Penetration capability of near infrared Laguerre–Gaussian beams through highly scattering media

The higher capability of optical vortex beams of penetrating turbid media (e.g., biological fluids) with respect to the conventional Gaussian beams is, for the first time to our knowledge, demonstrated in the 1.3 µm wavelength range which is conventionally used for optical coherence tomography procedures in endoscopic intravascular scenarios. The effect has been demonstrated by performing transmittance measurements through suspensions of polystyrene microspheres in water with various particulate concentrations and, in reflection, by using samples of human blood with different thicknesses. The reduced backscattering/increased transmittance into such highly scattering media of Laguerre–Gaussian beams with respect to Gaussian ones, in the near infrared wavelength region, could be potentially exploited in clinical applications, leading to novel biomedical diagnoses and/or procedures.