Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography: A Review of Technology and Applications

Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is an imaging technique based on light scattering. PS-OCT performs rapid two- and three-dimensional imaging of transparent and translucent samples with micrometer scale resolution. PS-OCT provides image contrast based on the polarization state of backscattered light and has been applied in many biomedical fields as well as in non-medical fields. Thereby, the polarimetric approach enabled imaging with enhanced contrast compared to standard OCT and the quantitative assessment of sample polarization properties. In this article, the basic methodological principles, the state of the art of PS-OCT technologies, and important applications of the technique are reviewed in a concise yet comprehensive way.