Photonics Dictionary

The energy in a medium per unit volume.

A laser that distributes its output power among two, three or four optical fibers simultaneously.

Directed energy refers to a type of energy that is emitted and transferred in a controlled direction. The term is often associated with military and technological applications where energy, typically...

A light source that produces an equal-energy spectrum.

Spectrum characterized by equal energy (power, flux) per unit wavelength interval.

A stimulus that contains equal energy at each wavelength in the visible region of the spectrum.

The difference between the energy of an atom in its ground state and that of the same atom in its excited (quantum) state.

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a mechanism describing the transfer of energy between two closely spaced fluorescent molecules. This phenomenon is named after the German scientist...

Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from the fusion of light atomic nuclei, typically isotopes of hydrogen, through a...

Also known as integrated exposure. A measurement of light from sources that vary rapidly with time, defined as the integral of instantaneous power and time and expressed as units per second.

With respect to the crystal, the decrease in energy that follows the process whereby the ions, separated from each other by an infinite distance, are brought to their locations in the stable lattice....

The transfer of energy lost by radiation to the body, relative to the loss of energy per unit of path traveled.

A measure of the time-integrated amount of flux. It has units of lumen-seconds and might be used to describe such things as the radiant energy that the eye would receive from a photographic flash.

The energy passed on as electromagnetic radiation; e.g., radio, heat or light waves.

The ratio of radiant energy reflected from a rough surface to that incident on it. Usually, the radiant energy is total solar energy; thus, it is not a spectral quantity.

Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a specialized technique in biophysics and molecular biology used to study the distances and dynamic interactions between two...

A 3D profile sensor, also known as a 3D profiling sensor or 3D depth sensor, is a technology that is used to capture and measure the three-dimensional shape or profile of an object or a scene. These...

Designed for the function of optical wavefront analysis. Shack-Hartmann camera aberration sensors use a lens array to image the wavefront to the CCD image plane. Live feedback may be applied through...

The minimum energy required to induce atomic and molecular separation or displacement due to incident intense laser irradiation.

The measurement of heat energy as determined from absolute zero as the zero point on the scale. Increments are identical to the Celsius as well as Kelvin scales.

The natural log of the ratio of absorbed intensity over the total intensity which gives a constant value assuming a stable volume as well as energy. In optical physics the absorbance may be defined...

The ratio of energy or intensity absorbed by the medium (numerator) to the total incident energy.

The transfer of energy from an incident electromagnetic energy field with wavelength or frequency to an atomic or molecular medium.

A group of frequencies or wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum which exhibits resonance or energy contributions near and in relation to a peak resonance wavelength.

An absorption peak refers to a sharp increase or spike in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a particular wavelength or energy level. It is a distinctive feature in the absorption...

Impurity in a semiconductor or any other electroluminescent device capable of inducing hole conduction and accepting a valence band electron to produce an acceptor energy level.

Stimulating light used for the production of energy through photosynthesis, solar cell or other light senstitive device.

Electromagnetic energy that is capable of producing photochemical activity.

The transport of molecules in a cell which requires the use of a cell's internal energy. The energy used in the cell may be ATP as a primary transport or an electrochemical gradient give as the...

A 2-million W, 2.7-µm-wavelength hydrogen-fluoride laser used as a directed energy weapon.

A light source that emits an uneven distribution of radiant energy through the visible range.

Gamma ray radiation released when matter and antimatter, such as electron and positron, unite and eliminate each other, transforming completely into energy. The resulting gamma ray spectrum depends...

An arc flash is a sudden release of electrical energy due to an electric arc — a continuous, high-current discharge of electricity between conductors or from a conductor to ground. Arc flashes...

Radioactivity formed by the bombardment of stable elements by either neutrons or high-energy, charged particles under regulated conditions.

The area of optics in which the wave nature of a particle is exploited to carry out very accurate interferometry and other optical techniques with atoms instead of photons. In this process, particles...

An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical elements in a sample by measuring the absorption of light at...

The analysis of the atomic structure of a sample by means of a source radiation that is absorbed and emitted by the sample with lines corresponding to the number and arrangement of atoms. Generally a...

An atomic clock is a highly precise timekeeping device that uses the vibrations or oscillations of atoms as a reference for measuring time. The most common type of atomic clock uses the vibrations of...

Spectrometric analysis of the distinct and characteristic spectra of atoms of elements. The atoms are energized to emit radiant energy, which, when dispersed by a prism or diffraction grating,...

Attenuation refers to the gradual loss or reduction of intensity, force, or magnitude of a particular property as it propagates through a medium or travels over a distance. This concept is prevalent...

Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of attoseconds (1 attosecond = 10-18 seconds). These ultrafast light pulses are in...

Attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAP) is an advanced technique in ultrafast spectroscopy that allows scientists to study the dynamics of electronic processes occurring on extremely...

The radiation-free transition that takes place within an ion, in which inner-shell vacancies in neutral atoms are filled by outer-shell electrons, thereby transferring energy to other electrons,...

The energy analysis of electrons released in a secondary step following initial excitation or ionization.

Autofluorescence refers to the natural emission of fluorescence exhibited by certain biological structures or molecules when exposed to light. Unlike fluorescence that results from the application of...

The luminescence of a substance that is produced by energy within it (e.g., radioactive material).