Pancharatnam-Berry phase in polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography

We introduce a computer model for polarization-sensitive interference-based diagnostics of birefringent biological samples, focusing on a specific example, the lamella of the cornea in the eye. This diagnostic technique utilizes a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer with adjustable phase retardation for the linearly polarized reference wave, allowing separate observation of the orthogonal linearly polarized interference signals. By analyzing the mean (dynamic) and Pancharatnam-Berry phase of object field and its amplitude components, we can derive the information about medium properties, such as birefringence and optical axis orientation. The methodology outlined in the paper has the potential to be valuable in addressing a variety of structural characterization challenges in optically anisotropic biological tissues.