Comb-spacing-swept Source Using Differential Polarization Delay Line for Interferometric 3-dimensional Imaging

We present a broad-bandwidth comb-spacing-swept source (CSWS) based on a differential polarization delay line (DPDL) for interferometric three-dimensional (3D) imaging. The comb spacing of the CSWS is repeatedly swept by the tunable DPDL in the multiwavelength source to provide depth-scanning optical coherence tomography (OCT). As the polarization differential delay of the DPDL is tuned from 5 to 15 ps, the comb spacing along the wavelength continuously varies from 1.6 to 0.53 nm, respectively. The wavelength range of various semiconductor optical amplifiers and the cavity feedback ratio of the tunable fiber coupler are experimentally selected to obtain optimal conditions for a broader 3-dB bandwidth of the multiwavelength spectrum and thus provide a higher axial resolution of $35{\mu}m$ in interferometric OCT imaging. The proposed CSWS-OCT has a simple imaging interferometer configuration without reference-path scanning and a simple imaging process without the complex Fourier transform. 3D surface images of a via-hole structure on a printed circuit board and the top surface of a coin were acquired.