Single-camera polarization-sensitive spectral-domain OCT by spatial frequency encoding

We present a polarization-sensitive spectral-domain optical-coherence-tomography system that is capable of retrieving, with a single camera, both retardation and optical axis orientation. The method is based on a differentiation between orthogonal polarization channels through spatial modulation introduced by an electro-optic modulator. Proof-of-principle measurements using a wave plate as a sample are provided, and results of the method for in vivo imaging of the birefringent structures within the human nail fold are presented. Furthermore, we demonstrate the capability of such systems to perform ultra-high-speed polarization-sensitive imaging at 100.000 A-scans/s.