Sub-second A-scan Acquisition Using Marginal Spectral-Domain Quantum Optical Coherence Tomography

TL;DR

This paper presents a high-speed spectral-domain quantum optical coherence tomography system capable of acquiring A-scans in under 100 milliseconds without mechanical scanning, advancing biomedical imaging capabilities.

Contribution

The authors develop an optimized SD-QOCT setup with integrated components that enables rapid, sub-second A-scan acquisition, a significant improvement over previous methods.

Findings

Achieved 100 ms A-scan acquisition time

Demonstrated deep tissue penetration of 4 mm

Confirmed system performance aligns with theoretical models

Abstract

We report an optimized implementation of spectral-domain quantum optical coherence tomography (SD-QOCT) capable of acquiring axial scans (A-scans) of multilayer samples without in the absence of mechanical scanning, at an unprecedented speed. We demonstrate a proof-of-concept system that integrates a diffraction grating, a high-resolution intensified CCD camera, and a high-flux photon-pair source operating in the VIS-NIR region (810 nm). This configuration enables the acquisition of an entire marginal SD-QOCT interferogram in a single camera exposure, yielding a transverse A-scan with a record acquisition time of 100 ms and a penetration depth of 4 mm. The measured interferometric response shows excellent agreement with the theoretical model. These results represent a decisive step toward the practical deployment of SD-QOCT as a competitive imaging modality for biomedical applications.