Optical coherence tomography using a tapered single mode fiber tip

We report the use of a chemically etched tapered single mode fiber tip for enhancing lateral resolution in optical coherence tomography (OCT). The important advantage of this approach is that high lateral resolution is achieved, without compromising the depth of imaging, as is the case with the use of high numerical aperture objectives. Use of the tapered tip in the sample arm of a single mode fiber based set-up allowed visualization of intracellular structures of Elodea densa plant leaf that could not be seen by the conventional OCT.