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Meadowlark Optics - Building system MR 7/23

250 terms

Photonics Dictionary: S

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SDFOV

simultaneous dual field of view

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.

semitransparent and p-phase annular aperture

An aperture consisting of a semitransparent central region whose amplitude transmittance only is varied, and the relative phase difference between the central and annular region is fixed as p -...

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...

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.

splitting uniformity

When splitting the output of a single optical fiber into two or more fibers, the difference in the maximum loss between any two channels.

stabilizing platform

A platform mount used to hold sensitive optical instruments immobile.

simultaneous dual field of view

A passive infrared system that uses two line-of-sight telescopes to generate both narrow and wide field-of-view images of the same target area, which can be presented on a single split screen or on...

splay -> deformation constant

Any of the constants that relate the tendency of the director to remain parallel to restoring torques throughout the media. The three constants of importance in liquid crystal displays are: splay --...

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...

Saha equation

Formula that describes the thermal equilibrium of gas electrons and ions as a direct function of variations in temperature.

SAMPE

Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering

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.

sandwich holography

The simultaneous exposure of two holographic plates with emulsions facing the object. After deformation, a second pair of plates is exposed to the deformed object. The back plate of the initial pair...

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...

scanner

1. A device used to trace out an object and build up an image. One of the most common of these types is video scanning. The scanning takes place inside the television tube as electrons, guided by...

scanning

The successive analysis or synthesizing of the light values or other similar characteristics of the components of a picture area, following a given method.

scanning acoustic microscope

Also called scanning laser acoustic microscope. A device that uses high-frequency ultrasound waves to penetrate surfaces. A scanning laser beam is used as a detector, which transmits information...

scanning electron micrograph

The picture formed by the scanning beam of electrons in a scanning electron microscope.

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...

scanning probe microscope

See atomic force microscope; magnetic force microscope; near-field scanning optical microscope; scanning tunneling microscope.

scannogram

The record formed on paper by a scanner.

scattered fringe period

Measure of the interference fringe pattern produced by the forward scattering of light by an optical fiber; the fringe pattern is inversely proportional to the fiber diameter.

scatterometry

A measurement technique used for the rapid quantitative evaluation of surface quality based on the detection and analysis of light scattered from the surface.

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...

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...

Schlieren photography

The formation of a picture or image in which the density gradients in a volume of flow are rendered visible. The image is formed by refraction and scattering from areas of varying refractive index.

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.

Schottky-barrier IRCCD

A form of infrared CCD that utilizes internal photoemission as a photodetection mechanism.

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

1. The variation in intensity of a light beam as it travels through the atmosphere. 2. In radiation physics, a light flash formed by an ionizing event in a phosphor; a flash formed when rapidly...

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...

scintillation spectrometry

The method of determining the energy distribution of high-speed charged particles by the luminous effect formed when the particles strike a material.

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...

screen

The large, usually flat surface onto which an image is projected for viewing. May be reflecting or transmitting (rear projection).

Photonics DictionaryS