Variations on the theme of quantum optical coherence tomography: a review

We discuss the development of quantum optical coherence tomography (Q-OCT), an imaging modality with a number of potential applications. Although Q-OCT is not expected to replace its eminently successful classical cousin, optical coherence tomography (OCT), it does offer some advantages as a biological imaging paradigm. These include greater axial resolution and higher signal-to-background ratio, immunity to dispersion that can lead to deeper subsurface penetration, and nondestructive probing of light-sensitive samples. Q-OCT also serves as a quantum template for constructing classical systems that mimic its salutary properties. M. C. Teich (B) Quantum Photonics Laboratory, Departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA e-mail: [email protected] M. C. Teich Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA B. E. A. Saleh Quantum Photonics Laboratory, College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA B. E. A. Saleh Quantum Photonics Laboratory, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA F. N. C. Wong Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA J. H. Shapiro Research Laboratory of Electronics and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA