Photonics Dictionary

Color correcting; chromatic aberration corrected.

A lens consisting of two or more elements, usually of crown and flint glass, that has been corrected for chromatic aberration with respect to two selected wavelengths. Also known as achromat.

Location on the CIE chromaticity diagram which produces the color white for a given light source at a specified temperature.

Cemented prisms of differing refractive indices which refract incident light and, due to differing refractive indices, will not spatially separate individual wavelengths.

Use of achromatic design; the correction of chromatic aberration; without color or hue (grey, black and white)

An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon where different colors of light...

Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon that occurs when different wavelengths (colors) of light are refracted by a lens or optical system, leading to a failure to focus all colors to the same...

Colors that produce an achromatic color when additively mixed.

Also called complementary dominant wavelength. On a chromaticity diagram, the wavelength on the spectrum locus that lies on the same straight line as the achromatic point and the sample point for a...

An airspaced achromatic doublet telescope objective.

On the CIE chromaticity diagram, the distance from the achromatic point to the sample point, divided by the distance from the achromatic point through the sample point to the spectrum locus or purple...

An objective that uses the mineral fluorite in its construction to reduce the secondary spectrum. It is usually intermediate between achromatic and apochromatic in correction, but may be more highly...

A technique used to create an achromatic phase shift based on the principle of geometric phase. The phase shift is experienced by a light beam as a result of a cyclic change in its state of...

The perceptual term for that aspect of color described by words such as red, yellow or blue. Achromatic colors, such as white, gray and black, do not exhibit hue.

Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser light. Laser optics play a crucial role in shaping the characteristics of...

A plastic used in molded optical components. Styrene elements can be combined with acrylic elements to produce achromatic lenses.

1. The decrease of the absorption (or gain) coefficient of a medium near some transition frequency when the power of the incident radiation near that frequency exceeds a certain value. As long as the...

A thin layer of a substance deposited on an insulating base in a vacuum by a microelectronic process. Thin films are most commonly used for antireflection, achromatic beamsplitters, color filters,...

Light perceived as achromatic, that is, without hue.