Mid-infrared OCT imaging in highly scattering samples using real-time upconversion of broadband supercontinuum covering from 3.6-4.6 μm

We present a mid-infrared spectral-domain optical coherence tomography system operating at 4.1 μm central wavelength with a high axial resolution of 8.6 μm enabled by more than 1 μm bandwidth from 3.58-4.63 μm produced by a mid-infrared supercontinuum laser. The system produces 2D cross-sectional images in real-time enabled the high-brightness of the supercontinuum source in combination with broadband upconversion of the signal to the range 820-865 nm, where a standard 800 nm array spectrometer can be used for fast detection. We discuss the potential applications within nondestructive testing in highly scattering materials and within biomedical imaging for achieving the in-vivo optical biopsy.