Photonics Dictionary: G

A beam of light whose electrical field amplitude distribution is Gaussian. When such a beam is circular in cross section, the amplitude is E(r) = E(0) exp [-(r/w)2], where r is the distance from beam...

The area of optics that deals with the propagation of Gaussian laser beams in free space, or any general medium - i.e. lenses- under the paraxial (small divergence angle) approximations. Gaussian...

1. That branch of optics that illustrates the theory in which q is substituted for sin q in Snell's law. Effective results are achieved if the aperture and field angle are made very small. The...

An intensity distribution (intensity as a function of radial distance from the beam center) which is given by the Gaussian function: where: I0 is the intensity at the beam center r is the radial...

A pulse that has the waveform of a Gaussian distribution.

The masking of all openings of an optical transform -- except the hole at the symmetrical center -- with a thin wire gauze to attain a more precise image.

A photometer used to measure sky brightness and polarization associated with zodiacal light, background starlight, F-region airglow and spacecraft corona.

Also called Geiger-Müller counter. An instrument designed to detect and measure radioactivity through the use of a gas-filled metallic tube containing a needle electrode. Radiation traveling...

A specific gas-filled tube designed to illustrate the luminous effects of discharges through rarefied gases.

A rapid roughing process for the quick removal of glass, the first step in manufacture of a curved lens surface. It is accomplished with coarse emery or a diamond-impregnated tool.

The curved mark formed when, in the process of generating, a loose or coarse diamond particle from the generating tool scores the work so deeply that subsequent fine grinding or polishing cannot...

A device used to lock the internal synchronization generator of a television camera to an external source.

Trade name referring to an instrument that determines surface distances by measuring the length of time it takes for a modulated lightwave to reach a mirror and be reflected to its point of origin.

The physical center of the lens; it is on the axis of the lens, halfway between the front and rear vertex. It is sometimes referred to as the mechanical center of the lens.

The position and shape of the image of a point source, as predicted by geometric optics alone. The geometric image is to be differentiated from the diffraction image, which is determined from...

Metamerism that occurs when the geometry of illumination or viewing is changed.

In image processing, mathematical operations that change spatial geometry, as for instance scaling, translating, rotating or otherwise manipulating the perspective. Also called geometric manipulation.

A field of physics that deals with light as if it truly were composed of rays diverging in various directions from the source and abruptly bent by refraction or turned by reflection into paths...

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 area of optics in which the propagation of light is described by geometrical lines (or rays) governed by Fermat's Principle. Geometrical optics is useful as long as the objects in which the light...

The superposition of satellite or aerial images with a map in order to process and remove distortion. Uses reference points from map to align and apply information.

A man-made satellite that orbits 35,680 km from the Earth at a rate of one orbit per 24-hour period, thereby retaining its initial relative alignment with the Earth.

A type of glass used in near-infrared optical components, in which germanium is used as a cation instead of silicon.

A crystalline semiconductor material that transmits in the infrared.

Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor commonly used in various electronic and optical applications. Germanium crystals...

A type of photoconductive detector in which germanium, usually doped with boron, gallium and indium, serves as a semiconductor and can detect up to and beyond 100 µm.

Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) refers to a specific range of UV radiation that has disinfectant properties capable of killing or inactivating microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The...

In vacuum deposition, a device that removes contaminants from the vacuum chamber.

1. A faint second image caused by reflection that is sometimes seen when observing through an optical instrument. 2. With respect to spectroscopy, a false image of a spectral line formed by...

A prefix that is used to represent 109 or 1,000,000,000 in the SI system.

GigE, short for gigabit Ethernet, refers to a standard for high-speed Ethernet communication, capable of transmitting data at rates of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), or 1000 megabits per second...

An optical mounting device that permits adjustment around two perpendicular and intersecting axes of rotation.

An interferometer similar in construction to a Fabry-Perot interferometer but having a rear mirror with high reflectivity, allowing light to escape only at the partially reflective front mirror.

A device similar to the ordinary spectrophotometer but containing particular modifications to provide for the comparison of two sources.

A type of birefringent polarizing prism that transmits the extraordinary ray and removes the ordinary ray through total internal reflection. It consists of two calcite prisms with an air gap...

A prism resembling a Nicol prism but having faces normal to the axis and the two parts divided by a glycerine film. Also known as Glan prism.