Degree of polarization (uniformity) and depolarization index: unambiguous depolarization contrast for optical coherence tomography

The degree of polarization (uniformity) has attracted increased interest as a functional contrast in optical coherence tomography (OCT). However, its computation from a single polarization state suggests an ambiguity that is strongly dependent on a sample's orientation. We here propose an improved metric to present depolarization with respect to the optical system rather than the propagating field. Using numerical simulations and optical frequency domain imaging, we evaluate the conventional DOP(U) for different polarization states and compare its performance with the unambiguous depolarization index.