Axial superresolution in optical coherence tomography (OCT) by a three-zone annular phase filter is demonstrated. In the proposed probe of a spectral domain OCT system, the width of the central lobe of the axial intensity point spread function is apodized by the filter to be within the coherence gate determined by the light source, while its sidelobes are lying outside the coherence gate without contributing to the coherence imaging. By measurement of the depth response of the OCT system before and after inserting the filter, an improvement of about 20% in axial resolution is confirmed. OCT imaging on biological sample of orange fresh is also conducted, demonstrating increased depth discrimination without the negative contribution from sidelobes realized by the phase filter in combination with the coherence gate intrinsic to OCT. It comes to a conclusion that we can obtain axial superresolution by filter in OCT system without the degrading influence of large sidelobes.

光学相干层析成像(光学相干层析成像术)的轴向分辨力由光源带宽和探测光束的聚焦条件共同决定。提高光学相干层析成像术轴向分辨力的方法主要基于带宽光源技术。提出了一种将变迹术与光学相干层析成像术相干门有机结合的方法来提高其轴向分辨力。通过适当形式的光瞳滤波器,使光学相干层析成像术系统轴向响应的主瓣宽度缩小到相干门之内,而其旁瓣则处于相干门之外,不对相干成像产生有效贡献。这样,就能在光源带宽不变的条件下,有效提高光学相干层析成像术的轴向分辨力,避免了采用宽带光源所带来的费用昂贵和系统复杂等缺陷。