Photonics Dictionary: S

Device that uses a coherent reference wave to record the interference patterns produced by incident ultrasonic waves on an object.

Filtered light to which photographic or other photosensitive materials are not responsive; used to illuminate darkrooms when film is being processed. The color of the filter varies according to the...

Short wavelength infrared (SWIR) refers to the portion of the infrared spectrum that encompasses wavelengths roughly between 1,000 and 3,000 nanometers (nm). In the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared...

A mechanical or electronic device used to control the amount of time that a light-sensitive material is exposed to radiation.

A silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector specifically designed for detecting and measuring light intensity. Silicon...

An emulsion in which grains of the photosensitive material silver halide are deposited. Each grain, when exposed to light, either develops or fails to develop as a unit, leaving a dark or clear...

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...

An instrument used for viewing in low levels of illumination by means of infrared radiation. A high-aperture lens forms an image of distant objects on the photocathode of an infrared-sensitive image...

An imaging system that uses a mosaic of tiny light-sensitive semiconductors (phototransistors) to produce individual outputs that are then converted into a coherent video signal.

A tiny lens (as small as 100 µm in diameter) used to focus light on charge-coupled devices, formed by heating a photosensitive material exposed through a mask, leaving a pattern of raised...

A platform mount used to hold sensitive optical instruments immobile.

A projection printer that is capable of reproducing a multiplicity of images from a master transparency on a single support coated with a photosensitive layer by indexing the receiving material from...

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that enhances the Raman scattering signal of molecules adsorbed on or near certain nanostructured surfaces. Raman...

A detector sensitive only to signals close to or at a particular frequency that is the same as the frequency of a control signal applied independently. The synchronous detector also is...