H. Guillet de Chatellus

Coherent microscopy by laser optical feedback imaging (LOFI) technique.

The application of the non-conventional imaging technique LOFI (laser optical feedback imaging) to coherent microscopy is presented. This simple and efficient technique using frequency-shifted optical feedback needs the sample to be scanned in order to obtain an image. The effects on magnitude and phase signals such as vignetting and field curvature occasioned by the scanning with galvanometric mirrors are discussed. A simple monitoring method based on phase images is proposed to find the optimal position of the scanner. Finally, some experimental results illustrating this technique are presented.

Generation of ultrahigh and tunable repetition rates in CW injection-seeded frequency-shifted feedback lasers

We show both theoretically and experimentally that frequency-shifted feedback (FSF) lasers seeded with a single frequency laser can generate Fourier transform-limited pulses with a repetition rate tunable and limited by the spectral bandwidth of the laser. We demonstrate experimentally in a FSF laser with a 150 GHz spectral bandwidth, the generation of 6 ps-duration pulses at repetition rates tunable over more than two orders of magnitude between 0.24 and 37 GHz, by steps of 80 MHz. A simple linear analytical model i.e. ignoring both dynamic and non-linear effects, is sufficient to account for the experimental results. This possibility opens new perspectives for various applications where lasers with ultra-high repetition rates are required, from THz generation to ultrafast data processing systems.

Deep and optically resolved imaging through scattering media by space-reversed propagation

We propose a novel technique of microscopy to overcome the effects of both scattering and limitation of the accessible depth due to the objective working distance. By combining laser optical feedback imaging with acoustic photon tagging and synthetic aperture refocusing we demonstrate an ultimate shot noise sensitivity at low power (required to preserve the tissues) and a high resolution beyond the microscope working distance. More precisely, with a laser power of 10 mW, we obtain images with a micrometric resolution over approximately eight transport mean free paths, corresponding to 1.3 times the microscope working distance. Various applications such as biomedical diagnosis and research and development of new drugs and therapies can benefit from our imaging setup.

Acousto-optic laser optical feedback imaging

We present a photon noise and diffraction-limited imaging method combining an imaging laser and ultrasonic waves. The laser optical feedback imaging (LOFI) technique is an ultrasensitive imaging method for imaging objects through or embedded within a scattering medium. However, LOFI performances are dramatically limited by parasitic optical feedback occurring in the experimental setup. In this Letter, we have tagged the ballistic photons by an acousto-optic effect in order to filter the parasitic feedback effect and to reach the theoretical and ultimate sensitivity of the LOFI technique. We present the principle and the experimental setup of the acousto-optic laser optical feedback imaging technique, and we demonstrate the suppression of the parasitic feedback.

Ultrahigh resolution frequency-to-time mapping based on frequency shifting recirculating lasers

We demonstrate a novel implementation of frequency-to-time mapping based on a frequency shifting recirculating laser, achieving a 10 kHz-frequency resolution and a time-bandwidth product greater than 1000.

Plenoptic microscope based on laser optical feedback imaging (LOFI)

We present an overview of the performances of a plenoptic microscope which combines the high sensitivity of a laser optical feedback imaging set-up, the high resolution of optical synthetic aperture and a shot noise limited signal to noise ratio by using acoustic photon tagging. By using an adapted phase filtering, this microscope allows phase drift correction and numerical aberration compensation (defocusing, coma, astigmatism ..). This new kind of microscope seems to be well adapted to make deep imaging through scattering and heterogeneous media.