lett. 30(20) 2739-2741 (2005)

Rotary mirror array for high-speed optical coherence tomography

Nan Guang Chen and Quing Zhu
Opt. Lett. 27(8) 607-609 (2002)

Rapid scanning all-reflective optical delay line for real-time optical coherence tomography

Xiumei Liu, Michael J. Cobb, and Xingde Li
Opt. Lett. 29(1) 80-82 (2004)

Polarization-maintaining fiber-based optical low-coherence reflectometer for characterization and ranging of birefringence

Digant P. Davé, Taner Akkin, and Thomas E. Milner
Opt. Lett. 28(19) 1775-1777 (2003)