Ball lens based lensed patch cord probes for optical coherence tomography in the field of dentistry

A lensed patch cord probe has been made with a ball lens packaged in a metal cylinder. By simply placing a ball lens directly in front of a fiber patch cord, a compact and potentially disposable sampling probe for optical coherence tomography (OCT) could be implemented. To achieve a sufficiently long working distance and a good transverse resolution simultaneously, the proper ball lens diameter and the distance between the ball lens and the fiber patch cord were investigated. Experimentally, a working distance of up to 5.2 mm, 3 dB bandwidth of 2 mm, and transverse resolution of 16 μm were achieved. With the patch cord probe, a common path swept source OCT system was implemented and used to demonstrate the feasibility as the dedicated probe for dentistry.     

Electrostatic forward-viewing scanning probe for Doppler optical coherence tomography using a dissipative polymer catheter

A novel flexible scanning optical probe is constructed with a finely etched optical fiber strung through a platinum coil in the lumen of a dissipative polymer. The packaged probe is 2.2 mm in diameter with a rigid length of 6mm when using a ball lens or 12 mm when scanning the fiber proximal to a gradient-index (GRIN) lens. Driven by constant high voltage (1-3 kV) at low current (< 5 microA), the probe oscillates to provide wide forward-viewing angle (13 degrees and 33 degrees with ball and GRIN lens designs, respectively) and high-frame-rate (10-140 fps) operation. Motion of the probe tip is observed with a high-speed camera and compared with theory. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging with the probe is demonstrated with a wavelength-swept source laser. Images of an IR card as well as in vivo Doppler OCT images of a tadpole heart are presented. This optomechanical design offers a simple, inexpensive method to obtain a high-frame-rate forward-viewing scanning probe.     

光子晶体光纤中交叉相位调制光谱展宽特性研究

实验研究了超高速时分复用信号与探测光同向传输,在色散平坦高非线性光子晶体光纤中的交叉相位调制光谱展宽特性,从光谱学的角度分析了信号光波长漂移,泵浦光与信号光总功率及功率比,二者偏振态失配对交叉相位调制光谱展宽效应的影响,探讨了实现偏振不敏感交叉相位调制效应的可行性。研究发现,在36 nm波长范围,总功率大于23 dBm,泵浦光与信号光功率比合理,二者偏振态匹配时交叉相位调制效果最好,交叉相位调制的偏振相关性为11 dB,指出利用色散平坦高非线性光子晶体光纤中的残余双折射,调节泵浦光与光纤双折射主轴成45°,可以实现偏振不敏感交叉相位调制效应,随后的理论模拟和实验结果相一致。研究结果为实现基于交叉相位调制原理工作的超快全光信号处理器件作了充分准备。     

Ultrathin side-viewing needle probe for optical coherence tomography

We present the smallest reported side-viewing needle probe for optical coherence tomography (OCT). Design, fabrication, optical characterization, and initial application of a 30-gauge (outer diameter 0.31 mm) needle probe are demonstrated. Extreme miniaturization is achieved by using a simple all-fiber probe design incorporating an angle-polished and reflection-coated fiber-tip beam deflector. When inserted into biological tissue, aqueous interstitial fluids reduce the probe's inherent astigmatism ratio to 1.8, resulting in a working distance of 300 μm and a depth-of-field of 550 μm with beam diameters below 30 μm. The needle probe was interfaced with an 840 nm spectral-domain OCT system and the measured sensitivity was shown to be only 7 dB lower than that of a comparable galvo-scanning sample arm configuration. 3D OCT images of lamb lungs were acquired over a depth range of ~600 μm, showing individual alveoli and bronchioles.     

Lensed photonic crystal fiber obtained by use of an arc discharge

A lensed photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is proposed as an effective element for an optical free-space interconnector. By simultaneously forming a beam-expansion region and a focusing lens on a single piece of PCF, effective coupling between PCFs could be achieved. A long working distance of up to 1 mm with wide longitudinal and lateral tolerances was measured. The optical characteristics of the lensed PCFs and the connectors made from them are analyzed experimentally and theoretically.     

球透镜的衍射焦斑强度分布研究

根据国内外光通信耦合器件发展的趋势,研制了一种新型玻璃,依靠液体表面张力的作用,首次采用槽沉法来制备球透镜,得到了理想的效果。通过对直径为0.8mm的球透镜的焦斑强度分布进行研究,结果表明:当通光孔径分别为0.2mm,0.4mm和0.8mm时,球透镜的衍射焦斑强度的分布分别为0.2μm,0.4μm和1.0μm。因此,伴随着通光孔径的增加,球透镜的衍射焦斑强度分布增大,衍射的强度减小。     

利用Kagome光纤实现多芯光子晶体光纤的输出合束

多芯光纤的输出光束只能在远场和焦点附近实现良好的同相位超模合束,这种超模传输特性大大影响了多芯光纤的应用范围.一种新型中空Kagome光纤为解决这一难题提供了可行的方案,利用中空Kagome光纤可以实现七芯光纤输出模式的整形合束.本文利用中心波长800 nm的钛宝石飞秒激光作为激光源,耦合入七芯非线性光子晶体光纤,得到700 nm至1050 nm的展宽光谱,并实现同相位超模输出.随后,将非线性展宽之后的宽谱七芯光束耦合至Kagome光子晶体光纤中,从Kagome光纤输出光斑呈高斯分布的模式传输,不再演变回七芯模式,耦合效率71%.实验还进一步验证此方法适用于不同结构的多芯光纤,为多芯光纤在高功率激光等领域的应用提供了参考.     

Variable photonic crystal fiber optical attenuator combining air hole reduction induced radiation and bending loss

Recently, an optical attenuator has been important in fiber optic communication systems, because a transmission power in fiber has become higher due to a channel increment in wavelength division multiplexing transmission. A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) optical attenuator is fabricated by air hole diameter reduction in a part of PCF in which radiations are caused in the air hole diameter reduced part of PCF. A PCF optical attenuator has a high power resistance feature due to its radiation-induced operation of optical attenuation. In this paper, we proposed a variable PCF optical attenuator in which a bend was applied to the air hole diameter reduced part in PCF optical attenuator that was fabricated by CO₂ laser irradiation. In PCF optical attenuator fabrication, the attenuation was adjusted by the reduced air hole diameter with laser irradiation time control. It was demonstrated that 10.6–13.5 dB of variable attenuation was obtained at 1550 nm-wavelength with 0°–90° bending angle applied to the air hole diameter reduced part in PCF optical attenuator.     

Beam-splitting ball lens: a new integrated optical component

A beam-splitting ball lens is introduced as a new integrated optical component for board- and backplane-level optical interconnection applications. The proposed beam-splitting ball lenses can be used in conjunction with polymer fiber image guides to split and combine imaged patterns of two-dimensional array optical data. Power and resolution performance parameters of a packaged system are presented.     

Boundary-value problems in near-field optical microscopy and optical size resonances

We have solved a boundary-value problem for a ball probe interacting with a flat dielectric surface in an external optical radiation field. This interaction gives rise to the optical size resonance at frequencies significantly different from the natural frequencies of two-level atoms both in the medium and in the probe with allowance for the local field corrections. These resonances depend significantly on the distance from the probe center to the surface, on the ball probe size, on the concentration of two-level atoms in the probe and in the medium, on the spectral line width, and on the atomic inversion. The field strengths inside and outside the ball probe and a semiinfinite dielectric medium have been calculated in the near-field and wave zones. It is shown that the proposed electrodynamic theory of optical near-field microscopy agrees with the results of experimental measurements.     

梯度折射率球透镜的制备及其光线轨迹测试

自麦克斯韦鱼眼透镜理论模型提出后,长期以来学术界一直以为它只是一种绝对光学仪器,在实践中并没有应用的可能。但通过对麦克斯韦鱼眼微球透镜的理论研究表明,在一定条件下,它具有良好的成像性能和耦合效率。根据菲克定律推导出梯度折射率球透镜的折射率分布函数。并且熔制了含Li+硅酸盐玻璃和采用槽沉法以及Na+/Li+离子交换法制备直径为0.3—3.0mm的梯度折射率球透镜。通过干涉法测得了梯度折射率球透镜的折射率分布曲线,并研究了光线通过梯度折射率球透镜的轨迹。研究结果表明:在590℃,离子扩散系数为3.07×10-6mm2/s;所制备的梯度折射率球透镜的折射率分布是抛物线分布,并且和理论分析相吻合;梯度折射率球透镜的光线轨迹满足椭圆方程。     

Fabrication of gradient refractive index ball lenses

The theoretical model of the Maxwell fish eye sphere lens has long been regarded as an absolute optical instrument without practical application since it was proposed. But the study on the theory of Maxwell fish eye micro-spherical lens shows that at certain condition it has fine image formation ability and coupling efficiency. Based on the Fick's diffusion equations, the distribution function of refractive index of gradient refractive index (GRIN) ball lenses is derived. Lithium-containing silicate glass is fabricated and GRIN ball lenses whose diameters are from 0.3 to 3.0 mm are made by ion exchange and the sagging method in sodium nitrate. Radial refractive index profiles of these GRIN ball lens are measured by interferometer. Results show that the distribution of the index of refraction is a parabolic curve and in concordance with the computational consequence and its Δn is 0.0002.     

PBG光子晶体光纤的色散特性研究

光子晶体光纤(PCF)是一种具有特殊包层结构的光纤,它是利用光子禁带效应(PBG)来导光的。利用时域有限差分法(FDTD)来分析光波在PCF中传输的色散特性,结果表明,PBG光子晶体光纤的色散值和色散斜率比常规的通信光纤要小。     

基于光探针技术的自聚焦透镜光斑测量方法

以扫描探针显微理论为基础,讨论了基于光学纤维探针技术的自聚焦透镜光斑测量方法,介绍了实验系统的构成和测量原理、光学探针的制作和软件控制技术,并且以日本产NSG自聚焦透镜为样品进行了光斑测量和分析.所得结果对于评价自聚焦透镜的成像性能具有重要意义.     

Sensitivity enhancement in thermal lens laser spectrometry

A novel experimental configuration for thermal lens detection is described. The method makes use of optical filtering of the probe beam by means of a circular aperture. This considerably reduces noise associated with intensity fluctuations of the probe beam. The technique provides an enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio by almost one order of magnitude as compared to other thermal lens laser spectrometers. A theoretical calculation of the signal enhancement associated with optical filtering of the probe beam is presented. Furthermore, experiments on methyl blue dissolved in ethylalcohol are described which verify the theoretical predictions.     

用阶跃有效折射率模型研究光子晶体光纤色散特性

在采用阶跃有效折射率模型研究光子晶体光纤的可行性方面，提出了将普通单模光纤、色散位移光纤、色散平坦光纤作为一定极限条件下的折射率引导型光子晶体光纤特例的观点.通过编程计算，并与文献报道的实验数据对比，表明应用本模型可以揭示光子晶体光纤所具有的奇异的色散机理.特别是应用本模型具有更快的计算速度.还用本模型分析了空气孔直径、周期及芯径对色散特性的影响. 关键词： 折射率引导型光子晶体光纤 阶跃有效折射率模型 色散     

MEMS阵列光开关的光纤耦合设计

利用高斯光束传输理论进行了阵列光开关的光纤耦合设计计算。根据ABCD矩阵推导出了光束通过球透镜时的传播规律,计算了在光纤与光纤之间两个球透镜耦合的效率,分析了影响耦合效率的因素。通过设计计算,确定了光纤端部的位置,使得整个损耗达到了最小。从理论上来看,在波长λ=1 55μm时,4×4阵列光开关的耦合效率可以达到91%以上。     

Batch Assembly Micro-Ball Lens Array for Si-Based Optical Coupling Platform in Free Space

The paper presents novel concepts of batch fabrication of micro-ball lens array technology integrated on the silicon-based wafer which can improve the appropriate distance for optical fiber coupling. The silicon-based optical coupling platform consists of a self-parking framework (including flat-topped mesa and intersection of two v-grooves) and micro-ball lens array for optical fiber coupling purposes. The structure of optical coupling platform is able to improve the distance between fiber and micro-ball lens and to increase coupling efficiency. Optical measurement reveals an insertion loss below 2.5 dB with wavelength 635 nm in singlemode fiber. The micro-ball lens array is batch fabricated by polymeric material and thick photoresist, and then bonded onto a flat-topped mesa that adjoins to the v-groove. The corner compensation offers a method to fabricate the flat-topped mesa in the intersection of two v-grooves. This fabrication process not only provides accurate coupling distance between fibers and micro-ball lens, but also reduces micro-assembly cost.This paper was originally presented at the 2001 International Conference (2^nd Joint OSJ-SPIE Conference) on Optical Engineering for Sensing and Nanotechnology, ICOSN 2001 which was held June 6-8, 2001 at the Pacifico-Yokohama Conference Center, Yokohama, Japan.     

Ball lens coupled fiber-optic probe for depth-resolved spectroscopy of epithelial tissue

A ball lens coupled fiber-optic probe design is described for depth-resolved measurements of the fluorescence and reflectance properties of epithelial tissue. A reflectance target, fluorescence targets, and a two-layer tissue phantom consisting of fluorescent microspheres suspended in collagen are used to characterize the performance of the probe. Localization of the signal to within 300 microm of the probe tip is observed by use of reflectance and fluorescence targets in air. Differential enhancement of the fluorescence signal from the top layer of the two-layer tissue phantom is observed.     

高双折射光子晶体光纤偏振模色散测量

对一种高双折射光子晶体光纤的偏振模色散进行了测量.实验用26 m长光子晶体光纤使皮秒光脉冲的两个正交偏振模产生了108 ps时延.运用脉冲时延法和固定分析仪法对这种高双折射光子晶体光纤的偏振模色散进行了实验测量，测量得到其偏振模色散参量可达4154 ps/km，对应的模式双折射度为1.25×10－3.这种新型的高双折射光纤可用于补偿光纤通信系统中的偏振模色散.