HIWIN Corp. - Linear Motor Stages LB 6/24

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Photonics Dictionary: C

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contextual analysis

In optical character recognition systems, the identification of a character facilitated by means of known factors governing its appearance in a particular context; e.g., the first character in the...

continuous dynode electron multiplier -> channel electron multiplier

A photoelectric detector consisting of a glass tube internally coated with a low conductance material. Voltage applied along the tube causes photoemission from the photocathode at the end of the tube...

continuous spectrum

The radiation spectrum of matter found in condensed states, liquid or solid, that is continuous and not a line spectrum. The details of this spectrum are almost independent of the matter emitting the...

continuous wave

Continuous wave (CW) refers to a type of signal or transmission where the signal is constant and does not vary with time. In various contexts, the term is used to describe continuous, uninterrupted...

continuous-wave laser

A laser that emits radiation continuously rather than in short bursts, as in a pulsed laser.

contour analysis

A method in optical character recognition in which a mobile light beam scans the outlines of characters for subsequent reading of these outlines.

contour projection chart

A large-scale, precise drawing of the contours of a perfect mechanical part, often with plus and minus tolerances drawn or indicated. For quality control decisions, enlarged images of mechanically...

contour projector

An inspection device in which the profile of a mechanical part is projected onto a ground-glass screen at a precisely known magnification so that the shape of the part can be compared with a scale...

contouring

Selection of specific brightness values or minimum threshold levels as contingencies for the display of digital data.

contourography

The generation, usually by a cathode-ray oscilloscope, of a two-dimensional image having a three-dimensional appearance.

contrast

The apparent difference in brightness between light and dark areas of an image. For a light target against a dark background, contrast is computed as follows: where Lt is the luminance of the...

contrast control

With respect to television, a potentiometer that allows variation of the intensity of the different elements of an image and that can be used to accentuate the highlights and shadows in an image. In...

contrast improvement

One area of image enhancement, accomplished by spatial filtering schemes, that usually involves attenuation of phase changes in the complex amplitude over a limited region of the Fourier spectrum of...

contrast transfer function -> modulation transfer function

Also called sine wave response and contrast transfer function. The modulation transfer function is the ratio of the modulation in the image to the modulation in the object as a function of frequency...

convergence

1. In optics, the bending of light rays toward each other, as by a convex or positive lens. 2. Turning in the eyes to view a near object. 3. In a television picture tube, the crossing of the...

conversion efficiency

In a pumped laser system, the ratio of output energy to pump energy.

convertible lens

Any lens with at least two lens elements, each of which can be used singly or in combined configurations.

convex

Convex is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves outward, bulges, or has a rounded and outwardly extending appearance. In the context of geometry or optics, a convex shape is...

convexo-concave lens -> meniscus lens

A lens that has one convex surface and the other concave.

convolution

An image-enhancement technique in which each pixel is subjected to a mathematical operation that groups it with its nearest neighbors and calculates its value accordingly.

convolution kernel

The group of adjacent pixels on which the convolution process is carried out.

convolutional neural network

A powerful and flexible machine-learning approach that can be used in machine vision to help solve difficult problems. Inspired by biological processes, multiple layers of neurons process portions of...

Cooke objective

A telephoto lens form noted for its lack of distortion.

Cooke triplet lens

The simplest lens in which all primary aberrations may be corrected. It consists of two positive crown elements on either side of, and spaced away from, a negative flint element.

coolant

A fluid used to decrease the temperature rise produced by friction or other causes.

cooled infrared detector

An infrared detector that achieves a specified sensitivity through the application of certain cryogenic temperatures.

Cooper pairs

The coupled pairs of electrons that carry supercurrents through the body of a superconductor, relative to a coherent macroscopic wave function with the superconductor.

copolymerization

The combination of two or more different small-molecule monomers into a polymer.

copper vapor laser -> metal vapor laser

Devices in which the lasing medium is a vapor of metal atoms or ions, sometimes mixed with another gas. Metal vapor lasers use a variety of metal types to generate a variety of laser lines for...

copying camera

A camera mounted on an optical bench with an easel to hold the material to be copied. Magnification can be varied over a wide range by sliding the camera and easel.

cord

A threadlike inclusion within a blank of optical glass. Rarely found in quality optical materials.

core

The light-conducting portion of an optical fiber, defined by the region of high refractive index.

coring

A mass-relieving method whereby material is removed through the sides of a reflector in a direction parallel to the surface. A method of cutting a cylindrical piece of material from a large piece.

corneal shaping

The mechanical modification of the shape of the cornea to correct a vision defect.

corner cube

A corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light or electromagnetic waves back towards their source with minimal deviation in...

corner-cube prism -> corner cube

corner-cube reflector -> corner cube

Cornu double prism

A compound prism formed by cementing together two 30° prisms, one of right-handed and one of left-handed quartz. It has good ultraviolet-transmitting qualities and no double refraction.

Cornu-Jellet prism

A prism formed by dividing a Nicol prism in a plane parallel to the path of vibration of the transmitted light and taking out the wedge-shaped piece. After the pieces are rejoined, the planes of...

coronagraph

A telescope in which a mask occults the solar disk, generating an artificial eclipse and allowing observation and recording of the sun's corona.

coronal holes

Solar regions characterized by low density and open magnetic fields where high-speed solar wind streams originate. Originally believed to be "M'' regions, coronal holes are the precursors of the...

corrected lens

A compound lens, the dimensions and materials of which have been so chosen that the lens is appreciably free of aberrations.

correction wedge

In rangefinders and height finders, a rotatable or sliding wedge-shaped element used to divert the line of sight precisely to correct errors in the optical system.

correction window

An optical wedge of very small angles that admits light while sealing out moisture and dirt and that may be rotated to compensate for the errors in the entire system. Correction windows are sometimes...

corrector plate

An optical element designed to correct each zone of a reflector or refractor for spherical aberration.

correspondence theory

Bohr's formulation that every new theoretical principle must correspond to the salient classical predecessor. The principle imposes mathematical limits on theoretical discovery and implies, for...

cosine collector

Translucent collector developed to compensate for the partial blocking of a flat surface's collection angle that normally occurs in spectroradiometry. The device samples radiant flux according to the...

cosine emission law -> Lambert's cosine law

Flux per unit solid angle leaving a surface in any direction is proportional to the cosine of the angle between that direction and the normal to the surface. A material that obeys Lambert's cosine...

cosine fourth law

A formula indicating that, for an imaging lens system, the image brightness for off-axis points will fall off at a rate proportional to the cos4 of the off-axis field angle.

cosine law of illumination

Law relating the illuminance (or irradiance) of a surface to the cosine of the angle, q, between the normal to the surface and the direction of the incident wave.

Photonics DictionaryC