Opt Lett. 2022 Apr 1;47(7):1903-1906. doi: 10.1364/OL.450318.
Circular-ranging optical coherence tomography (CR-OCT) systems that use a time-stepped frequency comb source generate interference fringe signals that are more complex than those of a conventional swept-source OCT system. Here, we define a common terminology for describing these signals, and we develop a mathematical framework that relates the radio-frequency (RF) properties of these fringe signals to the parameters of the frequency comb source. With this framework, we highlight non-intuitive mechanisms whereby the design of the frequency comb source can affect imaging performance. We show, for example, that amplitude-pulsed time-stepped frequency comb sources have a sensitivity advantage over constant power time-stepped frequency comb sources. More broadly, this framework and associated terminology provide a foundation on which to design and optimize time-stepped frequency comb sources and systems.
环形扫描光学相干断层成像（CR-OCT）系统使用时间步进频率梳源产生的干涉条纹信号比传统的扫频源 OCT 系统更为复杂。在这里，我们为描述这些信号定义了一个通用术语，并开发了一个数学框架，将这些条纹信号的射频（RF）特性与频率梳源的参数联系起来。利用这个框架，我们突出了频率梳源的设计如何影响成像性能的非直观机制。例如，我们表明，与恒定功率时间步进频率梳源相比，幅度脉冲时间步进频率梳源具有灵敏度优势。更广泛地说，这个框架和相关术语为设计和优化时间步进频率梳源和系统提供了基础。
