Optical coherence tomography apparatus using optical-waveguide structure which reduces pulse width of low-coherence light

An optical coherence tomography apparatus comprising:

• a light source which emits low-coherence light;
• an optical splitting unit which splits said low-coherence light into signal light having a first frequency and first reference light having a second frequency;
• a frequency shifting unit which shifts at least one of said first and second frequencies so that a predetermined frequency difference is produced between the first and second frequencies;
• an irradiating unit which irradiates an object with said signal light;
• an optical multiplexing unit which optically multiplexes said reference light and a portion of said signal light which is reflected from a predetermined depth in said object, so as to produce interference light;
• and
• an image detection unit which detects an optical intensity of said interference light, and obtains a tomographic image of said object based on said optical intensity;
• said light source comprises,
• a pulsed light source unit which emits pulsed light having a third frequency and a pulse width, and
• an optical-waveguide structure made of a material having a normal dispersion characteristic with respect to light which has said third frequency, where said optical-waveguide structure includes a structure which realizes an anomalous dispersion characteristic with respect to light which has said third frequency, so as to reduce said pulse width of said pulsed light.