Broadband fourier-domain mode-locked lasers

Abstract

Broadband, high-speed wavelength-swept lasers can substantially enhance applications in optical coherence tomography, chemical spectroscopy, and fiber-optic sensing. We report the demonstration of Fourier-domain mode-lock lasers operating at about 90 kHz effective sweep rate over a 158 nm sweep range using a single-band design and over a 284 nm sweep range across the 1.3 μm to 1.5 μm wavelength spectrum using a unique broadband design. A novel dual-detection full-range Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography system is developed which provides 7 μm axial resolution (in air) at about 90 kHz axial scan rate for mirror-image resolved Doppler imaging in a human finger and an African frog tadpole. © The Authors(s) 2010.