Disclosed are devices and techniques based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology in combination with optical actuation. A system for providing optical actuation and optical sensing can include an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device that performs optical imaging of a sample based on optical interferometry from an optical sampling beam interacting with an optical sample and an optical reference beam; an OCT light source to provide an OCT imaging beam into the OCT device which splits the OCT imaging beam into the optical sampling beam and the optical reference beam; and a light source that produces an optical actuation beam that is coupled along with the optical sampling beam to be directed to the sample to actuate particles or structures in the sample so that the optical imaging captures information of the sample under the optical actuation.

Optics for apodizing an optical imaging probe beam, and methods for fabricating optics for apodizing an optical imaging probe beam are provided. In some embodiments, optics for apodizing an electrical comprises: an optical fiber; a focusing element coaxially aligned with the optical fiber; an element having a cylindrical bore and an angled reflective surface, wherein a first portion of a beam focused by the focusing element enters the cylindrical bore and a second portion of the beam is reflected at an angle to produce a beam with a generally annular-shaped profile.

The invention relates to a measuring device (10) and a method for determining a length measurand of a workpiece. A carrier part (13), on which a probe unit (18) is arranged immovably in a first spatial direction (x), can be moved or positioned by means of a positioning arrangement (12). At least one laser interferometer (24) is connected to the carrier part (13) immovably in the first spatial direction (x). By means of a first laser measuring beam (L1) and a second laser measuring beam (L2), the laser interferometer (24) generates a first measurement signal (S1), which measurement signal describes the distance of the laser interferometer (24) from a first reflector (25) in the first spatial direction (x), and a second measurement signal (S2), which describes the distance of the laser interferometer (24) from a second reflector (26) in the first spatial direction (x). A probe system plane (E), which is immovable in the first spatial direction (x) relative to the carrier part (13) or the probe unit (18) and which extends at right angles to this first spatial direction (x), therefore has a position in the first spatial direction (x) that can be determined by means of the distances of the laser interferometer (24) from the first reflector (25) and the second reflector (26).

An optical coherence tomography, OCT, imaging system for imaging an object, comprising an interferometer having a sample arm, and a reference arm which comprises: a first optical fibre; an optical switch controllable to guide reference light from the first optical fibre to a selected optical path of N optical paths, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, each of the N optical paths having a respective optical path length and/or chromatic dispersion that differs from the respective optical path length and/or chromatic dispersion of each of the other optical paths; and an optical coupler to guide the reference light propagating along the selected optical path to a second optical fibre. The OCT imaging system detects an interference between the reference light propagating via the second optical fibre and the sample light propagating via the sample arm after having been scattered by the object.

An optical coherence tomography, OCT, imaging system for imaging an object, comprising an interferometer having a sample arm, and a reference arm which comprises: a first optical fibre; an optical switch controllable to guide reference light from the first optical fibre to a selected optical path of N optical paths, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, each of the N optical paths having a respective optical path length and/or chromatic dispersion that differs from the respective optical path length and/or chromatic dispersion of each of the other optical paths; and an optical coupler to guide the reference light propagating along the selected optical path to a second optical fibre. The OCT imaging system detects an interference between the reference light propagating via the second optical fibre and the sample light propagating via the sample arm after having been scattered by the object.

The present invention provides an interference measuring device with an optical system that can receive light reflected from a measurement object of a surface profile that is not perpendicular to an optical axis. An interference measuring device includes a light source for emitting light and an interferometric objective lens. The interferometric objective lens includes a reference mirror disposed in a reference beam path and a beam splitter that splits the incident light into a beam traveling along the reference beam path and a beam traveling along a measurement beam path. The beam splitter also combines the beam reflected off the reference mirror with the beam reflected off a measurement object disposed in the measurement beam path before emitting the combined beams. The interference measuring device further includes an imaging unit for taking an image of the combined beams forming on the unit and an aperture stop disposed in an optical path linking the interferometric objective lens, the light source, and the imaging unit together. The aperture stop is movable along an optical axis of the interferometric objective lens.

An optical interferometer includes a branching-combining unit, a first optical system, a second optical system, and a drive unit, which can be MEMS-based components. The branching-combining unit includes a branching surface, an incident surface, an output surface, and a combining surface on an interface between the interior and the exterior of a transparent member. The branching-combining unit, on the branching surface, partially reflects incident light and outputs as first branched light, and transmits the rest of the incident light into the interior as second branched light. The branching-combining unit, on the combining surface, outputs the first branched light to the outside, reflects the second branched light, and combines the light beams to be output to the outside as combined light.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure describe an ultra-wide field of view (FOV) optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system. The ultra-wide FOV OCT imaging system can include an imaging probe, a console and a cable. The imaging probe can include an optical widow, a first imaging module and a second imaging module. The first imaging module is configured to form a first image of the eye. The second imaging module is configured to form a second image of the eye. The second imaging module can include a scanning mirror configured to receive a sample arm portion of a second light beam from a second light source and scan the sample arm portion. The console can include the second light source, an interferometer, and a processor. The cable is coupled between the console and the imaging probe and includes a first fiber, a second fiber and a third fiber.

An interferometer apparatus which include two or more coupled fiber optic Michelson interferometers using fiber optic stretches which stretch two or more optical fibers wound around the perimeter of the optical fiber stretchers by the same amount is disclosed. Preferably a pair of reference and sample fiber optic stretches are utilized which run in a push-pull mode of operation. When one of the interferometers is a coherent light interferometer it can be used as a reference distance scale for all of the remaining low coherence light interferometer. A method for measuring a physical property of a device under test is also disclosed using the apparatus of the present invention.

An optical coherence tomography (OCT) system and method for scanning a defined area according to a pre-set or user-specified scanning pattern, the defined area surrounding a specified starting position or offset from the starting position. Such OCT systems and methods may be used to generate a pictorial representation of internal target structures the OCT sample beam passed through.