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PI Physik Instrumente - Semiconductor Applications 5/24 ROS LB
PIC Dictionary Terms

optogenetics
A discipline that combines optics and genetics to enable the use of light to stimulate and control cells in living tissue,...
mesopic vision
Vision at intermediate levels of luminance between photopic and scotopic vision, where both retinal cones and retinal rods...
micrurgy
The use of a micromanipulator in combination with a microscope for the purposes of examining, dissecting, or the...
kinescope
A cathode-ray tube that serves as a picture tube in a television receiver. The signal representing the picture intensity is...
fractional photothermolysis
A laser skin-resurfacing method that creates microscopic thermal wounds referred to as microscopic treatment zones (MTZs),...
infrared detector
An infrared detector is a device that is used to detect and measure infrared radiation, which lies beyond the visible...
quantum dot light-emitting diode
Quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) is a display technology that utilizes quantum dots, which are semiconductor...
holographic camera
A holographic camera, also known as a holographic imaging system or holographic recorder, is a specialized device used to...
monochromator
A monochromator is an optical instrument used to isolate and select a narrow range of wavelengths from a broader spectrum of...
knife-edge scanning microscope
An imaging device originally created to image whole mouse brain volumes at microscopic resolution. The main component of the...
prism binoculars
A pair of telescopes with prismatically erected images, mounted side by side with the eyepieces at the interocular distance...
fiber Bragg grating
A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is a type of optical filter that is inscribed or "written" into the core of an optical fiber. It...
pairing
In interlaced television scanning, an effect in which the lines of one field fail to fall exactly within the lines of the...
periscopic lens
Two simple meniscus lenses arranged symmetrically on either side of the aperture stop, providing reduced coma, lateral color...
anisotropic
Anisotropic is a term used to describe a material or substance that exhibits different properties or behaviors in different...
lattice
In photonics, a lattice refers to a periodic arrangement of optical elements or structures, often on a microscopic or...
underwater television system
A television system designed to obtain pictures of objects or scenes beneath the surface of the water. Generally, a...
picture monitor
A kinescope used to survey the details of television video transmission.
Peltier cooler
A Peltier cooler, also known as a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) or thermoelectric module, is a solid-state device that uses...
ion laser
A laser in which the transition involved in stimulated emission of radiation takes place between two levels of an ionized...
inertial confinement fusion
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a method of achieving nuclear fusion, a process where two atomic nuclei combine to...
modulation transfer function analysis/measurement equipment
MTF analysis/measurement equipment refers to instruments and tools used to measure and analyze the modulation transfer...
polymerase chain reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used molecular biology technique used to amplify a specific segment of DNA...
GigE
GigE, short for gigabit Ethernet, refers to a standard for high-speed Ethernet communication, capable of transmitting data...
fluorescence
Fluorescence is a type of luminescence, which is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other...
custom lapping and polishing services
Custom lapping and polishing services involve specialized processes used to improve the surface finish and dimensional...
meta-optics
Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
optical comparator
Typically used for the examination of manufactured or engineered parts, an optical gauging device, in which a backlight is...
density matrix formulation
The exact mathematical description of the interactions of matter and intense electromagnetic fields, such as those that...
plasma accelerator
A plasma accelerator is a type of particle accelerator that uses electric fields and magnetic fields to accelerate charged...
micro-LED
Micro-LED (micro-light-emitting diode) refers to a technology that involves the use of very small light-emitting diodes to...
short wavelength infrared
Short wavelength infrared (SWIR) refers to the portion of the infrared spectrum that encompasses wavelengths roughly between...
Voigt effect
The induced birefringence in isotropic gases that results when the gases are placed in strong fields.
beam profiler
A device that measures the spatial distribution of energy perpendicular to the propagation path of a radiant beam. An energy...
InGaAs photodiode
An InGaAs photodiode refers to a photodetector device that is constructed using a semiconductor material composed of a...
chronophotography
The photographic recording of an action by taking a series of still pictures at regular intervals throughout the action.
q-switched operation
Q-switched operation, or q-switching, is a technique used in lasers to produce short and intense pulses of light. The term...
holmium laser
Holmium lasers are a type of medical laser that utilizes holmium-doped crystals as the gain medium. The term holmium laser...
microdisplay
A microdisplay is a miniature electronic display technology that is designed to project visual information onto a small...
differential spectrophotometry
The measurement of the spectrum bands formed by a spectroscopic sample, based on the differences between the sample and the...
pel
Contraction of "picture element." See pixel.
synchronous pumping
The technique of generating ultrashort -- down to subpicosecond -- pulses by pumping a dye laser with mode-locked laser...
photonic integrated circuit
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a compact and integrated device that incorporates multiple photonic components and...
halide
In chemistry, a halide refers to a chemical compound containing one or more halogen atoms bonded to another element. The...
quantum efficiency
Quantum efficiency (QE) is a measure of the effectiveness with which a device or system, typically in the context of...
heightfinder
A rangefinder used to determine the height or altitude of aerial targets by means of optical triangulation. The device...
lenticular stereo photography
A type of stereoscopic photography in which a pair of lenses focuses a pair of images, relative to the positions of the two...
Greenough microscope
A form of a stereoscopic microscope having paired objectives, prisms and eyepieces, and invented by H. Greenough.
xenon arc
The arc formed when the rare gas xenon is excited electrically and emits a brilliant white light. Xenon is used to fill...
exciton
An exciton is a quasiparticle that represents the bound state of an electron and a hole in a solid-state material, typically...
turbidity
Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by the presence of suspended particles. These...
plasmonics
Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
spectral luminous efficiency
Ratio of the radiant flux at a particular wavelength lm to that at any other wavelength l, such that both radiations produce...
digital signal processing
Digital signal processing (DSP) refers to the manipulation and analysis of signals, which are representations of physical...
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
carrier injection
Carrier injection refers to the process of introducing charge carriers (either electrons or holes) into a semiconductor...
distortion
A general term referring to the situation in which an image is not a true-to-scale reproduction of an object. The term also...
grain isolating diaphragm
In a microscope, the diaphragm located between the Bertrand lens and the eyepiece, which is closed during conoscopic viewing...
chalcogenide
Chalcogenide refers to a class of compounds containing elements from group 16 of the periodic table, which includes sulfur...
breakout cable
A breakout cable, also known as a fan-out cable or breakout assembly, is a type of cable that combines multiple individual...
base-altitude ratio
In aerial photography, the ratio derived from a stereoscopic pair of photographs that represents the air-base length divided...
vibrational transition
A vibrational transition refers to a change in the vibrational energy of a molecule. Molecules consist of atoms that are...
transducer
A transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields,...
spectroscopic flash
The light flash, produced in flash photolysis, that is triggered within a second discharge tube by the third electrode. It...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and...
light field
The term light field refers to the spatial distribution of light rays traveling in all directions through a given space. It...
laser annealing
Laser annealing is a process that involves using a laser beam to heat and modify the microstructure of a material, typically...
light-beating spectroscopy
The spectroscopic analysis of optical line shapes and frequency shifts, using the technique of light beating; i.e., the...
tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
A spectroscopic technique that combines the high chemical specificity of Raman scattering and signal sensitivity provided by...
free-space optics
Free-space optics (FSO), also known as optical wireless communication or optical wireless networking, refers to the...
photochromic
Photochromic refers to a property exhibited by certain materials, typically organic compounds or dyes, which undergo...
network interface card
A network interface card (NIC), also known as a network adapter or LAN adapter, is a hardware component that allows...
beta fluorography
The use of a short-duration electron beam to record high-speed events that occur in microscopic objects made of materials...
light diffusion
Light diffusion refers to the process by which light is scattered or spread out in various directions as it interacts with a...
nanoimprint lithography
Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a nanolithography technique used for fabricating nanoscale patterns on a substrate. It is a...
deep learning
Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that involves the use of artificial neural networks to model and solve complex...
spectroscopic binaries
Two stars so close together that they cannot be resolved by telescopes. They are proved to be double stars by the doubling...
mosaic structure
In a crystal, its subdivision into polyhedral blocks of macroscopic sizes, with discontinuities contained in the lattice...
colorimeter
A colorimeter is a device used to measure and quantify the color characteristics of an object or a light source. It provides...
bayonet coupling
A coupling mechanism designed to quickly lock a connector into an adaptor or a lens into a lens mount. Typically coupling is...
ferroelectric materials
Ferroelectric materials are a type of dielectric materials that exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, meaning they...
constant variant enhancement
Technique that uses high-pass filtering to reduce the local average to zero for all regions of the picture and then applies...
linear image sensor
A linear image sensor is a type of solid-state electronic device used to capture and convert light into electrical signals....
intravital microscopy
Intravital microscopy is an imaging technique used to visualize biological processes within living organisms, typically in...
two-photon excited fluorescence
Two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) is a nonlinear optical method that allows imaging of biological cells and living...
piezoelectric motion systems
Piezoelectric motion systems are mechanical systems that utilize piezoelectric materials to generate controlled motion or...
optical fiber
Optical fiber is a thin, flexible, transparent strand or filament made of glass or plastic used for transmitting light...
optically isotropic crystal
A transparent crystalline substance that displays the same optical properties (i.e. refractive index) in all directions such...
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...
GRIN lens
A GRIN (gradient index) lens is a type of optical lens that utilizes a gradient in refractive index across its volume rather...
gray-scale image
An image consisting of an array of pixels that can have more than two values (black and white). Typically, up to 16 levels...
wafer
In the context of electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, a wafer refers to a thin, flat disk or substrate made of a...
stereocomparator
1. A stereoscope that has adjustable scales to allow the determination of distances and dimensions from stereoscopic...
laser lithotripsy
Laser lithotripsy is a medical procedure that uses laser energy to break down or fragment stones in various parts of the...
optical component
One or more optical elements – typically cemented together - in an optical system that are treated as a single group;...
red, green, blue
RGB stands for red, green, blue, which are the primary colors of light used in additive color mixing. The RGB color model is...
calcium iodide
A hygroscopic powder used in the photographic process.
Secondary Speckle Pattern
A self-interference effect that generates random patterns; secondary speckle pattern (SSP) typically occurs in diffuse...
light fidelity
LiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...
double-clad fiber
Double-clad fiber (DCF) is a specialized optical fiber that features two concentric cladding layers surrounding a core. The...
phosphorescence spectroscopy
The spectroscopic study of the radiation emitted by the lifetime of phosphorescence.
phase
In optics and photonics, "phase" refers to a property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the position...
solid-state laser
A solid-state laser is a type of laser that uses a solid gain medium (as opposed to a liquid or gas) to produce coherent...
low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit (LEO) refers to a region in space that is relatively close to Earth's surface, typically characterized by...
dichroscopic eyepiece
An eyepiece used in a polariscope or polarizing microscope to give a comparison view of the same object under illumination...
two-photon polymerization
Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a technique used in additive manufacturing, specifically in the field of 3D printing. It...
saticon
A direct-readout television pickup tube.
remote sensing
Remote sensing is a method of data collection and observation where information about objects, areas, or phenomena on...
metalens
A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...
lithography
Lithography is a key process used in microfabrication and semiconductor manufacturing to create intricate patterns on the...
epitaxial deposition
Epitaxial deposition is a process used in semiconductor manufacturing and materials science to grow a thin crystalline...
parallel scanning
Parallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather...
infrared lens
An infrared lens is an optical component specifically designed and optimized for transmitting, focusing, or manipulating...
crystal optics
The study of the transmission of radiant energy through crystals, especially anisotropic crystals, and their effects on...
CCD camera
A CCD camera, or charge-coupled device camera, is a type of digital camera that utilizes a CCD image sensor to capture and...
holographic microscopy
The holographic recording of a microscopic specimen whereby magnification is achieved by alteration in a wavelength or...
fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna
A fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna (FCPA) is a type of optoelectronic device that combines a photoconductive antenna...
optical gate
An optical gate typically refers to a device or system that controls the transmission of light, allowing it to pass through...
anamorphoscope
A cylindrical convex viewing mirror used for viewing distorted pictures formed by photographing the reflections of the...
microstereology
Microscopic investigation of two-dimensional areas of a three-dimensional object that can be quantitatively evaluated by...
photogrammetry
Photogrammetry is a technique used to obtain accurate three-dimensional measurements of objects and environments through the...
laser diode module
A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...
remote inspection
Remote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or...
crystal field
The electrostatic field acting locally within a crystal as a result of the microscopic arrangement of atoms and ions in the...
image dissector tube
An electron tube that is used as a camera tube for a television system. When the picture to be transmitted is focused on a...
micro-ring resonator
A micro-ring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
sequence camera
A type of motion-picture camera in which single frames are photographed either automatically at a predetermined rate (as...
globulite
A crystal of microscopic size having no definite plane faces and having a globular shape. At the time the crystal is formed,...
lock-in amplifier
A lock-in amplifier is a specialized electronic instrument used to extract and measure small signals embedded in noise or...
alexandrite lasers
An alexandrite laser is a solid-state laser that utilizes a synthetic crystal made from the rare earth element alexandrite...
plastic optical fiber
Plastic optical fiber (POF) is a type of optical fiber made from transparent plastic, typically polymethylmethacrylate...
excimer laser
An excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet laser that emits short pulses of light in the ultraviolet spectrum. The term...
volume Bragg gratings
Volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) are specialized optical elements that consist of periodic variations in refractive index...
stroboscopic light source
An electronic flash tube capable of repeated operation at hundreds or thousands of flashes per second for long periods.
laser-mediated gene transfer
Laser-mediated gene transfer refers to a technique in molecular biology and genetic engineering that utilizes lasers to...
x-ray microprobe analysis
The method of acquiring characteristic x-ray spectra from microscopic samples by use of the combination of a scanning...
magnetic resonance spectroscopy
A method of studying the chemical and physical properties of atoms and molecules (typically living tissue and chemical...
pico (p)
In the SI system, prefix meaning 10-12.
near-infrared camera
A near-infrared (NIR) camera is an imaging device designed to capture images in the near-infrared region of the...
audiovisual
Concerned with the transmission and reception of both sight and sound. An audiovisual system communicates pictorial images...
crystal diamagnetism
The unusual and anisotropic diamagnetic quality observed in particular crystals such as those composed of bismuth.
achromat
An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration....
photobleaching
Photobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently...
ospin
Opsins are a group of light-sensitive proteins found primarily in the retinas of vertebrate and invertebrate eyes, as well...
spectral domain optical coherence tomography
Spectral domain optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in...
microbending
In optical fiber, sharp but microscopic curvatures that create local axial displacements of a few microns and spatial...
mid-wave infrared
MWIR stands for mid-wave infrared, referring to a specific range of wavelengths within the infrared spectrum. Infrared...
photocathodes
Photocathodes are specialized materials or surfaces that exhibit the photoelectric effect, wherein the absorption of photons...
flash photolysis
A spectroscopic technique used in the detection of free radicals by virtue of their electronic spectra. In this method, an...
lensless microscopy
Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
laser active elements
Laser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...
long-pass filter
A long-pass filter is an optical filter that allows longer wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking or...
vacuum chamber
A vacuum chamber is a sealed enclosure from which air and other gases are removed to create a low-pressure environment,...
orthoscopic eyepiece
A telescopic eyepiece that produces a field of view between 40° and 50°. The eyepiece consists of a single element...
hyperspectral resolution
Hyperspectral resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in the spectral information captured by a...
umbilical
A connection, typically made up of one or more cables, between a laser head and a separate power supply. Flexible pipes or...
picking
The process whereby pitch is broken and the lenses or blanks are removed from the block.
3D printing
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional objects...
whole slide imaging
Whole slide imaging (WSI), also known as virtual slide microscopy or digital pathology, is a technology that involves the...
polariton
A polariton is a quasiparticle resulting from the strong coupling between photons (light particles) and certain types of...
nanophotonics
Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...
spatial light modulator
A spatial light modulator (SLM) is an optical device that modulates or manipulates the amplitude, phase, or polarization of...
modified chemical vapor deposition
Modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) is a technique used in the fabrication of optical fibers. It is a specialized form...
analytical photography
The use of photographs -- motion picture or still -- to establish if a particular event exists.
laser sintering
Laser sintering is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that involves using a laser to selectively fuse...
optical table
An optical table, also known as an optical bench or an optical breadboard, is a specialized platform used in optics...
quantum dots
A quantum dot is a nanoscale semiconductor structure, typically composed of materials like cadmium selenide or indium...
mirror blank
A mirror blank refers to the initial piece of material from which a mirror is made. It is typically a flat or slightly...
microchannel plate
A microchannel plate (MCP) is a specialized electron multiplier device used in various applications such as particle...
automated optical inspection
Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a technology used in manufacturing processes, particularly in electronics, to...
pixel pitch
Pixel pitch refers to the distance between the centers of two adjacent pixels on a display screen or imaging sensor. It is...
flying spot scanner
A device used to scan, with a small, intensely bright spot, portions of a picture surface and to transform the original...
electrophoretic display
An electrophoretic display, often referred to as an electronic paper display or e-paper display, is a type of electronic...
infrared light-emitting diode
An infrared light-emitting diode (IR LED) is a semiconductor device that emits infrared light when an electric current...
high-speed holography
The holographic recording of sequences of high-speed phenomena. With a multiple beam laser, multiple holograms that depict...
arc light source
In present usage, especially for spectroscopic identification, an arc between electrodes that serves as a radiation source....
facsimile
The reproduction of a picture or image, produced by scanning the image and converting it into electrical signals that carry...
MSM photodiode
A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode is a type of photodetector that consists of metal electrodes on a semiconductor...
spectrum light source
A lamp that yields a nonluminous flame; used in the spectroscopic analysis of radiation emitted by a substance placed in the...
Petzval lens
A high-speed, narrow-field lens consisting of two achromats spaced about the aperture stop. Its uses include portrait...
Martens wedge
A wedge-shaped piece of quartz typically found in a polarimeter to monitor and rotate the plane of polarization of plane...
lens
A lens is a transparent optical device that focuses or diverges light, allowing it to pass through and form an image. Lenses...
diode-pumped solid-state laser
A diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) is a type of laser system that uses semiconductor diode lasers to pump energy into...
chip-on-board lights
Chip-on-board (COB) lights refer to a type of LED lighting technology where multiple LED chips are directly mounted onto a...
dioptometer
A telescopic system having an eyepiece, a reticle and an objective. The instrument measures wavefront power in diopters.
effect filter
A color filter, generally used in photography, to emphasize certain color tones and to modify others in a picture for a more...
scintillation crystal
A scintillation crystal, also known simply as a scintillator, is a material that emits light when it interacts with ionizing...
cinemicrography
Cinematography performed with the use of a microscope to film the actions of microscopic specimens.
rare-earth elements
Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of seventeen chemical elements found in the Earth's crust, characterized by their...
exciter lamp
A small incandescent lamp whose intense beam is focused on the optical soundtrack of a motion picture film. The soundtrack...
calcite interference microscope
A microscope that allows examination of a small crystal and conveniently provides linearly polarized object and reference...
short-flash light source
An electronic flash tube in which the flash recurs at a frequency extending to many thousands per second. A stroboscopic...
frame rate
Frame rate refers to the frequency at which consecutive images, or frames, are displayed in a video sequence. It is...
dye laser
A laser using a dye solution as its active medium. Its output is a short pulse of broad spectral content and its achievable...
diode laser
A diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate coherent light....
Pockels cell
A Pockels cell, also known as an electro-optic modulator, is an optical device used to control the polarization of light by...
fused quartz and silica
Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...
spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is a technique used in the study of interactions between matter and electromagnetic radiation. It involves...
isotopically selected laser spectroscopy
A spectroscopic technique in which an excitation band absorbs laser energy resulting in an electronic transition. The...
sonoradiography
The diagnostic procedure that uses ultrasonic energy to probe the body and, with the help of laser beams, a reflecting...
epitaxial equipment
Epitaxial equipment refers to a set of specialized tools and systems used in the process of epitaxy, which is the growth of...
Casimir force
The Casimir force is a quantum phenomenon that results in an attractive force between two closely spaced uncharged...
neuromorphic vision sensor
A neuromorphic vision sensor is a type of imaging device designed to mimic the structure and functioning of the human visual...
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of optical lens that consists of a series of concentric grooves or steps carved into a flat, thin...
Becke line
A band of light that appears along the outer edge of a transparent material under microscopic investigation and that moves...
photoplethysmography
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a non-invasive optical technique used to detect changes in blood volume in tissues. It...
stereoscopic rangefinder
A rangefinder similar to a pair of binoculars with a long base, a dot or other wander mark provided in each eyepiece field,...
birefringence
Birefringence is an optical property of certain materials that causes them to exhibit different refractive indices for light...
substrate
A substrate refers to a material or surface upon which another material or process is applied or deposited. In various...
light-emitting diode
An LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
well plate
A well plate, also known as a microplate or microtiter plate, is a flat plate with multiple small wells or depressions...
quantitative phase imaging
Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to measure and analyze the optical...
phototheodolite
A camera equipped with angular scales in altitude and azimuth. The scale readings are imprinted on the film when an exposure...
photolithography
Photolithography is a key process in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and...
aspect ratio
With respect to pictorial displays, the ratio of the width to the height. The television standard in the US is 4:3....
reagent
A reagent is a substance or compound that is used in a chemical reaction to bring about a specific transformation or to...
photomask
A photomask, also known simply as a mask or reticle, is a key component in the photolithography process used in...
APD detector
An APD detector, or avalanche photodiode detector, is a type of photodetector used to detect light or optical signals by...
cold atom
Cold atoms refer to atoms that have been cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically in the microkelvin (µK) to...
optical assembly
An optical assembly refers to a collection of optical components that are carefully arranged and aligned to perform a...
doubly refracting crystal
A transparent crystalline substance that is anisotropic relative to the velocity of light.
phosphor dots
Very small phosphor particles present on the screen of a picture tube.
microdensitometry
The science that deals with the measurement of optical absorbance (i.e. optical densities) over microscopic areas of a given...
3D laser line profile sensor
A 3D profile sensor, also known as a 3D profiling sensor or 3D depth sensor, is a technology that is used to capture and...
Lippich prism
A small half-shade analyzer placed in the eyepiece of a polarimeter to determine the character of the polarized light...
image definition area
In computer graphics, the coordinated two-dimensional or three-dimensional area of increased resolution where graphics...
clinical photography
The application of photography, with the exception of radiography, to obtain pictures of parts or the whole of a patient to...
masks for evaporation/deposition
In the context of thin film deposition processes such as evaporation or sputtering, masks are used to selectively deposit...
Nernst glower
A Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater...
nanopositioning
Nanopositioning refers to the precise and controlled movement or manipulation of objects or components at the nanometer...
long-wave infrared
Long-wave infrared (LWIR) refers to a specific range of the infrared spectrum. Infrared radiation is divided into three main...
circular dichroism
Circular dichroism (CD) is a spectroscopic technique used to study the structural characteristics of chiral (asymmetric)...
rolling shutter artifacts
Rolling shutter artifacts are distortions or visual anomalies that can occur in images or videos captured by cameras with...
picosecond spectroscopy
A method of measuring complex sequential photosynthetic reactions by varying the pulse time and wavelength of light...
hyperchromic shift
Hyperchromic shift refers to an increase in the absorption of light, leading to a higher absorbance, often observed in...
plastic optics
Plastic optics refers to optical components or systems that are made from transparent plastic materials, as opposed to...
matrix
With respect to television, that part of a color television circuit that combines the I, Q and Y signals, and changes them...
ultrasonic
Ultrasonic refers to sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing, typically above...
plane densitometer
An instrument designed to give precise and rapid detection of changes in tumor growth as well as the location of small...
surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique that combines the principles of Raman spectroscopy...
endoscope
An endoscope is a medical device used for visualizing and examining the interior of hollow organs, body cavities, or...
serioscopy
A variation of tomography, which is a means of visualizing any one of a large set of parallel planes in the patient. A...
anamorphic
A term used to denote a difference in magnification along mutually perpendicular meridians. Anamorphic systems are basically...
atomic absorption spectrometer
An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical...
phenotype
In biology, particularly genetics and evolutionary biology, the phenotype refers to the observable characteristics or traits...
microdensitometer
The fundamental tool of microdensitometry, the microdensitometer is an instrument used for the precise measurement of...
stereoscope
A small instrument containing a picture support and a pair of magnifying lenses so arranged that the left eye sees only the...
GaAlAs laser
A GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic...
semiconductor
A semiconductor is a type of material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. In...
microscopy
Microscopy is a scientific technique that involves the use of microscopes to observe and study objects that are too small to...
Kerr soliton
A Kerr soliton refers to a specific type of soliton, a self-reinforcing wave packet, that arises in nonlinear optical...
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
picosecond continuum
A broadband, visible picosecond probe pulse capable of measuring an entire absorption spectrum in one shot.
lidar
Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and...
sheet polarizer
A sheet of plastic material containing microscopic crystals of herapathite or some other similar substance that transmits...
microphotograph
A photograph reduced to the microscopic scale and stored on a microfilm as seen with microfiches for the purpose of storing...
electrowetting display
An electrowetting display (EWD) is a type of electronic display technology that utilizes the principles of electrowetting to...
nonmonotonic cell
Used in halftone screens to change the fundamental sampled spatial frequency of the halftoned picture, as well as varying...
electron metallurgy
That branch of metallurgy that uses electron microscopic techniques in the examination of the nature of metals.
internal standard
A material that is present or added to a sample undergoing spectroscopic analysis, to serve as an intensity reference for...
scotopic vision
Vision by means of retinal rods; vision of the dark-adapted eye. In scotopic vision, the level of luminance is so low that...
black level
The level of the television picture signal that corresponds to the maximum limit of black peaks.
Brownian motion
The behavior of microscopic solid particles suspended in a fluid, first observed by botanist Robert Brown in 1827 as a...
deuterium discharge lamp
A discharge lamp filled with deuterium to produce high-intensity ultraviolet radiation for use in spectroscopic analysis.
multiplet
A group of related lines that represent transitions between two spectroscopic terms, each of which may be complex. Also in...
photovoltaic
Photovoltaic (PV) refers to a technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductors. The term...
MTF optimization
Computerized lens design algorithm that permits the lens MTF characteristic to be included and controlled during the...
homeotropic orientation
The perpendicular orientation of the molecular axes of the nematic molecules in a nematic crystal, relative to the electrode...
2D profile sensor
A 2D profile sensor is a type of sensor used in various industrial and technological applications to measure and capture...
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite characterized by its standardized size and modular design. CubeSats are...
photovoltaic cell
A photovoltaic cell, commonly known as a solar cell, is a semiconductor device that directly converts light energy into...
brightfield
Brightfield refers to a type of microscopy and imaging technique in which the specimen is illuminated with a white light...
photonics contract manufacturing
Photonics contract manufacturing refers to the outsourcing of the production of photonics-related components, devices, or...
autocollimator
An autocollimator is an optical instrument used for measuring small angular deviations with high precision. It operates on...
nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy
Nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy is a microscopy technique that combines the principles of photonic...
stereoscopic vision
Vision in depth of three dimensions as a result of the spacing of the eyes. This spacing allows the eyes to see objects from...
CMOS image sensor
A CMOS image sensor, short for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor, is a type of semiconductor device used...
microlens array
A microlens array is a grid-like structure composed of numerous small lenses, typically arranged in a regular pattern. Each...
liquid crystal light valve
A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV), also known as a spatial light modulator (SLM), is an optical device that modulates the...
near-infrared spectroscopy
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the...
extraordinary ray
A ray that has a nonisotropic speed in a doubly refracting crystal. It does not necessarily obey Snell's law upon refraction...
Nyquist criterion
In image acquisition (and sampling theory), the postulate that the pickup sampling frequency must be a minimum of twice as...
chalnicon
Proprietary name for a low-light-level TV pickup tube.
Ti:sapphire laser
A Ti:sapphire laser is a type of solid-state laser that utilizes a titanium-doped sapphire crystal as the gain medium. The...
spatial resolution
Spatial resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in an image or a spatial dataset. It is a measure of the...
time-correlated single photon counting
Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) is a technique used in photon counting applications, particularly in the...
single molecule localization microscopy
Single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is a group of super-resolution microscopy techniques that surpass the...
scanning disc
In field-sequential color television, the rotating tricolor disc placed between the subject and the lens, or between the...
convolutional neural network
A powerful and flexible machine-learning approach that can be used in machine vision to help solve difficult problems....
RTSP protocol
RTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is...
perspective distortion
The distortion that is the result of viewing a print from a point other than the center of perspective. The center of...
line scan
Line scan refers to a method of capturing images or data by scanning a single line at a time, as opposed to capturing the...
optical manufacturing tools and machinery
Optical manufacturing tools and machinery encompass a wide range of equipment, instruments, and systems used in the...
computer graphics
Computer output in the form of pictorial representation (graphs, charts, drawings, etc.) that is displayed visually.
high contrast
A term used to describe a photograph, film or television picture where the values for black and white areas are at or near...
ordinary ray
The ray that has an isotropic speed and maintains a uniform polarization in all propagation directions when traveling in a...
focal plane array
A linear or two-dimensional matrix of individual detector elements, typically used at the focus of an imaging system.
quantum key distribution
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method of secure communication that utilizes principles from quantum mechanics to...
Rockwell hardness
Rockwell hardness (Rc) refers to a method for measuring the hardness of a material, primarily metals, using an indentation...
indium phosphide
Indium phosphide (InP) is a compound semiconductor material composed of indium (In) and phosphorus (P). It belongs to the...
synchrotron
A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses magnetic fields to steer charged particles, typically electrons or...
laser cavity
A laser cavity, also known as an optical cavity or resonator, is a fundamental component of a laser system. It is a confined...
digital densitometry
Pictorial information processing in which the processed picture shows a family of equidensity lines or bands coded with...
edge-emitting LED
An edge-emitting light-emitting diode is a type of LED structure where light emission occurs primarily along the edge of the...
broadband dielectric mirrors
Broadband dielectric mirrors, also known as broadband mirrors, are optical coatings designed to efficiently reflect or...
scientific CMOS camera
A scientific CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera is a type of digital camera specifically designed for...
ray tracing
Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene....
second-order nonlinear optical properties
Second-order nonlinear optical properties refer to a class of phenomena exhibited by certain materials in response to...
stroboscopic interferometry
A pulsed interferometer that permits the continuous quantitative mapping of the surface deformation of an adaptive optical...
polygonal mirror
A polygonal mirror, also known as a multifaceted mirror or facet mirror, is a type of optical component used in various...
infrared photomicrography
Photographic recording that uses infrared radiation as the light source to form an image of a microscopic object and a...
bandgap
In semiconductor physics, the term bandgap refers to the energy range in a material where no electronic states are allowed....
microenvironmental control system
Equipment that supports microscopic live-cell imaging by managing the gas, media perfusion, temperature and other factors to...
embedded laser
The term "embedded laser" typically refers to a laser device that is integrated or embedded into a larger system or...
retroreflection
Retroreflection is a phenomenon in optics where light is reflected back toward its source, typically in a direction nearly...
hygroscopic
In fiber optics, a material whose properties, usually of transmission, are distinctly affected by the absorption of water...
liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...
Bose-Einstein condensate
A Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that forms at temperatures close to absolute zero. It is named after...
quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
aeolight
A glow discharge lamp consisting of a cold cathode and a mixture of inert gases. The intensity of illumination varies with...
helium-neon laser
A helium-neon (HeNe) laser is a type of gas laser that emits visible red light at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. It operates...
blind approach beacon system
A ground-based navigation beacon that emits pulsed signals which are picked up by aircraft making an instrument (blind)...
diffraction grating
A diffraction grating is an optical component consisting of a surface with a periodic structure of equally spaced, parallel...
Photoelastic equipment and supplies
Photoelastic equipment and supplies refer to instruments and materials used in photoelasticity, a technique used to analyze...
off-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirror
Off-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirrors are specialized optical components used in various optical systems, particularly...
direct viewing
The observation of a reproduced television picture on the face of a cathode-ray tube.
texel
A contraction for "texture element." A base unit used in computer graphics that defines the surface of three-dimensional...
molded lens
A molded lens is an optical lens manufactured using a molding process, typically involving the shaping of a material, such...
scanning electron micrograph
The picture formed by the scanning beam of electrons in a scanning electron microscope.
beam diameter
1. Calculated distance between two exactly opposed points on a beam at a chosen fraction of peak power (typically 1/e2). 2....
binocular
Designating any instrument in which both eyes can be used to view the image to achieve a stereoscopic effect, or merely to...
process camera
A photographic camera designed to produce reproduction film of visual information (pictures, line drawings, graphs) for...
bracketing
In photography, the technique of taking multiple pictures of the same subject at different exposures to compensate for...
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
microradiography
Radiographic recording and enhancement of the micoscopic details within the structure of thin specimens at a high...
computer-generated hologram
A computer-generated hologram (CGH) is a holographic image produced using computational methods and algorithms, rather than...
chemical vapor deposition equipment
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment refers to a class of specialized apparatus used in the process of chemical vapor...
hyperstereoscopy
A type of stereoscopic photography in which the distance between the two view points is greater than the average...
Fabry-Perot spectroscopy
The spectroscopic analysis of interference patterns using a monochannel spectrometer, spectrograph or multichannel...
thin-film deposition equipment
Thin-film deposition equipment refers to machinery and tools used in the process of depositing thin layers of material onto...
optical tweezers
Optical tweezers refer to a scientific instrument that uses the pressure of laser light to trap and manipulate microscopic...
prism
A prism is a geometric optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. It is typically a solid, transparent...
FTIR spectrometer
FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectrometer is a powerful analytical instrument used to obtain an infrared spectrum of...
scanning electron microscopy
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to obtain high-resolution,...
moiré pattern
The resulting interference pattern generated from moiré deflectometry, the moiré pattern is a pattern...
white level
The state of a carrier signal that corresponds to maximum picture brightness in a television system.
vesicular image
An image with variations in density due to the differential scattering ability of microscopic bubbles in a transparent layer.
orthotropic
Having a longer axis that is relatively vertical.
silicon photodiode
A silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector...
infrared light source
An infrared light source is a device that emits light in the infrared spectrum, which lies beyond the visible spectrum of...
absorption peak
An absorption peak refers to a sharp increase or spike in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a particular...
structured illumination microscopy
Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is an advanced optical imaging technique used in microscopy to enhance the...
mesoscope
In the field of optics and imaging, a mesoscope refers to an optical instrument that is designed to observe and capture...
coverslip
A coverslip, also known as a cover glass or cover slip, is a thin and flat piece of transparent material typically made of...
metaverse
The term "metaverse" refers to a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical...
corner cube
A corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light...
brightness control
The manual shifting bias control of a cathode-ray tube that determines both the average brightness and the contrast of a...
rhomboid prism
A reflecting prism that is rhomboidal in shape. It has two parallel transmitting faces, and two parallel reflecting faces;...
fiber optic cable assembly
A fiber optic cable assembly refers to a complete unit consisting of optical fibers, connectors, protective jackets, and...
antigen
An antigen is any substance that is capable of triggering an immune response in an organism. Antigens are typically proteins...
supercontinuum
Supercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the...
metasurfaces
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...
carbonization
Carbonization is a process in which organic materials are heated in the absence of air, leading to the decomposition of the...
CID camera
CID, or charge injection device, camera refers to a type of imaging device that utilizes a specific kind of solid-state...
picture element
 lens blank
A lens blank is a piece of optical material in a raw, unfinished state, typically in the form of a disk or block, from which...
micro-optical coherence tomography
Micro-optical coherence tomography (micro-OCT) is an imaging technique that is an adaptation of optical coherence tomography...
Förster resonance energy transfer
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a mechanism describing the transfer of energy between two closely spaced...
gamma
A numerical value representing the degree of contrast in a television picture: the exponent of the power law used to...
filovirus
Filoviruses are a family of viruses that are responsible for severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fevers in humans and...
dispersion-shifted fiber
A dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF) refers to a type of optical fiber designed to minimize the effects of chromatic dispersion,...
optoacoustic
Optoacoustic, or photoacoustic, refers to a phenomenon and related techniques that involve the generation of acoustic waves...
photodetector
A photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical...
reflective spectroscopy
Reflectance spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the reflective properties of materials across various wavelengths of...
point spread function
The point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...
fiber optic preform
A fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It...
double-meniscus lens
See periscopic lens; rapid rectilinear lens.
multi-axis alignment
Multi-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...
optical fiber optic switches
Optical fiber optic switches are devices used in optical fiber communication systems to selectively route optical signals...
digital camera
A digital camera is a device that captures and records still images or video in digital format. Unlike traditional film...
random access multiphoton microscopy
Also known as RAMP microscopy, random access multiphoton microscopy is a microscopic technique that uses multiple...
image
In optics, an image is the reconstruction of light rays from a source or object when light from that source or object is...
STED microscopy
STED microscopy, or stimulated emission depletion microscopy, is a superresolution imaging technique in fluorescence...
photonic cavity
A photonic cavity, also known as an optical cavity, is a structure that confines electromagnetic radiation within a certain...
time-to-amplitude converter
A time-to-amplitude converter (TAC) is an electronic circuit that converts a time interval between two events into an...
microstereoscope
A binocular microscope designed for the viewing of stereo pairs. As these stereoscopic image pairs are seen through a...
Erfle eyepiece
A telescopic eyepiece comprising five or six simple lenses in the form of three doublets or two doublets and a singlet.
chirped-pulse amplification
Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) is a technique used in laser physics to amplify ultrashort laser pulses to high energies...
motion picture camera
A camera equipped with a lens and a long length of perforated film, the latter being moved intermittently between exposures...
milling
An automatic surface-generating process involving the removal of a material from a given surface. Optical milling typically...
laser output
The laser output refers to the generated and emitted light produced by a laser system. This output is characterized by...
picosecond pulse
A pulse having extremely short duration, about 10-13 to 10-10 s, that is produced by mode locking of wide-bandwidth lasers,...
microfluoroscope
A fluoroscope equipped with a magnified, fine-grained fluorescent screen to determine the fluorescence emitted by a...
dynamic spectroscopy
A spectroscopic technique used to display the intensity of an optical pulse as functions of time and frequency...
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates digital information, typically in the form of computer-generated...
adaptive optics
Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of...
mechanical tube length
In a microscope, the physical distance between the focal points of the objective lens and the eyepiece. The standard tube...
mask
1. A framelike structure that serves to restrict the viewing area of the screen when placed before a television picture...
particle acceleration
Particle acceleration refers to the process by which charged particles, such as electrons or protons, gain kinetic energy...
lab-on-a-chip
A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a miniaturized device that integrates various laboratory functions and capabilities onto a single,...
solar simulator
A solar simulator is a device used to replicate the spectrum and intensity of sunlight in a controlled environment for...
relief
The discernment of depth or apparent difference in distance that causes the object to stand out from its background because...
fluorescence lifetime imaging
Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is an advanced imaging technique that provides information about the lifetime of...
field emission microscope
An image-forming instrument in which a strong electrostatic field causes cold emission of electrons from a sharply rounded...
germanium crystal
Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor...
holography
Holography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and...
autofluorescence
Autofluorescence refers to the natural emission of fluorescence exhibited by certain biological structures or molecules when...
stereoscopy
The array of methods used in the transmission and reception of pictures and images with a three-dimensional appearance.
pixel binning
Pixel binning, also known as pixel merging or pixel combining, is a technique used in digital imaging and camera technology....
attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy
Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry to obtain IR spectra of samples....
telescope lens
A telescope lens is a primary optical component of a telescope system that gathers and focuses light to form an image. It is...
high harmonic generation
High harmonic generation (HHG) refers to a nonlinear optical process in which intense laser light interacts with a gaseous...
photomicrographic camera
A still or motion-picture camera designed to photograph through a microscope. Photomicrographic equipment usually contains a...
dichroic mirror
A dichroic mirror, also known as a dichroic beamsplitter or interference filter beamsplitter, is an optical device that...
radiophotography
The transmission of photographic images or pictures by radio waves.
spectrometric oil analysis
An analytical technique used to determine, identify and localize impending malfunctions. It is based upon quantitative and...
laparoscope
An endoscopic surgical instrument that includes a channel for the introduction of supplementary instruments.
hard elastics
High-modulus elastic fibers that exhibit the following differences from conventional elastic fibers: Increasing temperature...
ultraviolet fiber optics
Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
diamond turning
Diamond turning, also known as diamond machining or diamond cutting, is a precision machining process used to produce...
sapphire optical fiber
Sapphire optical fiber is a type of optical fiber made from single-crystal sapphire, which is a form of aluminum oxide...
plasmon ion-assisted deposition
Plasmon ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) is a technique used in thin-film deposition processes, particularly in the production...
quasi-linear theory
The first nonlinear theory in plasma physics that details the time and space evolution of plasma wave instability from a...
excimer laser coronary angioplasty
Excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) refers to a medical procedure used in the treatment of coronary artery disease....
structural color
Structural color refers to coloration in materials that is not caused by pigments or dyes but is instead a result of the...
isodivs
A graphic depiction of the loci of all points in space relative to a laser transmitter at a specific altitude.
harmonic generation
Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
image converter high-speed camera
A camera that uses an image converter tube in such a way that voltage waveforms applied to internal electrodes cause the...
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...
macrophotography
the photography of very close, and typically small objects with a magnification of approximately 1:1
isotropic
That property of a material that determines that velocity of propagation within the material is the same for all directions.
near-field region
The area closest to an aperture or source where the diffraction pattern differs substantially from that observed at an...
laser peening
Laser peening is a surface enhancement technique used to improve the mechanical properties of materials, particularly...
thermal interface materials
Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are substances or compounds used to enhance the thermal conductivity between two surfaces...
laser-induced fluorescence
Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is a spectroscopic technique that involves using a laser to excite molecules or atoms,...
Mach-Zehnder interferometer
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer is an optical device used to measure the phase difference between two collimated beams of...
microRNA
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, single-stranded RNA molecules, typically consisting of about 19 to 24 nucleotides,...
germicidal UV
Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) refers to a specific range of UV radiation that has disinfectant properties capable of killing...
Rydberg atom
The term "Rydberg atom" refers to an atom in a highly excited state where one or more of its electrons are in a Rydberg...
ultraviolet reflectance
Ultraviolet reflectance refers to the ability of a material or surface to reflect UV light. Ultraviolet light is...
cine camera
A camera capable of making successive exposures on a continuous film driven by accurately spaced sprocket holes (a motion...
gain-switching
Gain-switching is a technique used in lasers to generate short pulses of light by modulating the gain of the laser medium....
quantum well
A quantum well is a structure in quantum mechanics that confines particles, such as electrons or holes, in one spatial...
polar
Depicting one of the two ends of an axis of rotation.
optical coatings
Optical coatings are thin layers of materials applied to optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, filters, and prisms,...
scanning line
1. The continuous thin strip marked by the scanning beam. Generally, during return of the scan, the line is blanked out. 2....
recombinase polymerase amplification
Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a molecular biology technique used to rapidly amplify specific DNA or RNA...
thermophotovoltaic
Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) refers to a technology that converts heat energy into electricity using the principles of...
photomultiplier tube
A photomultiplier tube (PMT) is a highly sensitive vacuum tube that detects and amplifies low levels of light. It is widely...
mid-infrared camera
A mid-infrared camera is a type of imaging device designed to capture images in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral range,...
hydrophobic
Hydrophobic is a term used to describe substances or materials that repel or do not readily interact with water. The word...
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
blink comparator
An optical system that rapidly alternates two similar pictures or scenes to permit the detection of small dissimilarities...
infrared camera
An infrared camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera or IR camera, is a device that captures and visualizes the...
femtosecond laser
A femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds,...
laser texturing
Laser texturing is a manufacturing process that involves using a laser beam to selectively modify the surface of a material,...
sputtering equipment
Sputtering equipment is machinery used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
gyroscopic camera mount
A mount that uses a floating suspension and a motor-driven gyroscope to keep a motion picture or still camera at a set angle...
minimum object distance
Minimum object distance, often abbreviated as MOD, refers to the closest distance at which a camera lens or optical system...
mirror mount
A mirror mount is a mechanical device used to secure and precisely position mirrors in optical systems. Mirrors are...
fluorescence microscopy
Fluorescence microscopy is a specialized optical imaging technique used in biology, chemistry, and materials science to...
photometry
Photometry is the branch of science that deals with the measurement of light, particularly in terms of its intensity and the...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
optical camouflage
The use of retroreflective projection technology (RPT) to project a background image onto a masked object, such as a vehicle...
dot matrix display
A display format consisting of small light-emitting elements arranged as a two-dimensional array. Various elements are...
image orthicon
A camera tube widely used in television broadcasting. It consists of three sections within a single vacuum envelope. 1. A...
Fried length
The length of the small space within which the atmosphere exhibits coherence, particularly in relation to an observer on...
terahertz spectrometer
A terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz...
television microscope
A device designed to enlarge the image of a microscopic object by television process. It may be a flying spot scanner that...
frequency comb
A frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...
Lambert's cosine law
Flux per unit solid angle leaving a surface in any direction is proportional to the cosine of the angle between that...
anisotropy
Anisotropy refers to the property of exhibiting different values or characteristics when measured in different directions....
scanning
The successive analysis or synthesizing of the light values or other similar characteristics of the components of a picture...
interferometer
An instrument that employs the interference of lightwaves to measure the accuracy of optical surfaces; it can measure a...
facsimile radio
The conversion of a still picture into sound waves and its subsequent transmission by radio.
piezoelectric transducers and ceramic materials
Piezoelectric transducers are devices that utilize the piezoelectric effect to convert electrical energy into mechanical...
hydroscopic
Designed to observe objects below the surface of water. Not to be confused with hygroscopic.
laser marking
Laser marking is a process in which a laser beam is used to mark or engrave a surface by altering its properties or...
microcrystal
A microscopic crystal found in an intricately crystallized substance that is only visible under a microscope.
neodymium:YAG
Literally, neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet. A cylindrical rod of yttrium-aluminum-garnet doped with neodymium that is the...
television signal
The combination of the audio and visual signals that are transmitted and received at the same time, correlating the scene...
stop-motion camera
A motion-picture camera that can be advanced one frame at a time, either randomly or at set intervals. Used in animation and...
twisted intramolecular charge transfer
Twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) is a phenomenon observed in certain organic molecules containing...
emission spectrum
An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light...
fluorescence photography
The photographic recording of a subject that exhibits luminescence only for an extremely short time (10-8 s) after the...
CMOS camera
A CMOS camera refers to an imaging device that employs a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor to...
far-infrared laser
A laser with output over a wide range of wavelengths spanning the far-infrared region of the spectrum (30 to 1000 µm);...
perovskite
The term perovskite refers to a specific crystal structure commonly found in various materials. Perovskite structures have a...
inertial fusion energy
Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from...
mixed-signal oscilloscope
A mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) is a type of electronic test instrument that combines the capabilities of both a...
stereoscopic television
A television system in which the images produced appear three-dimensional.
rhodamine
Rhodamine refers to a family of fluorescent organic dyes that are widely used in various fields, including biology,...
magnetorheological finishing
Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...
machine vision system
A machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...
near-infrared spectrometer
A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection...
erbium-doped fiber amplifier
An optical fiber that can be used to amplify an optical input. Erbium rare earth ions are added to the fiber core material...
film weld
The butt (edge to edge) splice of two pieces of film produced by a heat splicer that melts the edges together; used in...
cathode radiant sensitivity
Cathode radiant sensitivity refers to the ability of a photocathode to convert incident radiant energy, typically in the...
noncoherent bundle
An assembly of optical fibers that will not transmit coherent images or information because the relationship of the fibers...
blaze height
Blaze height typically refers to a parameter in the context of diffraction gratings, which are optical devices consisting of...
total internal reflection fluorescence
Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is an advanced fluorescence microscopy technique that leverages the...
dewetting
Dewetting is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where a thin film or coating spontaneously undergoes a process of...
Risley prism
A Risley prism, also known as a Risley prism pair or Risley rotating prism, is an optical device used for controlling the...
microfluidics
Microfluidics is a multidisciplinary field that involves the manipulation and control of very small fluid volumes, typically...
tip-enhanced Raman scattering
Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a powerful technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhanced spatial...
center of perspective
That viewpoint at which the angular subtenses of points in the picture are identical to angular subtenses of the original...
Lummer-Gehrcke plate
A high-resolution spectroscopic device commonly used in the early 20th century as a component of double-beam...
attosecond photonics sources
Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of...
optical design software
Optical design software refers to specialized computer programs used by optical engineers, physicists, and designers to...
macroscopic
Sizable enough to be perceived by the unaided eye.
aptamer
An aptamer is a short, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecule that can bind to a specific target molecule with high affinity...
fluorescence spectroscopy
The spectroscopic study of radiation emitted by the process of fluorescence.
spectroscopic light source
A discharge tube filled with various gases and used as a source in spectroscopy.
televise
To transform a picture or image field into a television signal for transmission.
MEMS fiber optic switch
A MEMS fiber optic switch is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device designed to selectively route optical signals...
panoramic camera
A camera designed to form a continuous record of an expansive section of the horizon. The typical panoramic camera is...
Cooper pairs
The coupled pairs of electrons that carry supercurrents through the body of a superconductor, relative to a coherent...
thin-film coating
Thin-film coatings are layers of material applied to the surface of an object or substrate, typically to modify its optical,...
optical clock
An optical clock is a highly precise and advanced timekeeping device that relies on the oscillations of electromagnetic...
diascope
1. An optical device used for projection of enlarged images of transparencies or lantern slides on a screen. 2. A device...
pseudoscopic image
An image that is reversed contour or inside-out.
histochemical staining
Histochemical staining is a laboratory technique used in biology and medicine to visualize specific chemical components...
terahertz radiation
Electromagnetic radiation with frequencies between 300 GHz and 10 THz, and existing between regions of the electromagnetic...
reflection grating
A reflection grating is an optical component that consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel reflecting surfaces or...
flame excitation
The use of high temperatures, between 2000 and 3000 °C, to excite emission lines from a sample in spectroscopic...
permeability
Typically represented by the Greek letter μ, magnetic permeability is the measure of a material's ability to generate and...
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...
galvanometric scanner
A galvanometric scanner, also known as a galvanometer scanner or galvo scanner, is a type of optical scanning device used to...
fiber optic transceiver
A fiber optic transceiver, often simply referred to as an "optical transceiver," is a device used in fiber optic...
custom optic
A custom optic refers to an optical component that is designed, manufactured, and tailored to meet specific requirements or...
law of reversibility
In physics, the law of reversibility is often associated with the concept of reversibility in thermodynamics. The law...
waveguide
A waveguide is a physical structure or device that is designed to confine and guide electromagnetic waves, such as radio...
histology
Histology is the branch of biology and medicine that involves the study of the microscopic structure of tissues and organs...
scanning speed
The picture area scanned per second.
image comparison
A method used in imaging to detect subtle differences between two apparently similar pictures. It can be achieved by...
halogen lamp
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen, quartz-halogen, or quartz iodine lamp, is an incandescent lamp that uses a...
plasma noise
Introduced into the laser beam from localized fluctuations in current density within the plasma itself. These fluctuations...
linear receive optics
Linear receive optics typically refers to the optical components and systems used in the reception (detection) of linearly...
calcium indicator
A calcium indicator is a molecule that is sensitive to changes in calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations in biological systems....
fusion ignition
Fusion ignition refers to the point in a controlled nuclear fusion reaction where the energy released by the fusion...
laser
A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
laser crystal
A laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of...
molecular motor
A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
optical noise
Optical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...
back-illuminated CCD
A CCD that has been reduced in thickness by etching so that light passes through the back layers of the CCD. This type of...
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment or experience that can be...
laser drift
Laser drift typically refers to a phenomenon where the frequency or wavelength of a laser source gradually changes over...
ion-beam sputtering
Ion-beam sputtering (IBS) is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique used for depositing thin films onto substrates. It...
in vitro
In vitro is a Latin term that translates to "in glass." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and medicine, it...
band spectrum
A spectrum that originates from molecules and that is composed of bands which, in turn, consist of many closely spaced...
ultrafast pulsed laser
An ultrafast pulsed laser is a type of laser that emits extremely short pulses of light with durations typically on the...
service-mount device
A surface-mount device (SMD) is an electronic component that is mounted directly onto the surface of a printed circuit board...
ellipsometry
Ellipsometry is an optical technique used to characterize the properties of thin films and surfaces. It is based on the...
atomic clock
An atomic clock is a highly precise timekeeping device that uses the vibrations or oscillations of atoms as a reference for...
pixel
A pixel, short for "picture element," is the smallest controllable element of a digital image or display. It is a...
transmission electron microscope
A transmission electron microscope (TEM) is a powerful microscopy technique that uses a beam of electrons to create...
photopic vision
Vision by means of retinal cones; color vision. Relatively high levels of luminance are required for photopic vision.
photoresist
Photoresist is a light-sensitive material used in photolithography processes, particularly in the fabrication of...
multiline laser system
A multiline laser system refers to a type of laser that is capable of emitting multiple discrete wavelengths or spectral...
coded aperture imaging
An imaging process in which the single opening of a simple pinhole camera is replaced with many openings called,...
interferometric modulator display
Interferometric modulator display (IMOD) is a type of display technology used in electronic devices, known for its energy...
sputtering target
A sputtering target is a solid material used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
free-electron laser
A free-electron laser (FEL) is a type of laser that generates coherent, high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by using a...
stereoscopic radius
The maximum distance at which the stereoscopic effect may be observed. With respect to the unaided human eye, it has been...
electron microscope
A device utilizing an electron beam for the observation and recording of submicroscopic samples with the aid of photographic...
error function
A single number, defined by the computer program or the user that expresses the performance of an optical system. Also known...
retroreflector
A retroreflector is an optical device or structure that reflects incident light or electromagnetic waves back to their...
contention rate
The maximum number of users who are using a given communication channel. Typically, the number of users at any given time is...
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a laboratory technique used to detect and measure the presence of specific...
organic light-emitting diode
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a type of light-emitting diode (LED) technology that utilizes organic compounds to...
negative stereoscopic image
When a stereo pair of images is switched so that the right eye sees the left image and the left eye the right, the stereo...
hyperspectral imaging camera
A hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide...
infrared reflector
An optical component coated to reflect infrared radiation. Gold, silver and aluminum are typical coating materials.
x-ray image intensifier
An image intensifier that consists of an evacuated tube with a large input phosphor screen at one end. The phosphor screen...
astronomical mirror
An astronomical mirror, also known as a telescope mirror or primary mirror, is a key component of a reflecting telescope. It...
micromanipulator
A device that provides means for accurately moving minuscule tools over the surface of a microscopic object. The motion...
linear positioning stage
A linear positioning stage, also known as a linear stage or translation stage, is a precision mechanical device used to...
microprobe
An instrument that produces an intense, tightly focused beam of ions to stimulate emissions from a minute section of a...
stereoscopic photography
The photographing of a scene from positions corresponding to the locations of both eyes. A viewing device is used to present...
microspectroscope
A system composed of a prism spectroscope and compound microscope to provide the visual comparison of two spectra...
detector-Dewar assembly
A detector-Dewar assembly typically refers to a combination of a detector and a Dewar flask used in scientific instruments,...
metamaterial
Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These...
equidensitometry
1. The use of an electronic microdensitometer to measure points of equal density on a photographic deposit. 2. A technique...
multimode distortion
In an optical waveguide,- typically a multimode fiber - the distortion resulting from differential mode delay, i.e. axial...
photoluminescence
Photoluminescence is a phenomenon in which a material absorbs photons (light) at one wavelength and then re-emits photons at...
ophthalmic photography
The methods and techniques used to obtain medical photographs of the human eye. To photograph the exterior of the eye,...
astronomical telescope
An astronomical telescope is a type of optical instrument designed to gather and magnify light from distant celestial...
coherent fiber bundle
A coherent fiber bundle (CFB), also known as a coherent fiber optic bundle, is an assembly of multiple optical fibers...
magnetic tape recorder
An instrument used to record sound, pictures or both on a magnetic tape for storage and playback.
optical coherence tomography imaging system
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics and biomedical research to obtain...
spot meter
A telescopic light-sensing meter used to measure illumination levels of small regions at a distance of many feet; it is used...
phototherapy
Phototherapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of light to treat various conditions, particularly those related...
attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy
Attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAP) is an advanced technique in ultrafast spectroscopy that allows...
scintillation detector
A scintillation detector is a radiation detection device that utilizes scintillation crystals to detect and measure ionizing...
video amplifier
A wideband amplifier used to process video or picture information.
photon sieve
A photon sieve is an optical device used in the field of optics and imaging. It's designed to focus and shape light,...
machine vision
Machine vision, also known as computer vision or computer sight, refers to the technology that enables machines, typically...
finderscope
A low-power telescope with a wide field of view, typically attached to a higher power telescope with a narrower field of...
high-speed motion camera
A high-speed motion camera, also known as a high-speed camera or slow-motion camera, is a specialized imaging device...
endoscopic photography
The photographing of objects within generally inaccessible areas using endoscopes with camera attachments.
point cloud
A point cloud is a set of data points in a three-dimensional coordinate system, where each point represents a specific...
isolator
In the context of electronics and optics, an isolator refers to a device that allows the transmission of signals in one...
freeform mirrors
Freeform mirrors refer to reflective optical components that deviate from traditional symmetric or rotationally symmetric...
telescopic sight
microbubble resonator
A microbubble resonator is a device used in photonics and optical physics for the precise manipulation of light waves. It...
electron-gun system
An electron-gun system is an assembly used to generate and control a focused beam of electrons. Electron guns find...
picture tube
A term referring to the cathode-ray tube used in television receivers.
stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy
Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) is a superresolution microscopy technique that enables imaging of...
metastable state
An excited energy state of an atom or atomic system that has a longer lifetime than the ordinary excited state and typically...
orthoscopic
Corrected for distortion.
electro-optic Fabry-Perot spectroscopy
The spectroscopic analysis of interference patterns using an electronic imaging tube with a Fabry-Perot interferometer to...
otoscope
An otoscope is a medical device used by healthcare professionals, particularly ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists,...
mass spectrum
A spectrum that displays the distribution in mass or in mass-to-charge ratio of ionized atoms, molecules or molecular parts....
directed energy
Directed energy refers to a type of energy that is emitted and transferred in a controlled direction. The term is often...
microscopic
Characteristic of an object so small in size or so fine in structure that it cannot be seen by the unaided eye. A...
photon-rich
Photon-rich typically refers to an environment or situation where there is an abundance of photons present. In the context...
cylindrical lens
A cylindrical lens is an optical component that has different curvatures along its two orthogonal axes, resulting in a shape...
electron-beam lithography system
An electron-beam lithography (EBL) system is a sophisticated nanofabrication tool used in the semiconductor industry and...
enhanced picture archiving and communication system display
Enhanced picture archiving and communication system (PACS) display (ePAD) is a software tool used in medical imaging to...
multianode microchannel array detector
A photon-counting instrument for use in both space-borne and ground-based photometric and spectroscopic instrumentation....
negative dielectric anisotropy
State typically studied in liquid crystals in which the dielectric coefficient parallel to the director is less than the...
mode-locked lasers
Mode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...
electronic flash unit
A small xenon-filled tube with metal electrodes fused into the ends. The gas flashes brilliantly when a condenser is...
laser pointer
Handheld optical laser device containing a semiconductor or DPSS source. The output is corrected via internal collimating...
electro-optic modulator
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is a device used to modulate the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light waves using an...
Nd:YAG laser
Nd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain...
microcomb
A microcomb, short for microresonator frequency comb, is a novel photonic device that generates a precise series of evenly...
fluoroscopic image intensifier
A form of image intensifier designed to amplify a weak fluoroscopic image. The image is received at an input phosphor...
optical filter
An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...
spectrophotometer
A spectrophotometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the intensity of light at various wavelengths in the...
stereoscopic distortion
An exaggerated depth appearance in stereo photographs caused by the lenses in the camera being farther apart than the eyes...
dichroic coating
A dichroic coating, also known as a dichroic filter or dichroic mirror, is an optical coating designed to selectively...
microspectrograph
A microspectroscope equipped with a sensing and recording device, such as a camera, to measure the spectrum formed by...
octave
In optics, an octave typically refers to a range of frequencies or wavelengths that spans a factor of 2. In other words,...
azimuthal polarization
Azimuthal polarization refers to a specific polarization state of light where the electric field vector of the...
micro-robotics
Micro-robotics refers to the field of robotics that involves the design, development, and application of miniature robotic...
sapphire
Sapphire refers to a crystalline form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that is used in various optical and photonic applications...
optical head
In compact disc and CD-ROM technology, the portion of the drive that projects the laser light onto the surface of the media...
direct scanning
A scanning technique in which the object is illuminated the entire time, and in which picture elements of the object are...
image intensifier
An image intensifier, also known as an image intensification tube or image intensification device, is a specialized...
spectral flow cytometry
Spectral flow cytometry is an advanced flow cytometry technique that expands the capabilities of traditional flow cytometry...
electron multiplication charge-coupled device camera
An EMCCD (electron-multiplying charge-coupled device) camera is a type of scientific camera specifically designed for...
frame
1. To center an image or place it in any part of the television screen desired. Also applies to stills. 2. A single image of...
single-photon avalanche diode
A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...
photodischarge spectroscopy
A spectroscopic process that detects and analyzes the discharge from an extrinsic surface with less than bandgap light. This...
cinematography
The technique of making motion pictures.
image subtraction
A method used to compare two pictures of the same subject taken at different times. See image comparison.
convergence
1. In optics, the bending of light rays toward each other, as by a convex or positive lens. 2. Turning in the eyes to view a...
smart pixel array
An array of active optical devices (modulators, laser diodes and/or detectors), each of whose electrical inputs or outputs...
digital video compression
A step-by-step method of reducing the amount of data in a digital video signal to transmit or store a high-quality image....
optical barcode reader
An optical barcode reader, commonly known as a barcode scanner, is a device that uses optical technology to capture and...
keystone distortion
A type of geometrical distortion that brings about a trapezoidal display of a nominally rectangular picture. Usually...
chronophotograph
The continuous record containing the series of pictures formed by chronophotographic methods.
nuclear track emulsion
A photographic emulsion of the silver-halide type that is used to record the path of a charged traveling particle. The...
etalon
An etalon is an optical device that consists of two parallel reflecting surfaces separated by a precise and known distance....
cathode-ray tube faceplate
A fiber optic end plate constructed by drawing a bundle of parallel fibers embedded in glass and cutting it into thin...
Er:YAG laser
An Er:YAG laser is a type of solid-state laser that uses a crystal made of erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet...
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...

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