Fast interrogation wavelength tuning for all-optical photoacoustic imaging

Abstract

Optical detection of ultrasound for photoacoustic imaging provides large bandwidth and high sensitivity at high acoustic frequencies. Higher spatial resolutions can therefore be achieved using Fabry-P\'erot cavity sensors, as compared to conventional piezoelectric detection. However, fabrication constraints during deposition of the sensing polymer layer require a precise control of the interrogation beam wavelength to provide optimal sensitivity. This is commonly achieved by employing slowly tunable narrowband lasers as interrogation sources, hence limiting the acquisition speed. We propose instead to use a broadband source and a fast tunable acousto-optic filter to adjust the interrogation wavelength at each pixel within a few microseconds. We demonstrate the validity of this approach by performing photoacoustic imaging with a highly inhomogeneous Fabry-P\'erot sensor.