Apparatus, systems and methods for detecting light

An apparatus comprising:

• a double path interferometer comprising a sample path for an object and a reference path;
• a source of linearly polarized light for the double path interferometer;
• a phase plate positioned in the sample path;
• a beam splitter configured to superpose the sample path and reference path to create a beam of light for detection;
• one or more modulators configured to spatially modulate the beam of light to produce a modulated beam of light;
• one or more disperser elements configured to disperse the modulated beam of light to produce a spatially modulated and dispersed beam of light;
• a first detector;
• a second detector;
• another beam splitter configured to split the spatially modulated and dispersed beam of light, wherein light of a first linear polarization is directed to the first detector and light of a second linear polarization, orthogonal to the first linear polarization, is directed to the second detector;
• and
• a processor or controller configured to modify a measurement from the first detector by subtracting both a re-scaled version of a measurement from the second detector and a system dependent correction.

An optical coherence tomography apparatus comprising:

• a double path interferometer comprising a sample path for an object and a reference path;
• a source of linearly polarized light for the double path interferometer;
• a phase plate positioned in the sample path;
• a beam splitter configured to superpose the sample path and reference path to create a beam of light for detection;
• a first detector;
• a second detector;
• and
• another beam splitter configured to split the beam of light for detection, wherein light of a first linear polarization is directed to the first detector and light of a second linear polarization, orthogonal to the first linear polarization, is directed to the second detector;
• and
• a processor or controller configured to modify a measurement from the first detector by subtracting both a re-scaled version of a measurement from the second detector and a system dependent correction.