Investigating local polarisation contrast with fibre-based polarisation-sensitive optical coherence tomography and microscopy

This thesis makes important contributions to polarisation-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) through developing novel methods and instruments to image based on local polarisation contrast, including phase retardation (birefringence) and optic axis orientation, extracted from the measured cumulative Jones matrix. We overcome the challenge of retrieving such contrast in a fibre-based PS-OCT system for endoscopic imaging of airway smooth muscle, demonstrate PS-OCT imaging of oral mucosa in vivo, and, at ultra-high resolution, the corneal and scleral fibrillar morphology. Our results indicate promise for new applications, including assessment of oral, respiratory, and ocular diseases in animals and humans.