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307 terms

Photonics Dictionary: O

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opal glass

A material consisting of very small colorless particles imbedded in a clear glass matrix. It is available in two forms: flashed opal and pot opal. The flashed variety consists of a rather thin layer...

optical air mass

A measure of the optical path length for light traveling from the sun or other celestial source through Earth's atmosphere to sea-level relative to the optical path length traveled by light from the...

optical assembly

An optical assembly refers to a collection of optical components that are carefully arranged and aligned to perform a specific function within an optical system. These components may include lenses,...

optical cable assembly

An optical cable that is connector terminated. Generally, an optical cable that has been terminated by a manufacturer and is ready for installation.

optical emission spectroscopy

In dry etching, a method of characterizing the composition of solid materials such as metal. Atoms in the OES technique are excited by energy that comes from a spark formed between the sample and an...

optical glass

Optical glass refers to a type of glass specifically engineered and manufactured for use in optical components and systems, such as lenses, prisms, mirrors, and filters. Optical glass is...

optical molasses -> laser cooling

Laser cooling is a technique used to reduce the temperature of a material or a collection of atoms or molecules by using laser light. It is based on the principle of selective absorption and emission...

optical thickness

The physical thickness times the refractive index.

optical wireless -> free-space optics

Free-space optics (FSO), also known as optical wireless communication or optical wireless networking, refers to the transmission of data using modulated beams of light through free space (air or a...

OSS

optical sensor system

outgassing

The emission of gas or de-aeration due to thermal variations and often occurring in a vacuum. In a cleanroom, contamination from the spontaneous emission of absorbed particles.

optical coupling -> crosstalk

The measurable leakage of optical energy from one optical conductor to another. Also known as optical coupling.

optical null method -> null process

Commonly performed in spectroscopy, the optical null process is a method for radiation detection whereby physical detectors are used to rapidly interchange the intensity between a reference beam and...

optical axis

OAET

Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology

OALM

optical address light modulator

OAMP

optical-analog matrix processing

OAR

off-axis rejection; open area ratio

object

The figure seen through or imaged by an optical system. It may contain structures, natural or artificial, or it may be the real or virtual image of an object formed by another optical system. In...

object beam

In holography, the wave of light that illuminates the object to be recorded, which diffracts it to the recording medium, where it interferes with the reference beam, generating the hologram.

object conjugate -> object distance

The distance between the object and the cornea, or the first surface of the objective in an optical device.

object displacement

The movement of an object seen through a refracting prism toward the apex of a prism.

object distance

The distance between the object and the cornea, or the first surface of the objective in an optical device.

object space

In an optical system, the space between the object being viewed and the system entrance pupil.

object working distance

Distance between the front vertex of a lens and the object.

objective

The optical element that receives light from the object and forms the first or primary image in telescopes and microscopes. In cameras, the image produced by the objective is the final image. In...

objective aperture -> clear aperture

The limited light-gathering area of an optical system. The area is normally restricted to an edge or outer surface of an individual component. Also known as free aperture or objective aperture. The...

objective grating

A coarse diffraction grating that is used to form a scale of intensities to determine the relative magnitudes of stars. The grating is placed over the objective of a telescope to form a diffraction...

objective prism

1. A prism used in some instruments to bend light 90° before it enters the objective. 2. A dispersing prism located in front of an astronomical telescope objective to produce spectra of all...

oblate crystal -> negative crystal

A uniaxial, birefringent crystal such as calcite or ruby in which the velocity of the extraordinary ray surpasses that of the ordinary ray. This can also be defined as the index of refraction of the...

oblique error

The image error that results from astigmatism, coma, oblique spherical aberration, lateral color and distortion.

oblique illumination

A common technique in microscopy, oblique illumination is one in which the object is illuminated by a light source that is at an oblique angle (on the side) to the optical axis. This technique is...

oblique spherical aberration

coma, fifth order aberration with on-axis focal point variation with incident off axis ray height position

observatory dome

A hemispherical covering that is rotatable about a central axis. There is a slit opening along one side wide enough to allow a telescope to be directed at any vertical angle up to 90°.

obsidian

An acid-resistant, lustrous volcanic glass, usually black or banded.

occluder

A device that completely or partially restricts the amount of light reaching the eye.

OCCR

optical Chinese character recognition

OCDU

optics coupling display unit

ocean color

Refers to the characteristic hue of the ocean according to the presence and concentration of specific minerals or substances, such as chlorophyll. Atmospheric aberrations of color must be corrected...

OCM

optical countermeasure

OCO

optically coupled oscillator

octave

In optics, an octave typically refers to a range of frequencies or wavelengths that spans a factor of 2. In other words, when dealing with optics, an octave encompasses a doubling of frequency or...

ocular -> eyepiece

Also known as ocular. The lens system used between the final real image in a visual optical system and eye. It acts as an image magnifier. Many types of eyepieces are known; e.g., the Huygens used in...

ocular accommodation

The physical adaption of the eye lens, by means of ciliary muscle contraction, in order to maintain a clear, in focus image of light and other objects and surroundings at a given distance onto the...

ocular accommodation reflex

The eye's involuntary reaction in the process of accommodation. This reflex is most dramatic in response to looking at a distant object after having previously been focused on a near object or vice...

ocular prism

The prism used in a rangefinder to bend the lines of sight through the instruments into the eyepieces.

ocular surface

That surface of a lens located nearest to the eye.

oculometer

An electro-optical infrared tracker consisting of a beamsplitter, an illuminating source, an image dissector tube and an electronics unit, that automatically acquires and tracks particular eye...

OCWR

optical continuous wave reflectometer

optical density; outside diameter

Photonics DictionaryO