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184 terms

Photonics Dictionary: S

Clear All Filters x Cu x S x
sample-and-hold circuit

A device that acquires a signal and then stores it for a specified period of time before processing, and used, for example, to reduce noise as in correlated double sampling.

second-side meniscus

The process of grinding the convex surface of a convexo-concave meniscus.

semilenticular screen

A projection screen having vertical ribs or flutes set into a plastic surface.

short-focus lens -> wide-angle lens

A wide-angle lens is a type of camera lens that has a shorter focal length than a standard or normal lens, allowing it to capture a broader field of view. Wide-angle lenses are characterized by their...

single molecule localization microscopy

Single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is a group of super-resolution microscopy techniques that surpass the diffraction limit of traditional optical microscopes, allowing for the...

single-molecule FRET

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...

single-molecule spectroscopy

An advanced technique that allows the detection of one molecule within a crystal or a cell through optical excitation. Single-molecule spectroscopy (SMS) can image at subwavelength scales, down to a...

slicing and cutting machines - for crystals, quartz, glass, etc.

A crystal, glass, or quartz slicing and cutting machine is a specialized piece of equipment used in the manufacturing process to precisely cut and slice materials such as crystals, glass, and quartz...

soft-focus filter

A filter that creates spherical aberration resulting in an image with a soft outline.

soft-focus lens

A lens that exhibits spherical aberration when used at large aperture settings, and that forms an image with a slightly blurred outline.

solar occultation

Measurement of absorption by the gas of interest in the 2- to 6-µm range as a function of tangent height pressure. The pressure profile may be inferred by using CO2 absorption profile...

spectrum locus

On a chromaticity diagram, the line on which fall the chromaticities of the pure spectrum colors.

specular -> specular reflection

Pertaining to the manner in which light is reflected, as by a mirror or speculum.

specular reflection

Pertaining to the manner in which light is reflected, as by a mirror or speculum.

specular reflector

A reflector that exhibits specular reflectance, producing a direct image of its source. Also known as regular reflectance.

specular transmission

See regular transmittance; the term specular is not properly applied to transmission.

spicule

A feature in the chromosphere of the sun formed by a jet of gas that reaches from the chromosphere into the corona and has the appearance of a brightly luminous spike.

stereo acuity

The ability to perceive binocularly the apparent depth and relative distance of objects.

SELFOC fiber

Derived from "self-focusing,'' Nippon Sheet Glass Co. (NSG) of Japan's trade name for graded-index fiber rods with parabolic index profile, suitable for use as cylindrical microlenses.

SELFOC lens -> SELFOC fiber

Derived from "self-focusing,'' Nippon Sheet Glass Co. (NSG) of Japan's trade name for graded-index fiber rods with parabolic index profile, suitable for use as cylindrical microlenses.

saccadic motion

The movement of the eye as it focuses on details of a scene. Some imaging systems mimic this movement by small, rapid scanning motions of the sensor.

sag

1. In the geometric sense, an abbreviation for the term "sagitta,'' the height of a curve measured from the chord. and it is exact for a parabola. 2. Conforming a sheet of glass to a...

sagitta -> sag

1. In the geometric sense, an abbreviation for the term "sagitta,'' the height of a curve measured from the chord. and it is exact for a parabola. 2. Conforming a sheet of glass to a...

sampling theorem -> Nyquist criterion

In image acquisition (and sampling theory), the postulate that the pickup sampling frequency must be a minimum of twice as high as the Nyquist rate of brightness change of any detail to be resolved....

sapphire -> sapphire

Sapphire refers to a crystalline form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that is used in various optical and photonic applications due to its exceptional optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Sapphire...

sapphire crystal

Sapphire crystal refers to a transparent, single-crystal form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) known as corundum. It is one of the hardest known materials, second only to diamond on the Mohs scale of...

sapphire optical fiber

Sapphire optical fiber is a type of optical fiber made from single-crystal sapphire, which is a form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that is highly transparent in the infrared region of the electromagnetic...

sapphire window

A sapphire window refers to a transparent optical component made from sapphire crystal. Sapphire is a single-crystal form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that is highly prized for its exceptional optical...

sapphire

Savart plate

A double-plate device used to transmit polarized light and form interference fringes of the light, thus indicating its presence. It consists of two calcite plates of equal thickness, cut parallel to...

scalar diffraction theory

Scalar diffraction theory is a simplified approach used to describe the propagation of electromagnetic waves, particularly light, as they encounter obstacles or apertures. It is termed "scalar"...

scaling law

In coherence theory, an optical law put forth by physicist Emil Wolf that explains the behavior of light as it travels away from its source over large distances in space. Light spectra are assumed to...

scanning beam

A light, radar or electron beam used to scan according to a particular method.

scanning electron microscope

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a powerful imaging instrument used in scientific research, materials characterization, and various industrial applications. Unlike traditional optical...

scanning electron microscopy

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to obtain high-resolution, three-dimensional images of the surfaces of solid specimens. SEM achieves this by...

scatterplate

A flat plate having its surface formed into a random pattern by abrasives. Radiation wavelengths that are longer than the scale of the pattern are specularly reflected; shorter wavelengths are...

SCC

standard cubic centimeter

Schlieren optics

An optical system that records inhomogeneities within a medium by detecting the energy refracted by that portion of the medium in which the inhomogeneity occurs. The image appears in the form of a...

Schmidt camera

A camera that consists of a concave spherical mirror with an aspheric plate situated at the center of curvature of the mirror. The purpose of the plate is to correct the spherical aberration of the...

Schmidt correction plate -> Schmidt plate

An aspheric plate placed at, or near, the center of curvature of a spherical reflector and used to correct for spherical aberration.

Schmidt plate

An aspheric plate placed at, or near, the center of curvature of a spherical reflector and used to correct for spherical aberration.

Schmitt trigger

Oscilloscope electronic circuit that produces an output pulse whose pulse width is determined by the time that the output voltage exceeds a specified level.

scientific CMOS camera

A scientific CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera is a type of digital camera specifically designed for scientific imaging applications. It employs CMOS sensor technology, which...

scientific complementary metal-oxide semiconductor

Scientific complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (sCMOS) refers to a type of image sensor technology specifically designed for scientific and industrial imaging applications. Unlike traditional...

scintillation detector

A scintillation detector is a radiation detection device that utilizes scintillation crystals to detect and measure ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays, x-rays, or charged particles. It consists...

scoring

The cutting of pitch tooling surfaces by an optical technician to permit polishing compounds to flow across the surface of the tool.

scratch

A defect on a polished optical surface whose length is many times its width. Block reek is a chainlike scratch formed in polishing. A runner cut is a curved scratch caused by grinding. A sleek is a...

second-harmonic generation

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine within a nonlinear material, resulting in the generation of a new photon...

second-order nonlinear optical properties

Second-order nonlinear optical properties refer to a class of phenomena exhibited by certain materials in response to intense light, typically in the realm of optics and photonics. Nonlinear optical...

secondary chromatic aberration -> secondary color

An aberration that remains after primary color is corrected. Primary color causes the back focus of a lens to vary with wavelength; for example, blue light comes to focus closer to the lens than...

Photonics DictionaryS