Beyond Fourier Transform Imaging: Subsurface imaging of Agate with Complex Leader-Follower Full-Field OCT

This study explores the application of Complex Leader-Follower Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography (CLF-FF-SS-OCT) for the internal structure inspection of an Agate sample, a microcrystalline quartz with characteristic internal impurities and multilayered structure. The source utilized in this setup is a commercial tunable laser with a tuning range of 120 nm centered at 1580 nm, which ensures a high penetration depth in SiO2-based materials such as quartz. The study compares image reconstruction via Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and CLF protocols. The system successfully revealed the internal structure of the stone with a penetration depth of more than 1 mm.