Photonics Dictionary: B

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buckyballs -> fullerenes

Molecules composed entirely of carbon, in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid or tube. Also called buckyballs. Cylindrical fullerenes are called carbon nanotubes or buckytubes.

BUF

beam utilization factor

buffer

1. In fiber optics, a protective material applied as an optical fiber cover that has no optical function. 2. In image processing, a peripheral that stores data between two active processing stages.

bulk nonreciprocal device

A device that functions throughout the continuous radiation of a linearly polarized plane wave, and whose nonreciprocity arises from the Faraday rotation of linearly polarized radiation.

bump-forming optical disk -> dye-polymer optical disc

A type of erasable data storage device that uses a medium deposited on the disc in two layers, each dyed to absorb a different wavelength of laser light. To record data, the lower layer is heated by...

Bunsen-Roscoe law

The law stating that the amount of chemical change produced is proportional to the amount of light absorbed. Actually, the change is also dependent on the intensity of light -- a fact named the...

burn

A surface imperfection caused by a polisher running dry too long. It occurs with felt or plastic polishers, and may appear as a reddish brown.

burn-in

The operation of a laser diode or other component prior to its use in its intended application, as a means of testing and stabilizing it.

burst mode laser

A high-frequency pulse-rate laser with an output limited by the heat capacity of the laser medium. Instead of having continuous cooling, the laser operates until the medium reaches a maximum...

bus

A local area network topology in which all nodes are tapped off a single cable, and all hear every transmission on the cable.

button blocking

The production of a block by attaching the optical elements to a plate by means of individual buttons of pitch or other thermoplastic material.

BUV

backscatter ultraviolet

BWDM

birefringent wavelength division multiplexing

Photonics DictionaryB

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