title: Single input state polarization sensitive swept source optical coherence tomography based on an all single mode fiber interferometer.
abstract: We present a newly developed single mode fiber based swept source polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography system using a single input state at 1040 nm. Two non-polarizing fiber based beam splitters are combined to form a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, while two polarizing beam splitters are used to obtain a polarization sensitive detection. Both types of beam splitters solely feature conventional single mode fibers. Polarization control paddles are used to set and maintain the polarization states in the fibers of the interferometer and detection unit. By use of a special paddle alignment scheme we are able to eliminate any bulk optic wave plates and polarization maintaining fibers in the interferometer and detection paths while preserving the advantages of a single input state system that illuminates the sample with circularly polarized light. To demonstrate the capabilities of our system, we performed retinal measurements on healthy human volunteers.
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 4L, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Trasischker
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 4L, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zotter
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 4L, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Torzicky
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 4L, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 4L, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haindl
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 4L, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pircher
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 4L, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hitzenberger
keywords: (060.2430) Fibers, single-mode; (170.0110) Imaging systems; (170.0170) Medical optics and biotechnology; (170.2655) Functional monitoring and imaging; (170.4470) Ophthalmology; (170.4500) Optical coherence tomography