Ultra-short longitudinal spatial coherence length of laser light with the combined effect of spatial, angular, and temporal diversity

We demonstrate ultra-high axial-resolution topography and tomography of multilayered objects using pseudo thermal light source, i.e., laser. The longitudinal spatial coherence (LSC) length of light was significantly reduced by synthesizing a pseudo thermal source with the combined effect of spatial, angular, and temporal diversity. Thus, generating a low spatially coherent (i.e., broad angular frequency spectrum) light source having narrow temporal frequency spectrum. The LSC length was reduced less than 10 μm using a very low magnification lens. Experimental results of optical sectioning of multilayer objects with high axial-resolution of the order of 4 μm was achieved which is comparable to broadband light source. The present system does not require any dispersion compensation optical system for biological samples as a highly monochromatic light source is used.