An optical coherence tomography, OCT, system for imaging a sample, comprising: an optical compensating element for chromatic dispersion compensation; an optical source, and an optical splitting element, configured to split a beam of radiation from the optical source to generate at least a first beam of radiation and a second beam of radiation; characterized in that the optical compensating element comprises: a plurality of optical elements configured to direct the first beam of radiation to one or more optical paths amongst a plurality of optical paths; and a plurality of waveguides, wherein one waveguide of the plurality of waveguides disposed in one of the plurality of optical paths has group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length that are different from group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length of another waveguide of the plurality of waveguides disposed in another one of the plurality of optical paths, wherein the group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length of the one waveguide or the other waveguide compensate for chromatic dispersion associated with the second beam of radiation, and wherein each of the one and the other waveguide of the plurality of waveguides include a plurality of concatenated waveguide segments (2; 2'; 2") with different group delay and different dispersion properties. an optical compensating element for chromatic dispersion compensation; an optical source, and an optical splitting element, configured to split a beam of radiation from the optical source to generate at least a first beam of radiation and a second beam of radiation; characterized in that the optical compensating element comprises: a plurality of optical elements configured to direct the first beam of radiation to one or more optical paths amongst a plurality of optical paths; and a plurality of waveguides, wherein one waveguide of the plurality of waveguides disposed in one of the plurality of optical paths has group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length that are different from group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length of another waveguide of the plurality of waveguides disposed in another one of the plurality of optical paths, wherein the group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length of the one waveguide or the other waveguide compensate for chromatic dispersion associated with the second beam of radiation, and wherein each of the one and the other waveguide of the plurality of waveguides include a plurality of concatenated waveguide segments (2; 2'; 2") with different group delay and different dispersion properties. a plurality of optical elements configured to direct the first beam of radiation to one or more optical paths amongst a plurality of optical paths; and a plurality of waveguides, wherein one waveguide of the plurality of waveguides disposed in one of the plurality of optical paths has group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length that are different from group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length of another waveguide of the plurality of waveguides disposed in another one of the plurality of optical paths, wherein the group delay and dispersion coefficient properties per unit length of the one waveguide or the other waveguide compensate for chromatic dispersion associated with the second beam of radiation, and wherein each of the one and the other waveguide of the plurality of waveguides include a plurality of concatenated waveguide segments (2; 2'; 2") with different group delay and different dispersion properties.