Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography using multiple polarization sensitive semiconductor optical amplifiers

A method of implementing polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography, comprising:

• providing a broadband light signal;
• amplifying a first polarization state for a first portion of the broadband light using a first polarization sensitive semiconductor optical amplifier to output a first polarized optical signal having the first polarization state;
• and
• amplifying a second polarization state for a second portion of the broadband light using another polarization sensitive optical amplifier to output a second polarized optical signal having a second polarization state, the first and second polarization states being different.

A system for implementing polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography, comprising:

• a light apparatus comprising:
• a light source configured to provide broadband light;
• a first polarization sensitive semiconductor optical amplifier (PSSOA) to receive a portion of the broadband light and to output a first polarized optical signal having a first polarization state;
• and
• a second PS-SOA to receive another portion of the broadband light and to output a second polarized optical signal having a second polarization state, the first and second polarization states being different;
• an optical combiner to combine the first and second polarized optical signals to provide an aggregate polarized optical signal;
• an optical splitter configured to receive the aggregate polarized optical signal and provide a portion of the aggregate polarized optical signal to a reference arm and another portion of the aggregate polarized optical signal to a sample arm;
• an optical detector to receive signals from each of the reference arm and the sample arm and to provide at least one detector signal based on reflected signals from the reference arm and the sample arm;
• and
• a processor programmed to calculate at least one optical property for a sample associated with the sample arm based on the at least one detector signal.