Truncated-correlation photothermal coherence tomography for deep subsurface analysis

Photothermal diffusion-wave imaging is a promising technique for the analysis of a range of media. However, traditional diffusion-wave techniques are limited by the physics of parabolic diffusion and can only produce depth-integrated planar images. Here, we report a depth-resolved photothermal imaging modality, henceforth termed truncated-correlation photothermal coherence tomography (TC-PCT). This enables three-dimensional visualization of subsurface features, which is not possible with known optical or photothermal imaging techniques. Examples include imaging of solids with intricate subsurface structures and discontinuities, such as holes in steel, burn depth profiles in tissues, and the structure of bone. It is compatible with regulations concerning maximum permissible exposure and is the photothermal analogue of optical coherence tomography. Axial and lateral resolutions in bone are measured to be ∼25 and 100 μm, respectively, with a depth range of ∼3.2 mm (approximately four thermal diffusion lengths).