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TEM Dictionary Terms

laser damage
A natural or mechanical system adversely affected by the influence of laser radiation. During laser damage the common effect...
atmospheric refraction correlation
Formulaic compensation to correct laser ranging data for the effects of horizontal refractivity gradients; it requires the...
germicidal UV
Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) refers to a specific range of UV radiation that has disinfectant properties capable of killing...
off-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirror
Off-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirrors are specialized optical components used in various optical systems, particularly...
deep ultraviolet
Deep ultraviolet (DUV or deep-UV) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet light with shorter wavelengths than those in the...
correlated color temperature
Temperature of the blackbody having chromaticity nearest to that of the test source on a specified chromaticity diagram.
blaze height
Blaze height typically refers to a parameter in the context of diffraction gratings, which are optical devices consisting of...
Cassegrain lens system
A two-mirror lens design used in astronomical telescopes, the primary being a parabola, the secondary a smaller hyperbola....
principal plane
In a lens or lens system, that surface at which the projections of an entering and exiting ray intersect. Also known as the...
TEM00
retina camera
A special-purpose camera used by ophthalmologists to photograph the retina of the eye. The optical system operates through...
head-up display
An optical system that superimposes a synthetic display providing navigational or weapon-aiming information on a pilot's or...
MEMS fiber optic switch
A MEMS fiber optic switch is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device designed to selectively route optical signals...
backlash
In a mechanical system, any lost motion between driving and driven elements due to clearance between parts.
object space
In an optical system, the space between the object being viewed and the system entrance pupil.
electric dichroism spectroscopy
The use of a krypton laser system for the measurement of small molecules aligned by an electric field, by analyzing the...
hybrid mosaic on stacked silicon
A sensor module used in advanced pattern recognition systems, containing signal-processing integrated circuits stacked and...
fixed-pattern noise
Fixed-pattern noise is the measure of the static (nontemporal) differences between pixels when the detector is evenly...
ionization spectrometer
Also known as the Bragg spectrometer. A system used for the x-ray analysis of crystal structure. In the instrument, a...
impurity ion
An alien, electrically charged atomic system in a solid; an ion substituted for the constituent atom or ion in a crystal...
detector noise-limited operation
In optical communication systems, operations in which the amplitude of the pulses, as opposed to their width, determines the...
milli (m)
In the SI system, prefix meaning one-thousandth, 10-3.
laser velocimeter
A system that uses a continuous-wave laser to measure the velocity of an object by focusing the laser beam on the object,...
nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy
Nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy is a microscopy technique that combines the principles of photonic...
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...
monocoil sheathing
A type of tubing used to protect optical fiber cables, consisting of a wire spiral of aluminum, galvanized steel or...
gyroscope
A gyroscope is a mechanical device consisting of a spinning disk or wheel mounted on a spinning axis in such a way that its...
radial astigmatism
The astigmatism in a lens system that results when light enters the system at an oblique angle.
mode
1. The characteristic of how light propagates through a waveguide that can be designated by a radiation pattern in a plane...
path-reversal principle
The criterion maintaining that if light follows a specific path through an optical system, it will, if reversed, traverse...
Foucault knife-edge test
The Foucault test is performed by moving a knife edge laterally into the image of a small point source. The eye, or a...
optical coatings
Optical coatings are thin layers of materials applied to optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, filters, and prisms,...
cooled infrared detector
An infrared detector that achieves a specified sensitivity through the application of certain cryogenic temperatures.
void
A blank area (caused by insufficient inking of the paper) that falls within the range of an intended character stroke in an...
time-to-amplitude converter
A time-to-amplitude converter (TAC) is an electronic circuit that converts a time interval between two events into an...
Nernst glower
A Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater...
micro-LED
Micro-LED (micro-light-emitting diode) refers to a technology that involves the use of very small light-emitting diodes to...
blink comparator
An optical system that rapidly alternates two similar pictures or scenes to permit the detection of small dissimilarities...
laser damage threshold
The laser damage threshold refers to the maximum level of laser intensity that a material can withstand without experiencing...
thin-film deposition equipment
Thin-film deposition equipment refers to machinery and tools used in the process of depositing thin layers of material onto...
clear aperture
The limited light-gathering area of an optical system. The area is normally restricted to an edge or outer surface of an...
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique that combines the principles of Raman spectroscopy...
anamorphosis
A state in which an image is distorted by an optical system.
collateral radiation
Category inclusive of all radiation that is incited electronically, except laser radiation, as a function of the application...
resolution target
A chart on paper or glass containing a series of sets of lines at progressively smaller spacing and used to ascertain the...
holographic nondestructive testing
The application of coherent wavefront techniques to the determination of the physical state of a system without appreciably...
connector loss
Energy loss encountered at connectors in optical fiber transmission systems. The major contributors are mutual core...
Ostwald system
The system of color classification and description produced by Wilhelm Ostwald.
galvo-directing mirrors
A system of mirrors that can be used to direct light from a single laser source into any one of a number of separate optical...
motion controller
In optics, a motion controller refers to a device or system that precisely controls the movement of optical components, such...
fluorescence decay system
A device, also called a fluorescence lifetime instrument, that measures decay curves of fluorescing samples. It generally...
GaAlAs laser
A GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic...
integration time
Integration time, in the context of optics, imaging systems, and sensor technology, refers to the duration over which a...
Y axis
1. In a plane Cartesian coordinate system, the vertical axis orthogonal to the X-axis. 2. In a quartz crystal structure, the...
amplitude-modulated sensor
A type of fiber optic sensor that detects alteration in position, distance, pressure, liquid level or temperature by...
Kell factor
In an interlaced scanning electro-optical system such as television, the system resolution will be less than the number of...
whole slide imaging
Whole slide imaging (WSI), also known as virtual slide microscopy or digital pathology, is a technology that involves the...
calorimetry
Calorimetry is a branch of science that involves the measurement of heat flow in physical or chemical processes. It...
depth of field
The distance, on either side of the object plane focused on, through which satisfactory image definition can be obtained....
Risley prism
A Risley prism, also known as a Risley prism pair or Risley rotating prism, is an optical device used for controlling the...
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...
communicator bandwidth
The maximum rate at which temporally disjunct optical signals can be produced or detected.
magnetic spectrograph
An electron system using the effect of a constant magnetic field on electron paths to differentiate electrons that have...
thematic mapper
An instrument used to record infrared images of large areas. The recorded data are used to produce maps in false color...
induced pluripotent stem cells
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are ordinary cells that are genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like...
complementary metal-oxide semiconductor
Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) refers to a technology used in the fabrication of integrated circuits,...
light valve
With respect to display systems, a device that uses an independent light source and a control-layer medium, the active...
image intensifier
An image intensifier, also known as an image intensification tube or image intensification device, is a specialized...
narrow-angle dark-field illumination
An imaging system designed to highlight small deviations in a planar reflective object such as a mirror. The system can be...
fluorophore
A fluorophore is a molecule or a portion of a molecule that has the ability to emit light upon excitation by an external...
tempered glass
A glass that is heated, then chilled (usually by an air blast) to set up internal stresses so that the surfaces are under...
skiatron
A system employing a dark trace tube in which the opacity of the screen is varied as a function of the power of the beam.
integral density
With respect to color photography, the measurement of the way the color film modulates the radiant flux in the optical...
autocollimator
An autocollimator is an optical instrument used for measuring small angular deviations with high precision. It operates on...
optically biaxial crystal
One of a class of crystalline substances belonging to triclinic, monoclinic and orthorhombic systems that have two optic...
biostimulation
The action of a biological system responding to a single or multiple coherent particles of light produced from a laser...
novelty filter
A filtering device that detects what is new in a scene of interest. Often compared to that of a temporal high pass filter,...
ultramicrometer
A system used to measure very small displacement by electrical means.
gray body
A temperature radiator whose spectral emissivity at all wavelengths is in constant ratio (less than unity) to that of a...
laser cooling
A process and method by which manipulation and orientation of a given number of directed laser beams decreases the motion of...
effective data rate
A characterization of the throughput performance of data storage systems; the EDR is the total of data retrieved divided by...
Schlieren optics
An optical system that records inhomogeneities within a medium by detecting the energy refracted by that portion of the...
frequency domain
The frequency domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to represent signals and data in terms of their...
active medium
A material that produces stimulated emission during the process of amplification with a laser system.
phase screen
A phase screen, in the context of optics and wave optics, refers to a surface or medium that introduces a phase delay to an...
molded lens
A molded lens is an optical lens manufactured using a molding process, typically involving the shaping of a material, such...
antigen
An antigen is any substance that is capable of triggering an immune response in an organism. Antigens are typically proteins...
attenuation meter
A device used to measure power loss in fiber optic connectors, cables or systems.
mirror mount
A mirror mount is a mechanical device used to secure and precisely position mirrors in optical systems. Mirrors are...
modulator
A modulator is a device or component that modifies a carrier signal in order to encode information for transmission over a...
fusion ignition
Fusion ignition refers to the point in a controlled nuclear fusion reaction where the energy released by the fusion...
axial bundle
A bundle of rays that originates from an object point on the optical axis of a lens system.
speckle effect
In laser systems, the granular effect that is noted when observing the expanded cross section of a laser beam.
photomultiplier tube
A photomultiplier tube (PMT) is a highly sensitive vacuum tube that detects and amplifies low levels of light. It is widely...
halogen lamp
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen, quartz-halogen, or quartz iodine lamp, is an incandescent lamp that uses a...
bandwidth-limited operation
In fiber optics, the limitation on performance imposed by the system bandwidth rather than the amplitude of the signal.
gallium arsenide phosphide
Gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) is a semiconductor alloy composed of gallium (Ga), arsenic (As), and phosphorus (P). It...
Camera Link HS
Camera Link HS (high speed) is a standard developed for high-speed digital data transmission in machine vision and...
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...
magnetometer
A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and/or direction of a magnetic field. It can detect...
Faraday rotation
The effect discovered by Faraday in 1845 whereby nonoptically active materials or substances become capable of rotating the...
pulse forming network
A series of capacitors and inductors connected to the flashlamp in a pumped Nd:YAG laser system in order to regulate the...
panoramic lens
A lens system that is capable of producing a 360° image, or one that is very close to that. In recording, the image may...
optical design and engineering services
Optical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and...
lidar
Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and...
microscope immersion fluid
The liquid used in microscopy to fill the space between the high-power objective lens and the microscope slide in order to...
thermal interface materials
Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are substances or compounds used to enhance the thermal conductivity between two surfaces...
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates digital information, typically in the form of computer-generated...
point-focusing collector
A device used in solar systems to direct mirror-reflected sunlight to a heat absorber and heat-driven engine, which turns a...
machine learning
Machine learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on the development of algorithms and...
SI
Systeme Internationale d'Unites, the international metric system of units.
duplex
In data communications, the simultaneous operation of a circuit in both directions is known as full duplex; if only one...
long-wavelength system
In fiber optic communications systems, generally one that operates between 1000 and 1700 nm.
shock wave
Interruption in the normal flow of a plasma or fluid characterized by sharp rises in velocity, temperature and pressure. As...
time-correlated single photon counting
Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) is a technique used in photon counting applications, particularly in the...
yocto
In the SI system, prefix meaning 10-24. (y).
concave
Concave is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves inward or has a hollow or recessed appearance. In...
mass relieving
The removal of material from an optical system to decrease the weight and sometimes the bulk of the system. See coring;...
object
The figure seen through or imaged by an optical system. It may contain structures, natural or artificial, or it may be the...
polymerase chain reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used molecular biology technique used to amplify a specific segment of DNA...
blackbody locus
With respect to a chromaticity diagram, this is the locus of points that represent the chromaticities of blackbodies...
nanoLED
An LED (light-emitting diode) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
optical combiner
An optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...
rolling shutter artifacts
Rolling shutter artifacts are distortions or visual anomalies that can occur in images or videos captured by cameras with...
angle-tracking system
A system in which a sequence of direct measurements of the target position is fed into a tracking filter that may produce...
achromat
An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration....
dust counter
An instrument that uses a photoelectric system to determine the size and volume of dust particles in a given unit of air.
nadir
In a remote sensing system, nadir refers to the point on the ground located vertically below the center of the system. In...
solar furnace
An optical system that is designed to produce a high temperature in a specified area by the optical direction and...
fiber laser
A fiber laser is a type of laser in which the active gain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth ions such as...
fluorescence lifetime
Fluorescence lifetime refers to the average time it takes for a fluorophore, a molecule that absorbs light at one wavelength...
laser triangulation
A technique that uses a solid-state laser and a detector to determine an object's relative distance to the system. The laser...
GaN-based LEDs
Gallium nitride-based light-emitting diodes (GaN-based LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric...
environmental parameters
Potential hazards to a system's application and installation, including temperature variations, chemical reactivity,...
phase-modulated sensor
A phase-modulated sensor is a type of sensor that uses modulation of the phase of a signal to measure changes in a physical...
laser lithotripsy
Laser lithotripsy is a medical procedure that uses laser energy to break down or fragment stones in various parts of the...
discriminator
A circuit incorporated into counter systems that records only pulses that have amplitudes between two preselected limits.
baffle
An opaque shielding device designed to reduce the effect of stray light on an optical system.
gray scale
In image processing, the range of available gray levels. In an 8-bit system, the gray scale contains values from 0 to 255.
common-mode voltage
An electrical problem that occurs when voltage is not the same with respect to ground at every node of a system, causing...
optical cements and adhesive
Optical cements and adhesives are specialized materials used in the assembly and bonding of optical components in optical...
electron-gun system
An electron-gun system is an assembly used to generate and control a focused beam of electrons. Electron guns find...
stealth
That characteristic which makes a weapon system less visible to radar, optical, acousto-optic, infrared and other military...
optical continuous wave reflectometer
An instrument used to measure backscatter as well as optical return loss and reflectance within an optical fiber system by...
machine vision system
A machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...
resolution
1. In optics, the ability of a lens system to reproduce the points, lines and surfaces in an object as separate entities in...
globar
A light source made up of silicon carbide or carborundum. It is resistant to the negative temperature coefficient and...
heat treating
The process of subjecting glass to temperature cycling to produce physico-chemical reactions that alter its properties....
infrared light-emitting diode
An infrared light-emitting diode (IR LED) is a semiconductor device that emits infrared light when an electric current...
coherent fiber bundle
A coherent fiber bundle (CFB), also known as a coherent fiber optic bundle, is an assembly of multiple optical fibers...
photoelectric colorimeter
A system having a photoelectric detector for the measurement of three quantities related by linear combination to...
optical character recognition
Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that is used to convert printed or handwritten text into...
erecting eyepiece
An eyepiece combined with an erecting prism or lens system.
phototoxicity
Phototoxicity refers to the harmful effects caused by exposure to light, particularly intense or ultraviolet (UV) light, on...
bandgap
In semiconductor physics, the term bandgap refers to the energy range in a material where no electronic states are allowed....
collective lens
A convex or positive lens that serves to collect energy and direct it into subsequent system optics.
moiré deflectometry
An optical interference technique widely utilized as a method of nondestructive testing when determining the ray deflection...
auxiliary telescope
A low-power telescope placed at the eyepiece of an optical system to increase overall magnification. Most often used to...
modal noise
In an optical system, noise created by mode-dependent optical losses and variations in the distribution of radiant power...
etalon
An etalon is an optical device that consists of two parallel reflecting surfaces separated by a precise and known distance....
nanometer
A unit of length in the metric system equal to 10-9 meters. It formerly was called a millimicron.
phase-change optical disc
An erasable data recording and storage medium that uses a laser to heat the crystalline surface of the disc to a certain...
detem
A device in which the functions of optical detector and emitter are combined.
RTSP protocol
RTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is...
candela
SI unit of luminous intensity. It is defined as one sixtieth the normal intensity of one square centimeter of a blackbody at...
masks for evaporation/deposition
In the context of thin film deposition processes such as evaporation or sputtering, masks are used to selectively deposit...
centi
In the SI system, prefix meaning one hundredth, 10-2.
Rayleigh criterion of resolving power
When a lens system with a circular aperture is free of aberrations, the image of a point object will appear as a disc of...
conjugate autofocus system
A system that determines whether an image is in or out of focus by means of a source of illumination at the conjugate focal...
aberration
A departure from ideal paraxial imaging behavior. The distortion of an optical field wavefront as it is propagated through...
indium phosphide
Indium phosphide (InP) is a compound semiconductor material composed of indium (In) and phosphorus (P). It belongs to the...
metastable state
An excited energy state of an atom or atomic system that has a longer lifetime than the ordinary excited state and typically...
terahertz spectrometer
A terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz...
fiber optic sensor
A fiber optic sensor is a device that uses optical fibers to detect and measure physical, chemical, biological, or...
Wadsworth mounting
A system used for gratings that consists of a concave mirror, a grating and a plate holder mounted normal to the grating to...
quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
phase distrortion
Phase distortion refers to a change in the phase relationships between different frequency components of a signal. In the...
photodiode detector
A photodiode detector is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It operates based on the...
threshold
1. In visual perception, the minimum value of stimulus that can be perceived on the average. 2. In optical detection...
giga
A prefix that is used to represent 109 or 1,000,000,000 in the SI system.
direct read after write
A write-once optical disc storage system in which the optical head reads continuously while writing to check the accuracy of...
Dammann grating
A Dammann grating is a type of diffractive optical element (DOE) used to create an array of equally spaced,...
Strehl ratio
The ratio of the illuminance at the peak of the diffraction pattern of an aberrated point image to that at the peak of an...
stroboscopic interferometry
A pulsed interferometer that permits the continuous quantitative mapping of the surface deformation of an adaptive optical...
ultraviolet fiber optics
Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
cosmic ray telescope
A system consisting of two or more Geiger-Müller counters, connected in coincidence with their centers on an axis. The only...
silicon photodiode
A silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector...
optical pyrometry
The determination of the temperature of a source by the detection of its incandescent brightness.
photothermal effect
The cause of some forms of laser injury in which tissue absorbs incident laser light and experiences a damaging rise in...
rare earth dopants
Rare earth dopants refer to elements from the lanthanide series, also known as rare earth elements, that are intentionally...
optical axis
The imaginary line passing through both the centers of curvatures of the optical surfaces of a lens or mirror; the optical...
vapor degreasing
A method of cleaning and drying coated optical components. The cooled parts are placed in a container above a boiling...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and...
magnetorheological finishing
Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...
resonator
A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance, which is a phenomenon that occurs when an external force or...
input/output
I/O stands for input/output. In computing, it refers to the communication between a computer system or program and its...
precision aperture
An accurately produced hole of any size and shape that is used as a masking device in an optical system. Pinhole apertures...
dichroic mirror
A dichroic mirror, also known as a dichroic beamsplitter or interference filter beamsplitter, is an optical device that...
field stop
An aperture located at an image plane of an optical system that determines the size and shape of the image.
hecto
In the SI system, prefix meaning one hundred, 102.
dioptometer
A telescopic system having an eyepiece, a reticle and an objective. The instrument measures wavefront power in diopters.
vector correlation
A machine vision technique of image correlation whereby the correlation kernel (template of the desired image) is...
Koehler illumination
A two-stage illuminating system for a microscope in which the source is imaged in the aperture of the substage condenser by...
coherent radiation
Radiation in which the phase relationship between any two points in the radiation field has a constant difference, or is...
microchannel plate
A microchannel plate (MCP) is a specialized electron multiplier device used in various applications such as particle...
bionics
The application of observed operational processes of sophisticated living organisms to mechanical and electrical systems in...
optical analysis
The mathematical evaluation of an optical system to determine and quantify its basic optical properties and image quality...
drawing tower
A system for fabricating optical fiber, consisting of a furnace that heats the materials, a polymer coating stage, a...
Zernike's phase contrast method
The introduction of a filter into an imaging system to implement a phase contrast for an intensity mapping of a pure phase...
interference
1. The additive process whereby the amplitudes of two or more overlapping waves are systematically attenuated and...
infrared thermal detector
Used to detect radiation from the infrared region. The functional process includes absorption of infrared radiation, which...
impedance
Qualitatively, the inverse of the amount of velocity produced by the application of a sinusoidal force to a system;...
atomic absorption spectrometer
An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical...
devitrification
The process by which a vitreous or amorphous substance forms a crystal structure at a specified temperature.
photochemical
The term photochemical pertains to chemical processes or reactions that are initiated or influenced by the absorption of...
bakeout
The elimination of gases from the surfaces of a vacuum system by heating the surfaces when the pumping phase is occurring.
mixed-signal oscilloscope
A mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) is a type of electronic test instrument that combines the capabilities of both a...
system on chip
Abbreviated SoC. A single chip containing all the electronic circuits required for a complete, working product. SoCs are...
flowmeter
A flowmeter is a device used to measure the flow rate or quantity of a fluid passing through a particular point in a system....
decentration aberration
An aberration occurring in a lens system when one or more of the centers of curvature of the optical surfaces do not...
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...
electron-beam lithography system
An electron-beam lithography (EBL) system is a sophisticated nanofabrication tool used in the semiconductor industry and...
fused quartz and silica
Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...
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...
environmental range
The maximum to minimum range of temperature, pressure, humidity, vibration and biological conditions under which an optical...
universal product code
A system by which consumer products are assigned a bar code that is read by a scanner at a cash register, enabling...
yotta
In the SI system, prefix meaning 1024. (Y).
correlated double sampling
A technique for removing thermal noise and drift from focal plane assemblies by sampling the system output between views of...
optical dynameter
A small low-power microscope or magnifier with a scale that is used to measure the exit pupil diameter and eye relief on...
Golgi Staining Technique
The Golgi staining technique (also called the black reaction) makes it possible to look at the nervous system by rendering...
single attachment station
In a dual-ring local area network, a node that is connected only to the primary, active ring and not to the secondary ring...
meridional plane
That plane in an optical system containing its optical axis and the chief ray. Also called the tangential plane.
nitrogen vacancy
A nitrogen vacancy (NV) refers to a specific type of defect or impurity in a crystal lattice where a nitrogen atom replaces...
Gordon-Haus effect
Temporal jitter at a signal's receiver when amplified noise causes frequency shifts, as with a soliton traveling through an...
fluorescent protein
Fluorescent proteins are proteins that exhibit the property of fluorescence, which is the ability to absorb light at a...
brightness resolution
The degree to which a pixel in a digital image represents the analog brightness of the corresponding point in the original...
character generation cathode-ray tube
A cathode-ray tube that generates symbols for use in other displays. The tube operates by scanning specific characters on...
distribution temperature
Temperature of the blackbody having a spectral power distribution approximately proportional to the test source at all...
rectilinear system
An optical system that is corrected for distortion and spherical aberration and therefore forms the image of a straight line...
computer-calculated diffraction pattern
The use of computer analysis in the calculation of diffraction patterns for information on the design of optical systems. In...
eyepiece
Also known as ocular. The lens system used between the final real image in a visual optical system and eye. It acts as an...
scanning head
A device composed of a light source and phototube used to scan a moving strip of material in photoelectric side-register...
photonics contract manufacturing
Photonics contract manufacturing refers to the outsourcing of the production of photonics-related components, devices, or...
fiber optic transceiver
A fiber optic transceiver, often simply referred to as an "optical transceiver," is a device used in fiber optic...
semiconductor
A semiconductor is a type of material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. In...
quantum dot light-emitting diode
Quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) is a display technology that utilizes quantum dots, which are semiconductor...
double-discharge laser
A type of transversely excited laser with a uniform arc-free discharge of large cross-sectional area that can be scaled to...
laser frequency measurement
Mod Method of obtaining precise temporal mode characteristics.
topological photonics
Topological photonics is a branch of physics and optics that explores the application of topological concepts to the...
supercontinuum
Supercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the...
Bravais-Miller index
One of the constants h, k, f or I, used to demonstrate any set of parallel planes in a crystal of the hexagonal system.
flow chemistry
Flow chemistry, also known as continuous-flow chemistry, is a chemical manufacturing process where reactions take place in a...
X-axis
1. In a plane Cartesian coordinate system, the horizontal axis, or axis in the left to right direction. 2. In a quartz...
planetary camera
A camera system used for microphotography in which the document to be recorded is on a flat bed, perpendicular to the lens...
split Stirling cooler
A cooling system used to attain and maintain desired low temperatures in infrared systems. The Stirling type is a mechanical...
fluorescence lifetime imaging
Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is an advanced imaging technique that provides information about the lifetime of...
spectral signature
A spectral signature, in the context of remote sensing and spectroscopy, refers to the unique pattern or characteristic...
colorimeter
A colorimeter is a device used to measure and quantify the color characteristics of an object or a light source. It provides...
microlens array
A microlens array is a grid-like structure composed of numerous small lenses, typically arranged in a regular pattern. Each...
potassium titanyl phosphate
A crystalline material with a high electro-optic coefficient, capable of operating at short wavelengths, with applications...
back focal length
The distance from the final optic within a system to the rear image point of the system. See focal length.
interferometric calorimetry
Heat measurement method in which the sample is made part of the interferometer and the temperature increase is determined by...
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...
spin-spin coupling
Reciprocal magnetic interaction between nuclei in a molecular system facilitated by the binding electrons of the molecule.
image motion compensation
The active control of various aspects (optical element position, airspace thickness, etc.) of an optical system that...
etaloning
Etaloning is an optical phenomenon that occurs in imaging systems, particularly in devices such as spectrometers,...
optical materials
Optical materials refer to substances or compounds specifically chosen for their optical properties and used in the...
dispersion
Dispersion refers to the phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light travel at different speeds when passing...
lens disc
A rotating disc that holds several lenses of differing focal length about a diameter. Used to switch lenses in a system...
temporal response
Characteristic of deflected light power defined as the quadratic invariant function of the video signal amplitude.
triple aplanat
A compound lens consisting of two negative lenses of flint glass. A double-convex lens of crown glass is cemented between...
astigmatic difference
In an optical system having astigmatism, the distance between the tangential and sagittal image planes.
aerial photography
Photographing of terrain on the ground and objects in the air by cameras mounted in aircraft; utilized in satellites,...
fiber-coupled LED
A fiber-coupled LED (light-emitting diode) refers to an LED device that is optically coupled to an optical fiber for the...
exit angle
The angle between a light ray emerging from an optical system and the optical axis of that system.
clipping
A defect in an optical system that prevents rays from reaching their intended destination; it can be caused by an undersized...
focometer
A device used to measure the focal length of an optical system or lens.
time of flight
(TOF) The length of time needed for a signal to arrive at and be reflected from the target. The basis of an active...
temporal coherence
A characteristic of laser output, calculated by dividing the speed of light by the linewidth of the laser beam. The temporal...
common optoelectronics laser detection system
A laser warning and countermeasure system containing a sensor that indicates the direction of a laser beam, and analytical...
paraboloidal mirror
A concave mirror that has the form of a paraboloid of revolution. The paraboloidal mirror may have only a portion of a...
standard thermal profile
In infrared imaging systems used for mass screening of printed circuit boards or other quality control applications, an...
balloon-borne astronomical system
Any instrument or system carried by a balloon to the upper atmosphere to measure and record atmospheric information, such as...
calorimeter
An instrument used to measure the change of heat content of a system by measuring microwave power in terms of generated heat.
symmetry operation
Any systemic process that ultimately reassembles all the system's components into their initial alignment, or an arrangement...
lens
A lens is a transparent optical device that focuses or diverges light, allowing it to pass through and form an image. Lenses...
contextual analysis
In optical character recognition systems, the identification of a character facilitated by means of known factors governing...
entrance pupil
In a lens or other optical system, the image of the aperture stop as seen from object space.
neutral density wedge
A strip or annulus of glass coated with a semitransparent material such as inconel. The coating thickness, and as a result...
optical clock
An optical clock is a highly precise and advanced timekeeping device that relies on the oscillations of electromagnetic...
b integral
Calculates the exponential growth of the least stable spatial frequency in a laser beam, and is the numerical equivalent of...
otoscope
An otoscope is a medical device used by healthcare professionals, particularly ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists,...
sum of slopes
Heat loss determined by the sum of rising and falling slopes at a constant temperature.
microheterogeneous systems
Extremely small organic and inorganic systems of molecules within a substance. In general, systems are colloidal size in...
directed energy
Directed energy refers to a type of energy that is emitted and transferred in a controlled direction. The term is often...
YAG crystal
A YAG crystal refers to a solid-state crystal made of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), which is a synthetic crystalline...
mega
In the SI system, prefix meaning 1 million, 106.
multicolor hologram
A hologram formed by reconstruction of multicolor wavefronts. The system used to produce the hologram is designed to combine...
scientific CMOS camera
A scientific CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera is a type of digital camera specifically designed for...
infrared optic
Infrared optics refer to optical components and systems designed to manipulate and control infrared (IR) light, which lies...
acousto-optics
Discipline within optical physics that addresses sound vibration, phonon effects and their influencing behavior within...
f-Theta lens
A family of lenses commonly used in scan systems for reading or printing documents. The lens must be designed such that the...
isolator
In the context of electronics and optics, an isolator refers to a device that allows the transmission of signals in one...
mutual coherent function
A function that quantifies the performance degradation of coherent communications systems, imaging systems and all systems...
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...
sensor
1. A generic term for detector. 2. A complete optical/mechanical/electronic system that contains some form of radiation...
machine vision
Machine vision, also known as computer vision or computer sight, refers to the technology that enables machines, typically...
dynamic magneto-optical correlator
An optical correlator incorporating a binary phase-only spatial light modulator made from an iron garnet magneto-optic solid...
time domain
The time domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to describe signals in terms of their behavior over...
cold shield
That part of an infrared detector-Dewar assembly that limits the solid angle viewed by the sensor; it is maintained at a...
transceiver
An instrument or system capable of both transmitting and receiving a signal.
neural network
A computing paradigm that attempts to process information in a manner similar to that of the brain; it differs from...
superresolution
Superresolution refers to the enhancement or improvement of the spatial resolution beyond the conventional limits imposed by...
adaptation
Spontaneous changes to the visual system making it more or less sensitive to light.
beam positioner
A device (e.g., prisms, lenses, tubes) used to align a beam in a system.
optical transition
The process by which an atomic system changes from one energy level to another by either the emission or absorption of...
optical glass
Optical glass refers to a type of glass specifically engineered and manufactured for use in optical components and systems,...
embedded laser
The term "embedded laser" typically refers to a laser device that is integrated or embedded into a larger system or...
pico (p)
In the SI system, prefix meaning 10-12.
vertical blanking
With respect to a television system, a pulse transmitted at the end of each field to break off the cathode-ray beam as it...
pyroelectric infrared detector
Unlike the thermocouple or bolometer, the pyroelectric infrared detector is a current source with an output proportional to...
CMOS quantitative polymerase chain reaction system
This type of miniaturized system, referred to as CMOS qPCR, combines microfluidic technology with an ultralow-light CMOS...
micro-ring resonator
A micro-ring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
photodetector
A photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical...
pyramid error
Pyramid error in optics refers to an aberration in the shape of an optical surface, particularly in the context of mirrors....
GaN distributed feedback lasers
GaN (gallium nitride) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers refer to a specific type of semiconductor laser based on Gallium...
blur circle
A blur circle refers to the out-of-focus region in an image captured by an optical system. When an object in a scene is not...
Wiener filtering
A method that embraces the classical approach to image restoration and attempts to minimize the mean square difference...
galvanometric scanner
A galvanometric scanner, also known as a galvanometer scanner or galvo scanner, is a type of optical scanning device used to...
actinic focus
That point in the electromagnetic spectrum at which an optical system focuses the most chemically effective rays.
single-photon avalanche diode
A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...
Peltier cooler
A Peltier cooler, also known as a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) or thermoelectric module, is a solid-state device that uses...
optical pyrometer
An instrument for determining the temperature of a hot object by examining the color spectrum of the visible light it gives...
dispersion-limited operation
Operation in which the dispersion of a pulse limits the distance between repeaters in optical systems. Waveguide and...
solid-state imaging system
An imaging system that uses a mosaic of tiny light-sensitive semiconductors (phototransistors) to produce individual outputs...
joule
A unit of energy or work in the MKS system of units. One joule is equal to 107 ergs.
feedback control system
A system designed to control the output quantity of a device by returning a portion of its output signal to its input. This...
himawari
A system of Japanese origin that utilizes Fresnel lenses and a fiber optic network to transmit sunlight to otherwise...
transputer
A computer whose architecture contains several CPU chips arranged in parallel. Often used in image processing systems.
eye relief
Also termed eye distance. The distance between the vertex of the last optical surface of a visual optical system and the...
quantum key distribution
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method of secure communication that utilizes principles from quantum mechanics to...
beam profiling
Beam profiling is a technique used to characterize and analyze the spatial intensity distribution of a laser beam. It...
PIN photodiode
A PIN photodiode is a type of photodetector or semiconductor device used to convert light signals into electrical signals....
linear receive optics
Linear receive optics typically refers to the optical components and systems used in the reception (detection) of linearly...
lithography
Lithography is a key process used in microfabrication and semiconductor manufacturing to create intricate patterns on the...
superchromatic correction
Correction of an optical system at four separate wavelengths. This correction, longitudinal and lateral, is possible with...
nanopositioning
Nanopositioning refers to the precise and controlled movement or manipulation of objects or components at the nanometer...
mid-wave infrared
MWIR stands for mid-wave infrared, referring to a specific range of wavelengths within the infrared spectrum. Infrared...
after-image
That image remaining on the detector after the primary stimulus has been removed. In the visual system, the after-image...
computer-output microfilm system
A camera system capable of producing microfilm copies of computerized data presented on a screen.
dye-polymer optical disc
A type of erasable data storage device that uses a medium deposited on the disc in two layers, each dyed to absorb a...
astronomical unit
The unit generally used to express distances within the solar system, and sometimes to measure interstellar distances....
nonthermal radiation
The radiation emitted from a group of charged particles that does not depend on the temperature of the source in which those...
laser cell sorting
A moving group of fluid-suspended biological species directed through separate channels by which the population is isolated....
binary on-off
Signal used in optical transmission systems to generate currents in a detector that are decoded with reference to a...
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
sputtering equipment
Sputtering equipment is machinery used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
multispectral imaging
Multispectral imaging is a technique that involves capturing and analyzing images at multiple discrete spectral bands within...
metrology
Metrology is the science and practice of measurement. It encompasses the theoretical and practical aspects of measurement,...
prism
A prism is a geometric optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. It is typically a solid, transparent...
glass
A noncrystalline, inorganic mixture of various metallic oxides fused by heating with glassifiers such as silica, or boric or...
decentering
1. The grinding or edging of a lens so that the geometrical center and optical center do not coincide. 2. The shifting of an...
pulse video thermography
A noncontact, nondestructive method of measuring defects in thin composite materials, using a xenon flashtube to generate...
intermediate image
In an optical system with a series of lenses, images formed prior to the final focal plane.
powder camera
A camera system that uses a fine powder to diffract x-rays from the specimen. A beam of monochromatic x-rays passes through...
contrast control
With respect to television, a potentiometer that allows variation of the intensity of the different elements of an image and...
instantaneous field of view
Instantaneous field of view (iFOV) is a term commonly used in the context of remote sensing, imaging systems, and optical...
cosine fourth law
A formula indicating that, for an imaging lens system, the image brightness for off-axis points will fall off at a rate...
linear image sensor
A linear image sensor is a type of solid-state electronic device used to capture and convert light into electrical signals....
absolute temperature scale
The measurement of heat energy as determined from absolute zero as the zero point on the scale. Increments are identical to...
television monitor
A television receiver that receives the signals generated by a television camera directly, or remotely through a radio...
nonselective radiator
Also known as a gray body; a nonselective radiator is a thermal radiator that has a constant spectral emissivity with...
skew ray
Any ray through an optical system that is not a meridional ray. The plane created by a refracted skew ray does not contain...
homogeneous broadening
The broadening of a laser's line width in a way that affects every atom (or molecule), and thus the whole system, in the...
depth of convergence
A critical image parameter in applications where object position may change dynamically relative to the imager; this is a...
image brightness
The apparent luminance of the image as seen through an optical system. This brightness of the image is determined by the...
simplex
A fiber optic transmission system in which data can go in only a single direction.
image photocounting distribution
Photon flow created by imaging of light into a detector array; IPD is the electrical signal used by the image processor in a...
achromatic point
Location on the CIE chromaticity diagram which produces the color white for a given light source at a specified temperature.
vibrational transition
A vibrational transition refers to a change in the vibrational energy of a molecule. Molecules consist of atoms that are...
decentration
In a single element, any lack of coincidence between the optical and the mechanical axes. In a lens system, any lack of...
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
multiple laser sequence
Also known as gatling gun laser. A system that has an array of lasers sharing a common central axis on a rotating Fabry...
photochromic
Photochromic refers to a property exhibited by certain materials, typically organic compounds or dyes, which undergo...
time-lapse optical coherence tomography
Time-lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) refers to a medical imaging technique that captures a series of sequential OCT...
germanium crystal
Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor...
endoscope
An endoscope is a medical device used for visualizing and examining the interior of hollow organs, body cavities, or...
Casimir force
The Casimir force is a quantum phenomenon that results in an attractive force between two closely spaced uncharged...
fiber optic preform
A fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It...
light fidelity
LiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...
loss budget
The total optical power loss in a system. The loss budget is often stated in terms of the transmitted power and the power...
digital twin
A digital twin refers to a virtual representation or digital counterpart of a physical object, system, or process. This...
laser hammering
Means of correcting laser postweld shift. The correction procedure is applied to optoelectronic systems such as laser diode...
epitaxial equipment
Epitaxial equipment refers to a set of specialized tools and systems used in the process of epitaxy, which is the growth of...
anamorphic system
An optical system with different focal lengths or magnification levels in perpendicular planes to the optical axis.
2D profile sensor
A 2D profile sensor is a type of sensor used in various industrial and technological applications to measure and capture...
cold coating
A method of applying antireflection coatings to optics that avoids the elevated temperatures normally used. A cold coating...
rotating mirror scanner
Developed for use in military reconnaissance systems, it consists of a polygonal mirror, drive motor, interface between...
Winchester drive
A sealed, hard, magnetic disc drive used for the storage of data in a computer system.
spherical aberration
Spherical aberration is an optical aberration that occurs when light rays passing through a lens or curved optical surface...
computer vision
Computer vision enables computers to interpret and make decisions based on visual data, such as images and videos. It...
optical page reader
An optical scanning system found in most computer scanners that can read documents, often in many type styles, and convert...
metabolite
A metabolite is any small molecule that is a product of metabolism, the chemical processes that occur within living...
cryostat
A device used to maintain near-absolute temperatures for experimental procedures.
diamond-turned optic
Diamond turning refers to a precision machining process used to produce complex optical components, particularly lenses and...
outside vapor-phase oxidation
A process for the production of optical fibers. A glass bait is rotated in a traversing flame of a reaction burner....
member
In a lens system, a group of elements considered as an entity; either a front or rear member depending on whether it is...
diffraction grating
A diffraction grating is an optical component consisting of a surface with a periodic structure of equally spaced, parallel...
optical coherence tomography imaging system
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics and biomedical research to obtain...
nanoimprint lithography
Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a nanolithography technique used for fabricating nanoscale patterns on a substrate. It is a...
optical surface
A reflecting or refracting surface contained within an optical system.
laser output
The laser output refers to the generated and emitted light produced by a laser system. This output is characterized by...
MSM photodiode
A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode is a type of photodetector that consists of metal electrodes on a semiconductor...
fiber distributed data interface
A standard for fiber optic data transmission systems being developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and...
electrolytic development
Developing a photographic image by means of an applied electric field. The methods used include electrolysis and...
apochromatic system
An optical system that is corrected chromatically for three colors simultaneously.
rapid rectilinear lens
A double meniscus system in which two achromatized meniscus lenses are arranged symmetrically on either side of the aperture...
infrared photodetector array
An impurity-doped silicon detector array sensitive to long infrared wavelengths, installed in optical collecting systems...
near-infrared spectrometer
A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection...
transmission
In optics, the conduction of radiant energy through a medium. Often denotes the percentage of energy passing through an...
zoom lens
An optical system of variable focal length, the focal plane remaining in a fixed position. This result is achieved by moving...
quantum sensing
Quantum sensing refers to a class of sensing technologies that leverage principles from quantum mechanics to enhance the...
photovoltaic
Photovoltaic (PV) refers to a technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductors. The term...
blackbody simulator
A source that attempts to create the characteristics of an ideal blackbody. It consists of a cavity, generally spherical,...
network interface card
A network interface card (NIC), also known as a network adapter or LAN adapter, is a hardware component that allows...
dropping
The process whereby a blank or disc is heated to a sufficiently high temperature to sag into a mold having a desired...
transverse mode
In the context of optics and lasers, a transverse mode refers to a specific spatial pattern of the electric field within the...
digital point system
A pixel-based computer graphics system that simulates the tools of an artist.
activity
1. Synonymous with radioactivity. The intensity of a radioactive source illustrated as the number of atoms disintegrating in...
dewetting
Dewetting is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where a thin film or coating spontaneously undergoes a process of...
lab-on-a-chip
A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a miniaturized device that integrates various laboratory functions and capabilities onto a single,...
optical component
One or more optical elements – typically cemented together - in an optical system that are treated as a single group;...
infrared microscope
A type of microscope that uses radiation in the infrared region to illuminate objects that are opaque to visible radiation....
slow-scan television
A television system that uses a slow rate of horizontal scanning to increase its reproduction and transmittance accuracy of...
aperture diaphragm
The second adjustable iris diaphragm in an optical system. In the common microscope condenser system, it usually is located...
centered lens system
A lens system in which the centers of curvature of all surfaces fall on a common axis.
closed-loop adaptive single parameter
A closed-loop system that compensates for thermal blooming by optimizing only one parameter: the amplitude of the phase...
simultaneous dual field of view
A passive infrared system that uses two line-of-sight telescopes to generate both narrow and wide field-of-view images of...
Ioffee bar
A fusion system conductor capable of carrying current in opposite directions in alternating time phases.
ground truth
A term variously applied to remote sensing techniques that essentially refers to all parametric conditions that influence...
laser pattern generation
Production of a repeated image of a transmitted beam through a diffractive optical element such as a holographic card or...
image jump
In optics, the term image jump refers to a displacement or shift in the apparent position of an image when a change occurs...
photoresist
Photoresist is a light-sensitive material used in photolithography processes, particularly in the fabrication of...
half duplex
A communications system that can transmit in only a single direction at a time. See duplex.
mode hopping
Mode hopping in the context of lasers refers to a phenomenon where a laser system abruptly switches from one longitudinal...
chromaticity coordinates
Proportions of standard primaries (tristimulus values) required for a color match; ratios of each tristimulus value of a...
shading
1. The sorting of lenses by their color. 2. In an optical system, an irradiance or brightness gradient in the image that is...
transition
The process whereby a quantum mechanical system alters from one energy level to another. During this process, energy is...
grating prism
A specific, right-angle prism having a transmission grating replicated on its hypotenuse face and used in applications...
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...
contrast filter
A filter designed to improve contrast in an imaging system. For visual and black and white photosystems, a yellow filter is...
optical assembly
An optical assembly refers to a collection of optical components that are carefully arranged and aligned to perform a...
backstreaming
The term used in reference to vacuum systems using oil and diffusion pumps, describes the migration of pump fluids and their...
camera chain
The term sometimes used to describe the sequential arrangement of components in a video system -- from transmitter to...
gunsight
An optical device that permits the alignment of a gun, cannon or rocket launcher system with its target.
character read-out system
A photoelectrically controlled, alphanumeric reading device that converts characters to audible or sorting signals which can...
minimum angle of deviation
The smallest angle through which light is bent by an optical element or system. In a prism, the angle of deviation is a...
radiation pyrometer
Also known as radiation thermometer. A pyrometer in which the radiant intensity from the source to be measured is used to...
surface quality standards
The standards of MIL-O-13830 set by the US government relative to tolerable surface scratches and other such defects in an...
contact laser surgery
Laser surgery by means of a low-power laser system using a synthetic sapphire scalpel that transmits the laser light while...
neuromorphic
Neuromorphic refers to the design and development of computing systems or devices that are inspired by the structure and...
oscilloscope
A system in which a supplied signal causes the deflection of the electron beam in a cathode-ray tube, thus forming a visible...
borescope
A device for the internal inspection of hard-to-get-at mechanical parts, such as rifle barrels, sewer pipes, oil wells, or...
XYZ axes
Conventional coordinates for optical system analysis, the X-axis being the horizontal, the Y-axis the vertical and the...
aberration sensor (wavefront sensor)
Designed for the function of optical wavefront analysis. Shack-Hartmann camera aberration sensors use a lens array to image...
calcium indicator
A calcium indicator is a molecule that is sensitive to changes in calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations in biological systems....
electron temperature
Approximation of a system of thermal equilibrium formed by the distribution of the kinetic energies of electrons in a gas...
optical memory
1. The direct storage of data as bits in memory using optical systems and properties. The memory makes use of a laser beam...
virtual histology
Virtual histology refers to the use of digital technology and computational methods to simulate or recreate histological...
true field
The size of the field of view in the object space of an optical system as differentiated from that in the image space...
gram
Unit of mass in the SI system.
optical constructor
A system of modular mechanical components for building precision optical systems. The basic equipment includes a variety of...
cartesian
Of or pertaining to the methods of the French philosopher Rene Descartes. Refers to the standard orthogonal X-Y-Z coordinate...
photoelasticity
The process of determining, with the aid of plane-polarized light, the stress distribution in materials under complex...
infrared bolometer
A superconducting bolometer, operating at very low temperatures, that is used to detect infrared radiation.
correction window
An optical wedge of very small angles that admits light while sealing out moisture and dirt and that may be rotated to...
CCD image sensor
A CCD image sensor, or charge-coupled device image sensor, is a type of electronic device used to convert optical images...
electron multiplication charge-coupled device camera
An EMCCD (electron-multiplying charge-coupled device) camera is a type of scientific camera specifically designed for...
GigE
GigE, short for gigabit Ethernet, refers to a standard for high-speed Ethernet communication, capable of transmitting data...
color television
A television system that is capable of producing an image whose colors approximate the colors of the original, by the use of...
chemical vapor deposition equipment
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment refers to a class of specialized apparatus used in the process of chemical vapor...
sapphire window
A sapphire window refers to a transparent optical component made from sapphire crystal. Sapphire is a single-crystal form of...
Geometrical optics
The area of optics in which the propagation of light is described by geometrical lines (or rays) governed by Fermat's...
zepto
In the SI system, prefix meaning 10-21. (z).
component
1. A constituent part. It may consist of two or more parts cemented together, or with near and approximately matching...
low-temperature spectroscopy
The analysis of structural and molecular dynamics caused by low temperature.
optical barcode reader
An optical barcode reader, commonly known as a barcode scanner, is a device that uses optical technology to capture and...
cold atom
Cold atoms refer to atoms that have been cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically in the microkelvin (µK) to...
joint transform correlator
A device consisting of two optical systems in which two signals are simultaneously transformed to produce their spectra, and...
ultramicroscope
A dark-field microscope used to view extremely small objects. These objects are suspended in a gas or liquid in an enclosure...
hydrogel
A hydrogel is a three-dimensional network of polymer chains that are hydrophilic, meaning they have a strong affinity for...
optical cement
A permanent, transparent, and highly transmissive adhesive capable of withstanding extreme temperatures that is applied to...
multiconfiguration mode
Used in computer design for optical systems with common parts and different applications.
photon drag effect
The induction of an electric field in a semiconductor by an incident laser beam. The technique has rapid response time at...
positioning
Positioning generally refers to the determination or identification of the location or placement of an object, person, or...
collection angle
The solid angle of a detector or system pupil as seen by the source.
thermosetting cement
An adhesive that permanently sets or hardens at a specified high temperature. Methacrylate is an example of a thermosetting...
remote inspection
Remote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or...
melting point
The temperature at which the solid phase of a material is in equilibrium with the liquid phase, or when the material changes...
Golay cell
A thermal radiation detector consisting of a small cell with a blackened plastic front face that bulges slightly when heat...
dipvergence
The vertical angular disparity between the lines of sight of the left and right systems in a binocular instrument....
director
In a liquid crystal system, the director refers to the local symmetry axis around which the long range order of the liquid...
pistoning
Motion of a fiber into and out of the ferrule. This effect is often caused by changes in temperature.
dynamic variation
In electrical equipment, power variations that are temporary (as opposed to the permanent, cumulative effects of drift).
erecting system
Lenses or prisms that serve to erect the image; i.e., to bring the image upright after it has been inverted by the objective.
Ross lens
A corrective lens system that is placed near the focal plane of a Newtonian telescope to increase its effective field of...
optoisolator
An optical coupling device that uses light to bridge the gap between incompatible wire communications systems. It contains...
sine wave object
An object that has a sinusoidal variation of luminance. Its image will have a sinusoidal variation of illuminance and the...
sign conventions
A convention that defines specific dimensions of an optical system, such as the image distance or radius of curvature of a...
system
A combination of components arranged so as to perform at least one function.
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,...
triangulation
A method of measuring distance by recording a single scene from two points of perspective. Surveying instruments can be...
long-wave infrared
Long-wave infrared (LWIR) refers to a specific range of the infrared spectrum. Infrared radiation is divided into three main...
computer numerically controlled grinding
Computer numerically controlled (CNC) grinding is a manufacturing process that utilizes computerized controls and precision...
poling
The process of aligning the crystallites in a piezoelectric material by placing a large DC field across the element at an...
holocamera
A camera system used to form a high-precision hologram of the subject on a photographic plate. It contains a high-power...
thollon prism system
Two 30° prisms that are used to produce constant deviation when rotated by equal and opposite angles.
imaging science
The science of producing, recording, storing, transmitting and displaying visual images by any system (photographic, video,...
planar magnetron
A device used in the sputtering of thin films, in which a magnet system on the back of the cathode deflects the electrons,...
photoconductor contact
Material used to integrate photoconductors into electro-optical systems. It should provide low resistance to the flow of...
laser optics
Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...
Ultraviolet-C
Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet radiation with shorter wavelengths than those of visible...
spatial light modulator
A spatial light modulator (SLM) is an optical device that modulates or manipulates the amplitude, phase, or polarization of...
harmonic generation
Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
proof-of-concept system
An assembly of prototype instruments, equipment and/or software designed to perform all the functions of a concept or idea...
kelvin
The SI unit of temperature equal to 1°C. See absolute temperature scale.
spinthariscope
A device through which scintillations are observed or counted through a magnifying lens system.
vacuum breaker
A valve that serves to release air into an evacuated system.
microdisplay
A microdisplay is a miniature electronic display technology that is designed to project visual information onto a small...
telemeter
1. The term used to describe any of the many instruments used to remotely record physical dimensions, such as strain,...
spread function
The distribution of energy about the image of a point source in the focal plane of an optical system.
photographic resolution
A measure of the ability of a photographic system to record fine detail. Usually stated in terms of cycles per millimeter on...
duplet lens system
An optical system having two sets of components separated by an air space, while successive lenses in each set are cemented...
micrograph
A graphic reproduction of an object formed by a microscope or another optical system. Also an instrument used to make tiny...
stacked optical memory
A memory system composed of a stack of holographic plates, a mode-locked laser and a rapid detector array. Ultrashort laser...
cross-coupling
1. A defect inherent in a multiple-axis positioning system whereby an adjustment of one axis causes an undesired change in...
boresight
The alignment process that makes the optical axes of two related systems parallel to each other. Also, making the optical...
wavelength division multiplexing
A system that allows the transmission of more than one signal over a common path, by assigning each signal a different...
rapid access system
A photographic camera and processing system used to form a usable record of the subject in a short time, usually a few...
free-space optics
Free-space optics (FSO), also known as optical wireless communication or optical wireless networking, refers to the...
calcite
A doubly refracting mineral used to produce polarizing prisms. It is uniaxial negative and in the trigonal division of the...
direct detection
In a fiber optic transmission system, the conversion of received optical pulses directly to an electrical signal.
beam expander
A system of optical components designed to increase the diameter of a radiation beam. Usually an afocal system.
horizontal temperature gradients
Horizontal concentrations that comprise the dominant factor in atmospheric gradient correction. The range bias near due...
aplanatic lens system
A system that satisfies the Abbe sine condition, and is free from spherical aberration and coma.
cesium 134
An isotope of cesium that emits negative beta particles and has a half-life of 2.19 years; its applications include...
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...
smart bomb
A bomb guided to its target by some form of electro-optical system.
identification friend or foe system
A system that transmits and receives identification codes to facilitate the discrimination between enemy and friend in a...
phosphor thermometry
A method for remote measurement of the temperature of moving surfaces in harsh environments by using a laser to stimulate...
attenuation
Attenuation refers to the gradual loss or reduction of intensity, force, or magnitude of a particular property as it...
Baker-Nunn camera
A wide-field camera based on the classic Schmidt optical system used to photograph Earth-orbiting satellites.
relative equilibrium
The steady state of temperature exhibited by a material that has absorbed and emitted radiation equally.
double-clad fiber
Double-clad fiber (DCF) is a specialized optical fiber that features two concentric cladding layers surrounding a core. The...
recombinase polymerase amplification
Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a molecular biology technique used to rapidly amplify specific DNA or RNA...
plastic optical fiber
Plastic optical fiber (POF) is a type of optical fiber made from transparent plastic, typically polymethylmethacrylate...
lens system
Two or more lenses arranged to act in conjunction with one another.
meter
1. The basic unit of length in the metric system, equal to 39.37 in. or 3.28 ft. 2. Any device or instrument used for...
cache
A portion of computer memory that is used for temporary storage of frequently accessed data. Substantially increases...
corner cube
A corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light...
atomic clock
An atomic clock is a highly precise timekeeping device that uses the vibrations or oscillations of atoms as a reference for...
photoelectric pyrometer
An instrument used to measure the temperature of a source through the use of photoelectric cells to detect and measure the...
optical fiber optic switches
Optical fiber optic switches are devices used in optical fiber communication systems to selectively route optical signals...
multi-axis alignment
Multi-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...
Nd:YAG laser
Nd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain...
Förster resonance energy transfer
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a mechanism describing the transfer of energy between two closely spaced...
magnon
A magnon is a quasiparticle representing a quantized spin wave in a magnetic material. In other words, it is a collective...
chirped-pulse amplification
Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) is a technique used in laser physics to amplify ultrashort laser pulses to high energies...
point spread function
The point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...
ring-laser gyroscope
A ring laser gyroscope (RLG) is a type of gyroscope that uses laser light to detect and measure changes in orientation. It...
inverse problem
Any problem that requires retrieval of the distribution of some internal properties, such as temperature concentration,...
focal power
In a symmetrical optical system this is a measure of the influence of the system upon the focus of a pencil of rays passing...
photonic cavity
A photonic cavity, also known as an optical cavity, is a structure that confines electromagnetic radiation within a certain...
sapphire optical fiber
Sapphire optical fiber is a type of optical fiber made from single-crystal sapphire, which is a form of aluminum oxide...
cylindrical lens
A cylindrical lens is an optical component that has different curvatures along its two orthogonal axes, resulting in a shape...
apochromat
An apochromat, often referred to as an apochromatic lens or apochromatic objective, is a type of optical system designed to...
laser crystal
A laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of...
spatial intensity perturbation
A beam instability, induced by index of refraction inhomogeneities and component damage of dirt and dust particles, that...
diffusion disk
An embossed or marked disk, constructed out of a transparent material and used with a camera system to soften an image.
facsimile synchronizing
The maintenance of the same scanning relationship between the transmitting scanning spot and receiving scanning spot for...
optical phase distortion
Optical phase distortion refers to a phenomenon where the phase of an optical wavefront is altered as it propagates through...
thermistor
A solid-state semiconducting structure (basically one of the bolometers) that changes electrical resistance with...
critical aperture
In an optical system, the aperture size at which the lens gives its best overall performance.
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...
attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy
Attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAP) is an advanced technique in ultrafast spectroscopy that allows...
spectral integral density
With respect to color photography, the measurement, at a given wavelength, of the way the color film modulates the radiant...
averaged threshold receiver
A receiver for optical communications systems consisting of a symmetric binary, pulse-code-modulated transmitter, a...
solarization
1. The reduction in the developable density of a photographic emulsion that has been extremely overexposed. 2. In a laser...
power modulation
Power modulation refers to the intentional variation of power levels in a signal, often in the context of electronic...
coincidence rangefinder
An optical instrument used to determine the distance to a target being viewed. Two similar optical systems view the target...
relay lens
A lens or lens system used to transfer a real image from one point within an optical system to another, with or without...
pulse code modulation
System of information coding in which the signal is sampled 8000 times per second and the samples quantized by referring...
white level
The state of a carrier signal that corresponds to maximum picture brightness in a television system.
fixed axis of rotation
The locus of points in a system along a line that remains stationary while the remainder of the system rotates.
liquid crystal
Liquid crystals are a state of matter that exhibits properties intermediate between those of conventional liquids and solid...
Van der Waals
Van der Waals forces refer to the attractive or repulsive forces between molecules (or parts of molecules) that arise from...
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...
Linnik interference microscope
A Michelson-type interference microscope used to produce interference patterns of reflective specimens through the...
cryogenics
The science and technology applied to the creation of low temperatures (i.e., approaching absolute zero).
isotemperature line
rotary camera
A camera system used for microphotography that has a structure, such as a cylinder or surveyor belt, to rotate the documents...
image quality
A measure of the closeness with which an optical image is capable of resembling the original object. The factors that affect...
optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is a branch of electronics that focuses on the study and application of devices and systems that use light...
BCS theory
Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, based on the notion that electrons with opposite momentum and spin...
vignetting
In an optical system, the gradual reduction of image illuminance as the off-axis angle increases, resulting from limitations...
Dewar vessel
An evacuated, double-walled container for storing liquids at low temperatures. Often made of glass, the vessel resembles a...
fluorographic camera
A camera with a very high aperture lens or mirror system for photographing x-ray fluorescent screen images, mainly to save...
focus control
1. A mechanism that permits the focusing of an optical system.2. A means of obtaining the sharpest image from a cathode-ray...
halide
In chemistry, a halide refers to a chemical compound containing one or more halogen atoms bonded to another element. The...
digital signal processing
Digital signal processing (DSP) refers to the manipulation and analysis of signals, which are representations of physical...
bolometer
A thermometric instrument used for the detection and measurement of radiant energy. Its essential component is a short...
Silsbee effect
The ability of an electrical current to destroy superconductivity by means of the magnetic field generated by the current....
Secondary Speckle Pattern
A self-interference effect that generates random patterns; secondary speckle pattern (SSP) typically occurs in diffuse...
image amplifier
An electro-optic system using, in general form, an evacuated glass envelope with a semitransparent photocathode at one end...
STED microscopy
STED microscopy, or stimulated emission depletion microscopy, is a superresolution imaging technique in fluorescence...
thermomagnetic imaging
The production of an image on a magnetic film that is exposed to infrared radiation and heated to a point above Curie...
stimulated Brillouin scattering
In Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), an incident photon (usually laser light) interacts with acoustic phonons in a...
piezoelectric transducers and ceramic materials
Piezoelectric transducers are devices that utilize the piezoelectric effect to convert electrical energy into mechanical...
hyperspectral resolution
Hyperspectral resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in the spectral information captured by a...
femtosecond laser
A femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds,...
dispersion-shifted fiber
A dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF) refers to a type of optical fiber designed to minimize the effects of chromatic dispersion,...
volumetric imaging
Volumetric imaging refers to the capture, visualization, and analysis of three-dimensional (3D) information from a volume of...
photolithography
Photolithography is a key process in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and...
disc laser
A laser having a rod that is a stacked array of discs immersed in a transparent flowing coolant fluid. In this way, the...
dioptric system
An optical system that uses refraction to form an image.
noise equivalent delta temperature
In a thermal imaging system, the change in temperature that yields a signal-to-noise ratio of unity.
mirror lens
An image-forming system having curved mirrors in place of transparent glass components. Mirror lenses are commonly used for...
Raman spectroscopy
Raman spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry and physics to study vibrational, rotational, and other...
chromatic aberration
Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon that occurs when different wavelengths (colors) of light are refracted by a...
transducer
A transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields,...
Kerr soliton
A Kerr soliton refers to a specific type of soliton, a self-reinforcing wave packet, that arises in nonlinear optical...
window
1. A piece of glass with plane parallel surfaces used to admit light into an optical system and to exclude dirt and...
phototherapy
Phototherapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of light to treat various conditions, particularly those related...
local injection detection system
A device used to evaluate the quality of fiber optic splices made in the field by injecting light into the cladding of the...
centering
1. Mounting a lens or mirror so that its optical axis is coincident with the optical or mechanical axes of other portions of...
coma
A lens aberration, resulting from different magnifications in the various lens zones, that occurs in that part of the image...
four-wave mixing
A phenomenon that occurs in WDM and DWDM systems when three closely spaced signal wavelengths near the zero-dispersion...
hologon
A multifaceted holographic disc that is rotated by a motor to deflect incident light to a scanning system's lens.
Mollier diagram
Graphic evaluation of the operation of a steam thermodynamic cycle of a solar energy system on which enthalpy is plotted...
radix
Total number of characters available to each position of a digital numeric system.
sky noise
Variations in signal detected on a bolometer that are caused by instabilities in the temperature of the sky.
blind approach beacon system
A ground-based navigation beacon that emits pulsed signals which are picked up by aircraft making an instrument (blind)...
sapphire
Sapphire refers to a crystalline form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that is used in various optical and photonic applications...
backscatter
Backscatter refers to the phenomenon in which radiation or waves are scattered backward, opposite to the direction of the...
card reader
A system that generally uses a photodetector to decode punched cards for information, or for input to a computer, by sensing...
luminescence
Luminescence is the emission of light that occurs without the involved substance undergoing a significant increase in...
antireflection coating
An antireflection coating (AR coating) is a thin film or coating applied to optical surfaces, such as lenses or windows, to...
holographic camera
A holographic camera, also known as a holographic imaging system or holographic recorder, is a specialized device used to...
differential interferometer
A device that produces an interferogram that can be directly related to the temperature gradient and thereby provides a...
image distance
The distance from the last surface of a lens system to the image. For a thin lens system, this distance is equivalent to the...
digital filter
A linear computation or algorithm performed on a selected series in the form of an input signal that produces a new series...
kinetic cooling
An atmospheric nonlinear process unique to CO2 laser wavelengths, whereby CO2 absorbs 10.6-µm radiation and the CO2...
cathode radiant sensitivity
Cathode radiant sensitivity refers to the ability of a photocathode to convert incident radiant energy, typically in the...
elastomer
Any material of a macromolecular nature that can stretch at room temperature to more than twice its length and return to...
aerosol
A two-phase system consisting of dispersed liquid or solid particles in a gas; examples include dust, smoke and clouds.
critical absorption wavelength
That wavelength at which the absorption of a given element or system begins to demonstrate an inconstant value.
Stirling engine
An engine in which work is performed by the expansion of a gas at high temperature; heat for the expansion is supplied...
mode beating
In optics, "mode beating" refers to an interference phenomenon that can occur in laser systems with multiple longitudinal...
Bridgman technique
Crystal growth method that resembles static freeze, but that induces growth by removing the ampoule from the furnace so that...
radial distortion
An alteration in magnification from the center of the field to any point in the field, measured in a radial direction from...
custom optic
A custom optic refers to an optical component that is designed, manufactured, and tailored to meet specific requirements or...
grating beamsplitter
A grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...
exa
In the SI system, prefix meaning 1018. (E).
range axis
The third dimension (depth or Z-axis) in an imaging system.
marginal rays
Also referred to as the axial ray (or a-ray), a marginal ray originates from the axial point of the object and passes...
ospin
Opsins are a group of light-sensitive proteins found primarily in the retinas of vertebrate and invertebrate eyes, as well...
plastic optics
Plastic optics refers to optical components or systems that are made from transparent plastic materials, as opposed to...
jitter
1. In relation to cathode-ray tube displays, errors in the signal's amplitude, phase or both that result in small, rapid...
convergent beam sensing mode
A type of photoelectric proximity mode sensing incorporating a lens system to focus the light from the emitter in a small,...
optical gate
An optical gate typically refers to a device or system that controls the transmission of light, allowing it to pass through...
Saha equation
Formula that describes the thermal equilibrium of gas electrons and ions as a direct function of variations in temperature.
active optics
Technology that corrects the shape of reflective optics; primarily applied in large telescope systems, in order to...
optical testing
Refers to a variety of methods and tools used to determine the surface contour and performance of optical components and...
discrimination
The degree to which a vision system is capable of sensing differences in light intensity between two regions.
aplanatic points
Aplanatic points refer to specific points in an optical system where certain aberrations, such as spherical aberration or...
CMOS image sensor
A CMOS image sensor, short for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor, is a type of semiconductor device used...
ambient light
Light present in the environment around a detecting or interpreting device, especially a machine vision system, and...
negative temperature
lens testing equipment
Lens testing equipment refers to a range of specialized tools and instruments used to evaluate the optical performance,...
clear eye distance
In a visual optical system, the axial distance from the last mechanical surface of the eyepiece to the exit pupil.
light field
The term light field refers to the spatial distribution of light rays traveling in all directions through a given space. It...
Kerr effect
The Kerr effect, named after the physicist John Kerr who first observed it in 1875, is a nonlinear optical phenomenon where...
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...
temporal disperser
laser guide star
An artificial star used to aid in adaptive optics imaging of the sky. The guide star is provided from a telescope system on...
autofocus system
A means of adjusting the sharpness of an image automatically, with a sensor for estimating distance or contrast and a drive...
data link
The communications network between nodes of a data transmission system.
photonic integrated circuit
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a compact and integrated device that incorporates multiple photonic components and...
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...
antiferromagnetism
The elimination of magnetic moments and decrease in magnetic susceptibility with a decrease in temperature due to the equal...
spectrometer mask
A high-contrast transparency of the gas sought, or an array of exit slits that correlates with some features of the...
silicon carbide light-emitting diodes
Silicon carbide (SiC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric current is...
exciton
An exciton is a quasiparticle that represents the bound state of an electron and a hole in a solid-state material, typically...
ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the eyes and visual system....
angular subtense
The measured planar or solid angle of related aspects of an optical system with respect to an optical axis.
microenvironmental control system
Equipment that supports microscopic live-cell imaging by managing the gas, media perfusion, temperature and other factors to...
array processor
In image processing, a specially designed programmable computer peripheral that attaches to the host system for the purpose...
magnifier
A lens or lens system that produces an enlarged virtual image of an object placed near its front focal point.
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...
atmospheric turbulence
Irregularities and disturbances in the atmosphere that are of particular interest because they induce random temporal and...
turbidity
Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by the presence of suspended particles. These...
catadioptric imaging system
A system that uses both reflection and refraction to achieve its focal power. While the relative powers of the lenses and...
color thermogram
A thermogram in which temperature values are displayed in discrete thermal bands, each band possessing a distinct color.
field of view
The field of view (FOV) refers to the extent of the observable world or the visible area that can be seen at any given...
tracking system
A controlled motion system that may use a telescope, camera or antenna to follow accurately a satellite, missile, vehicle or...
ambient temperature
The prevailing temperature in the immediate vicinity of the object; the temperature of its environment.
emissivity correction matrix
A computer-generated routine for achieving true-temperature readings in thermal infrared imaging systems.
parallel scanning
Parallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather...
DIN system
The logarithmic method of determining emulsion speeds developed by the German standards organization, Deutscher...
laser-mediated gene transfer
Laser-mediated gene transfer refers to a technique in molecular biology and genetic engineering that utilizes lasers to...
linear positioning stage
A linear positioning stage, also known as a linear stage or translation stage, is a precision mechanical device used to...
chief ray
The ray that passes through the center of the aperture stop in an optical system. It often is called the principal ray of an...
freeform optics
Freeform optics refers to the design and fabrication of optical surfaces that do not follow traditional symmetric shapes,...
hyperspectral imaging
Hyperspectral imaging is an advanced imaging technique that captures and processes information from across the...
wobble
In micropositioning systems, motion (most frequently undesired) about the Z-axis.
thermography
Thermography is a technique that involves the use of an infrared imaging device, called a thermal camera or infrared camera,...
acceptance angle
The range of angle or solid angle values by which light may enter an optical system.
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...
static beam shaping
A technique for creating optimal performance in a system by producing a specific beam irradiance distribution, usually...
microstereology
Microscopic investigation of two-dimensional areas of a three-dimensional object that can be quantitatively evaluated by...
mode sweeping
A form of laser output noise that is caused by thermal, mechanical, or acoustical disturbances of the cavity length. Mode...
Porro prism erecting system
The arrangement of two Porro prisms so that the inverted image formed by certain types of optical instruments is the same as...
mode 1 (and mode 2)
In compact disc systems, the two principal frame formats for data storage. Mode 1 devotes 2048 bytes to user data, reserving...
bit error rate
The ratio of the number of bits received incorrectly to the total number of bits transmitted digitally in a system.
vacuum chamber
A vacuum chamber is a sealed enclosure from which air and other gases are removed to create a low-pressure environment,...
nonselective sensor
A radiometric device or system having uniform responsivity relative to all of the radiation parameters, or relative to one...
real image
An image that is formed when rays emerging from an optical system all converge to a point on the optical axis. A real image...
metabolic imaging
Metabolic imaging refers to the visualization and quantification of metabolic processes within living organisms, tissues, or...
machine vision lens
A machine vision lens is a specialized optical lens designed for use in machine vision systems, which are used for automated...
infrared photomicrography
Photographic recording that uses infrared radiation as the light source to form an image of a microscopic object and a...
optogenetics
A discipline that combines optics and genetics to enable the use of light to stimulate and control cells in living tissue,...
coherent noise
The manifestation of light from scatterers outside the plane of the object in coherent light systems. The output of these...
nonradiative transition
A nonradiative transition refers to a process in which an electron or an atom undergoes a change in its energy state without...
microbubble resonator
A microbubble resonator is a device used in photonics and optical physics for the precise manipulation of light waves. It...
ray intercept plot
A graph of the intersections of a fan of rays with the final image plane, plotted as a function of the positions of the rays...
photoimmunotherapy
Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is a medical treatment approach that combines elements of phototherapy and immunotherapy to target...
soft coating
A term describing an antireflection coating that may be applied to optics that cannot tolerate the high temperatures usually...
modified chemical vapor deposition
Modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) is a technique used in the fabrication of optical fibers. It is a specialized form...
veiling glare
Diffuse stray light at the image plane of an optical system that results in reduced contrast and resolution.
APD detector
An APD detector, or avalanche photodiode detector, is a type of photodetector used to detect light or optical signals by...
autoguider
A CCD sensor that provides feedback to the motion control system for a telescope, allowing the telescope to follow a...
embedded vision
Embedded vision refers to the integration of computer vision technologies into various embedded systems, devices, or...
InGaAs photodiode
An InGaAs photodiode refers to a photodetector device that is constructed using a semiconductor material composed of a...
in vitro
In vitro is a Latin term that translates to "in glass." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and medicine, it...
gallium arsenide injection laser
A laser system consisting of a planar PN junction within a single crystal of gallium arsenide. The pair of parallel,...
accelerometer
An accelerometer is a sensor or transducer that measures the rate of change of velocity of an object, or in simpler terms,...
photographic sound recorder
A system in which the electrical signal embedded within an audio input signal is converted to a modulated light pattern and...
feedback compensation
The placement of a device or an additional circuit into a feedback control system to improve its response in relation to a...
catoptric system
An optical system in which the only image-forming elements are curved-surface mirrors; e.g., a Cassegrain lens system.
thermocouple
A device composed of dissimilar metals that, when welded together, develop a small voltage dependent upon the relative...
laser gravimeter
Means of determining the relative motion of a (seismic) mass or acceleration body from a stable laser operated system.
stencil CRT image generation
The projection of the image beam by a cathode-ray tube through a mask, where it is deflected through the suitable character...
atomic time
Any system of time measurement that is based on atomic resonances. The transition times between the hyperfine levels of...
burst mode laser
A high-frequency pulse-rate laser with an output limited by the heat capacity of the laser medium. Instead of having...
image correlation
A machine vision technique that compares a template of the desired image (the correlation kernel) with the actual camera...
edge response
Intensity distribution in the image of an edge. The gradient of the edge-response curve is a measure of the image quality of...
mirage
The distortion of an object's true image as the result of abnormal atmospheric disturbances along the path traveled by the...
local oscillator laser
In coherent optical communications systems, a laser used at the receiving end to produce a steady wave that is combined with...
polygonal mirror
A polygonal mirror, also known as a multifaceted mirror or facet mirror, is a type of optical component used in various...
Rayleigh prism
A prism system designed to produce a very high dispersion of light.
FMCW lidar
FMCW lidar stands for frequency-modulated continuous wave lidar. It is a type of lidar (light detection and ranging)...
design and engineering consulting services
Design and engineering consulting services refer to professional services provided by specialized firms or individuals to...
atto
In the SI system, prefix meaning 10-18.
proximal scanning
Technique using a fiber optic assembly to illuminate an opaque object and transmit an image back from it without a lens...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
electron-beam gun
1. A device generally used in a cathode-ray or camera tube to emit a stream of electrons moving at uniform velocity in a...
tristimulus values
The values of the three standard or matching stimuli necessary to provide a match with the light under trial, in a specified...
saccadic motion
The movement of the eye as it focuses on details of a scene. Some imaging systems mimic this movement by small, rapid...
output spectrum display
The direct computation of the Fourier transform of the space variant system output of an optical processor with a single...
random noise
Essentially, noise that cannot be predicted. Therefore, even if the magnitude of sound or oscillation in a system is known...
moiré topography
Contour mapping technique that involves positioning a grating close to an object and observing its shadow on the object...
fold
1. A flaw in a blank caused by folding the blank's surface during its formation. 2. The change in the direction of a...
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...
baselength
The distance between pupil centers in a two-pupil system, measured perpendicularly to the optic axis.
magnifying power
The ability of an optical system to make an object appear larger. An optical element or optical system causing an object to...
ring topology
A system of local area networking in which each node or station is connected to two others, ultimately forming a loop. Data...
closed-circuit television system
A television system that does not broadcast television signals but transmits them over a closed circuit.
deep learning
Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that involves the use of artificial neural networks to model and solve complex...
fractals
A method used to generate graphics within a computer system. Rather than dots or lines, fractal graphics work with...
Czerny-Turner design
A form of monochromator optical system consisting of two spherical concave mirrors used in conjunction with a movable...
pathogen
A pathogen is a biological agent, such as a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or parasite, that causes disease in its...
combiner
A semitransparent mirror in an optical system that combines two or more output beams into a single coaxial beam.
Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering is a phenomenon in physics where an incident electromagnetic wave (usually light) interacts with...
infrared beacon
An infrared source, set in a stationary position, that is used as a reference in certain navigational systems.
micron (µm)
A unit of length in the metric system equal to one millionth of a meter (10-6 m). Also called micrometer. Abbreviated...
focal plane assembly
An infrared imaging device composed of a detector array and readout electronics. It may include a cryogenic cooling system....
beamwidth
The angular width of a radiation beam. With respect to a conical beam of light, it is the vertex angle of the cone. The...
machine vision lighting
Machine vision lighting refers to the use of specific lighting techniques and equipment in the field of machine vision,...
fire cracks
Small clefts or fissures that penetrate the glass surface in the form of short-hooked crescents. Fire cracks result from a...
thermal-infrared camera
A thermal-infrared camera, often referred to simply as a thermal camera, is a type of imaging device that detects infrared...
Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor
The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is an optical device used for measuring the wavefront aberrations of an optical system....
long-pass filter
A long-pass filter is an optical filter that allows longer wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking or...
quantum
The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the...
law of reversibility
In physics, the law of reversibility is often associated with the concept of reversibility in thermodynamics. The law...
photovoltaic cell
A photovoltaic cell, commonly known as a solar cell, is a semiconductor device that directly converts light energy into...
microscopy
Microscopy is a scientific technique that involves the use of microscopes to observe and study objects that are too small to...
modulation transfer function analysis/measurement equipment
MTF analysis/measurement equipment refers to instruments and tools used to measure and analyze the modulation transfer...
infrared
Infrared (IR) refers to the region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, but...
dual attachment station
In a dual-ring local area network, a node that is connected both to the primary, active ring and also to a secondary ring...
Arrhenius plot
The plot that expresses a reaction rate vs. the reciprocal of absolute temperature. Often used to describe the thermal...
optical manufacturing tools and machinery
Optical manufacturing tools and machinery encompass a wide range of equipment, instruments, and systems used in the...
coolant
A fluid used to decrease the temperature rise produced by friction or other causes.
t number
The equivalent f number of a fictitious lens that has a circular opening and 100 percent transmittance, which would give the...
Abbe prism
A form of roof prism used to invert an image. The prism has faces cut normal to the optical axis; therefore, the prism may...
phosphorography
A process used in pyrometry and photothermometry to create a photographic record of a surface's temperature gradients....
fiber optic imaging bundle
A fiber optic imaging bundle is a specialized optical device composed of multiple optical fibers bundled together. Each...
thermal dissociation
A technique for detecting free radicals by their electronic spectra. The material to be studied is placed in a...
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite characterized by its standardized size and modular design. CubeSats are...
continuous wave
Continuous wave (CW) refers to a type of signal or transmission where the signal is constant and does not vary with time. In...
noctovision
A television system used for seeing in the dark, particularly with the use of infrared rays.
homing guidance system
A system of sensors and related instrumentation that allows a navigable object (usually a missile) to locate its destination...
two-photon fluorescence
This results from the simultaneous absorption of two photons, each having half the energy needed for excitation and...
molecular motor
A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
edge detection
In image processing, the location of edges by employing templates that respond to the first or second derivative of...
minimum resolvable temperature
In a thermal imaging system, the smallest change in blackbody equivalent temperature that can be detected clearly by the...
fiber optic scanner
A scanner in which a fiber optic assembly replaces a lens system.
circle of confusion
The image of a point source that appears as a circle of finite diameter because of defocusing or the aberrations inherent in...
orthographic camera
A camera designed with a telecentric optical system and a narrow field of view; the telecentric optical system (placement of...
optical pumping
The process whereby the number of atoms or atomic systems in a set of energy levels is changed by the absorption of light...
color correction
The reduction in longitudinal, lateral and secondary chromatic aberrations in a lens or lens system.
optical system
A group of lenses, or any combination of lenses, mirrors and prisms, so constructed as to refract or reflect light to...
photomask
A photomask, also known simply as a mask or reticle, is a key component in the photolithography process used in...
thermogram
Also known as analog thermogram. The resultant photograph, illustrating, in tones ranging from black to white, the spatial...
focal plane array
A linear or two-dimensional matrix of individual detector elements, typically used at the focus of an imaging system.
x-ray source
A material or system that emits x-rays.
Seebeck effect
Characteristic of dissimilar metals in thermoelectric solar cells whereby separate junctions exhibiting distinct...
Munsell color system
Founded by professor Albert Munsell. In the field of colorimetry, the Munsell color system is a color space that identifies...
gallium nitride
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a compound made up of gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N). It is a wide-bandgap semiconductor material...
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...
resorption
The absorption of a material by a medium or system that has formerly been released from absorption by that same medium or...
field repetition rate
The number of fields scanned per second in a television system. The US standard is 60. Also called field frequency.
aptamer
An aptamer is a short, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecule that can bind to a specific target molecule with high affinity...
wafer
In the context of electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, a wafer refers to a thin, flat disk or substrate made of a...
Lissajous pattern
The pattern, formed by a character generation cathode-ray tube system, in which the characters are made up of wave shapes...
end-fire coupling
End-fire coupling refers to a method of coupling energy into or out of a waveguide, transmission line, or antenna, where the...
additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a manufacturing process that involves creating three-dimensional...
receiver
A detector and signal demodulator used in optical communications systems to receive a signal and often to translate it into...
evaporagraph
A sensor generally used for infrared imaging. It consists of two chambers separated by a thin, blackened membrane. An...
Nichols radiometer
An instrument devised by Nichols and Hull for use in the measurement of radiation pressure. The device has two small...
sidereal time
Frequently used in astronomical measurement, it is based on the diurnal rotation of a star relative to the fixed stellar...
vertical resolution
In television system specifications, the number of parallel horizontal black and white lines of equal thickness, that can be...
laser
A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
ferroelectric materials
Ferroelectric materials are a type of dielectric materials that exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, meaning they...
periscope
An optical instrument designed to displace the line of sight in a vertical direction. For submarines and other military uses...
air-to-ground phototransmission system
A category of systems designed to communicate a photo taken from the air (e.g., aircraft, balloon, satellite) to a ground...
Doppler-spread imaging
An imaging process, similar to specific Doppler mapping radar techniques, that utilizes a laser, an optical imaging system,...
well plate
A well plate, also known as a microplate or microtiter plate, is a flat plate with multiple small wells or depressions...
condenser
A single positive lens or group of lenses used in a projection system to collect light from a source and cause it to...
liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...
injection seeding
The use of a small ultrastable master oscillator (a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser) to achieve single-frequency operation of a...
television projection
A television display system in which the television signal is converted to an image that is projected onto either a front or...
creep
The deformation of a material at high levels of stress, often associated with elevated temperatures.
microfluidics
Microfluidics is a multidisciplinary field that involves the manipulation and control of very small fluid volumes, typically...
optical channel monitor
An optical channel monitor (OCM) is a device used in optical communication systems to monitor and analyze the performance of...
massive optics
Optical components exceeding 24 in. in diameter. The components are usually glass, acrylic or polystyrene and are used for...
laser active elements
Laser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...
Mohs hardness
Material hardness scale that is used to characterize the scratch resistance of various materials. This surface hardness...
flow cytometry
Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology and medicine for the quantitative analysis of the physical and...
diasporometer
In an optical rangefinder, the system of wedges that rotate in opposite directions to aid in the detection of deviation in...
electro-optic radar
A radar system that uses electro-optic rather than microwave instrumentation and methods to perform its acquisition and...
logic-to-light device
A fiber optic component or system designed in such a way that it can be operated by people without specialized knowledge of...
pharyngoscope
An optical system used to examine the pharynx.
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment or experience that can be...
scintillation crystal
A scintillation crystal, also known simply as a scintillator, is a material that emits light when it interacts with ionizing...
Raman effect
When light is transmitted through matter, part of the light is scattered in random directions. A small part of the scattered...
inverted image
An image that is similar to the object but rotated 180° about the axis of the system.
Maddox rod
Lenslike composition of stacked glass cylinders through which a spot of light appears as a streak perpendicular to the...
laser dazzle system
Visible laser radiation, often optically expanded and collimated, used to induced temporary blindness from within a walking...
Planck's (radiation) law
The formula describing the spectral radiant emittance of a perfect blackbody as a function of its temperature and the...
laser cloud mapper
A scanning laser radar system applied to transmission and concentration analysis in three dimensions of clouds as well as...
diffraction efficiency
Diffraction efficiency is a measure of how effectively a diffractive optical element (DOE) or diffraction grating directs...
fiducial point
One or more spots placed in the field of view of an optical system to provide a means of reference.
fluorescence
Fluorescence is a type of luminescence, which is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other...
emissivity
The ratio of an object's radiance to that emitted by a blackbody radiator at the same temperature and at the same wavelength.
motion sensing
Capacity of a vision system to capture an image of an object in motion and to resolve the direction and speed of that motion.
microreciprocal degree
An approximated measure of the smallest change in color temperature detectable by the human eye, defined as the reciprocal...
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...
multiplexing
The combination of two or more signals for transmission along a single wire, path or carrier. In most optical communication...
beam shaper
A beam shaper is an optical device or system designed to modify the spatial profile or intensity distribution of a laser or...
integrated photonics
Integrated photonics is a field of study and technology that involves the integration of optical components, such as lasers,...
metalens
A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...
perfect lens
A theoretical, ideal lens capable of producing perfect images. Used as a lens design and analysis tool to image collimated...
polycarbonate
A tough, durable, heat- and cold-resistant optical quality plastic used in injection-molded items such as streetlight...
optical testing instrument
An optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...
holmium
A soft, malleable, stable rare-earth element. Holmium laser systems are used in surgical procedures involving the cutting...
self-phase modulation
Self-phase modulation (SPM) is a nonlinear optical phenomenon that occurs when an intense laser beam passes through a...
photoelectric scanner
A system mounted a few inches above a moving plane that consists of a light source, lenses and one or more phototubes. In...
correction wedge
In rangefinders and height finders, a rotatable or sliding wedge-shaped element used to divert the line of sight precisely...
arc flash
An arc flash is a sudden release of electrical energy due to an electric arc — a continuous, high-current discharge of...
waveguide
A waveguide is a physical structure or device that is designed to confine and guide electromagnetic waves, such as radio...
optical extent
Mathematically defined as the product of etendue (or throughput) and the square of the refractive index, the optical extent...
distributed feedback laser
A distributed feedback laser (DFB laser) is a type of semiconductor laser diode designed to emit coherent, narrow-bandwidth...
line of sight
The line of vision; the optical axis of a telescope or other observation system. The straight line connecting the object and...
quantum efficiency
Quantum efficiency (QE) is a measure of the effectiveness with which a device or system, typically in the context of...
peta
In the SI system, prefix meaning 1015.
modulation transfer function
Also called sine wave response and contrast transfer function. The modulation transfer function is the ratio of the...
photorefractive keratectomy
A surgical procedure for correcting vision by reshaping the outer surface of the cornea through the use of a laser system.
fiber optic gyroscope
A fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) is a type of gyroscope that uses the interference of light waves to detect changes in...
laser sintering
Laser sintering is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that involves using a laser to selectively fuse...
microspectroscope
A system composed of a prism spectroscope and compound microscope to provide the visual comparison of two spectra...
micro-robotics
Micro-robotics refers to the field of robotics that involves the design, development, and application of miniature robotic...
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...
resolving power
A measure of an optical system's ability to produce an image which separates two points or parallel lines on the object. See...
infrared lens
An infrared lens is an optical component specifically designed and optimized for transmitting, focusing, or manipulating...
crystal
A solid with a structure that exhibits a basically symmetrical and geometrical arrangement. A crystal may already possess...
aspherizing
The modification of the spherical surfaces in an optical system to correct for spherical aberration.
color temperature
A colorimetric concept related to the apparent visual color of a source (not its temperature). For a blackbody, the color...
phase matching
Phase matching is a crucial concept in the field of optics, particularly in nonlinear optics and the generation of coherent...
piezoelectric motion systems
Piezoelectric motion systems are mechanical systems that utilize piezoelectric materials to generate controlled motion or...
optical switching
Optical switching refers to the process of controlling the routing or transmission of optical signals within a network using...
phonon
A phonon is a quantum of vibrational energy associated with the periodic motion of atoms or molecules in a crystalline...
inverse bremsstrahlung
Collisional absorption of energy that occurs in inertial confinement fusion systems when hydrodynamic expansion of the...
Abbe illumination
Image of a uniform source through the sample of a microscope image system. Light from the sample plane is reimaged by the...
photochemical hole burning
A method of producing disks for erasable optical data storage. Information is recorded by a laser beam that generates pits...
electric CO laser
An electrically excited laser having carbon monoxide as the lasing material and in which lasing occurs in a partial...
image contrast
Also referred to as image visibility, the contrast of an image is the variation in the intensity of an image formed by an...
lensless microscopy
Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
image tube camera
A camera system in which the image formed on the fluorescent screen of an image converter tube in the system is recorded by...
microelectromechanical systems
Refers to micron-size complex machines that have physical dimensions suitable for the fabrication of optical switches for...
diamond turning
Diamond turning, also known as diamond machining or diamond cutting, is a precision machining process used to produce...
exit pupil
In a lens or other optical system, the image of the aperture stop as seen from image space.
crystal oven
A temperature-controlled container used to stabilize the temperature and resonant frequency of a crystal found in a...
confocal resonator
A confocal resonator, also known as a confocal cavity or confocal laser resonator, is a type of optical resonator...
superconductor
A metal, alloy or compound that loses its electrical resistance at temperatures below a certain transition temperature...
biometrics
Biometrics refers to the automated recognition of individuals based on their physiological or behavioral characteristics....
effective beam
In photoelectric sensing, the portion of the transmitted beam that actually functions in the system; the diameter of the...
optical resolution
A measure of image quality produced by an optical system. May be specified in terms of cycles per millimeter, referencing a...
spontaneous emission
Radiation emitted when a quantum mechanical system drops spontaneously from an excited level to a lower level. This...
flux growth
A method of synthesis for crystals such as KTP. The process involves the use of a high-temperature solution called flux to...
temperature decay method
tera (T)
In the SI system, prefix meaning 1012. (T).
transient calorimetric technique
A method of measuring total hemispherical emissivity of the plane surface of a solid that consists of thermally isolating a...
3D laser triangulation
3D Laser Triangulation - A technology that allows sensors to probe the surroundings. Laser triangulation systems have an...
infrared camera
An infrared camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera or IR camera, is a device that captures and visualizes the...
split-image microscope
A mask-alignment microscope used to produce and inspect microcircuits in the electronics industry. It provides flat-field,...
visually coupled airborne systems simulator
A visual system including a tiny television tube and imaging optics, all contained in a helmet to be worn by pilots in...
calibrated wedge
An optical wedge in which transmittance or density is a function of the location of the wedge, relative to a specific...
phase-shift keying
A method of coding information in a communications system where the shift in the phase of an electromagnetic wave represents...
optical noise
Optical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...
servomechanism
A closed-loop system that is constantly adjusted in response to input signals generated within the system.
half bandwidth
The term half bandwidth (HBW) generally refers to the width of a spectral band or frequency range at half of its maximum...
stroke pattern
The pattern formed by a character generation cathode-ray tube system, in which the characters are composed of a sequence of...
speckle pattern
A power intensity pattern produced by the mutual interference of partially coherent beams that are subject to minute...
incandescence
The emission of light by thermal radiation of a temperature high enough to render the source of radiation visible.
delta error
The term delta error (delta-E) generally refers to the difference or change in error between two values or states. The word...
peripheral
Near the boundary or edge of the field of an optical system; the outer fringe.
radioactive tracer
A radioactive element that is placed or injected into a system to obtain an autoradiogram of the system. It is used in a...
helmet-mounted display
A compact optical projection system, mounted on or built into a helmet, and used to project data or a scene directly into...
wedge ring detector
A diffraction pattern sampling unit composed of a 32-element monolithic silicon photodiode array and a readout unit. The...
lumen
A lumen is a unit of measurement used to quantify the amount of luminous flux, which is the perceived power of light. In...
front-cell focusing
A method of focusing an optical system by moving the front component (the lens closest to the subject) to change the...
aspheric lens
An aspheric lens is a type of lens whose surface profiles deviate from the traditional spherical shape. Unlike spherical...
mesoscope
In the field of optics and imaging, a mesoscope refers to an optical instrument that is designed to observe and capture...
mode partitioning
The pulse-to-pulse fluctuations in power distribution among modes of a Fabry-Perot laser, which can result in...
parcentered
Description of an optical system in which all the elements are aligned on the same axis.
diffuser
An optical diffuser is an optical component or material designed to scatter or diffuse light that passes through it. It is...
lateral shearing interferometer
A lateral shearing interferometer is an optical device used in interferometry to measure phase differences between two beams...
infrared light source
An infrared light source is a device that emits light in the infrared spectrum, which lies beyond the visible spectrum of...
thermoplastic cement
An adhesive whose viscosity decreases as the temperature is increased to a limit. Canada balsam, resin and pitch are...
total internal reflection fluorescence
Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is an advanced fluorescence microscopy technique that leverages the...
population inversion
The condition in which there are more atomic systems in the upper of two energy levels than in the lower, so stimulated...
hard elastics
High-modulus elastic fibers that exhibit the following differences from conventional elastic fibers: Increasing temperature...
Amici prism
Also known as roof prism. A type of prism designed by G.B. Amici. It consists of a roof edge produced upon the long...
cold finger
A cryogenically cooled component incorporated into the Dewar of an infrared detector assembly to maintain the sensing...
micro (µ)
In the SI system, prefix meaning one-millionth, 10-6. Abbreviated µ.
carbonization
Carbonization is a process in which organic materials are heated in the absence of air, leading to the decomposition of the...
optical camouflage
The use of retroreflective projection technology (RPT) to project a background image onto a masked object, such as a vehicle...
fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna
A fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna (FCPA) is a type of optoelectronic device that combines a photoconductive antenna...
compacting
The heat-treating method in which the index of refraction of glass is fixed near or at its maximum value by holding the...
underwater photography
The field of photography concerned with the recording of subjects beneath the water with a watertight, water-resistant...
meta-optics
Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
color temperature meter
A device containing two photocells behind deep red and blue filters to measure color temperatures. The amplifier gain is...
beam bender
A mirror used to manipulate the beam in a laser system.
spectral repeatability
Spectral repeatability refers to the consistency and reproducibility of spectral measurements across multiple trials or...
laser diode module
A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...
detector array
A detector array refers to a collection of individual detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional grid or matrix format....
reticle
A reticle, also known as a reticule or graticule, is a pattern or set of markings placed in the focal plane of an optical...
trinoscope
A color-television viewing system with three kinescopes, three lenses and three deflection yokes used to form the red, green...
fiber optic cable assembly
A fiber optic cable assembly refers to a complete unit consisting of optical fibers, connectors, protective jackets, and...
raster
The pattern of lines traced by rectilinear scanning in display systems.
contact fluid
A liquid, usually of a specific refractive index and dispersion, serving as an interface between two solids to form a...
broadband dielectric mirrors
Broadband dielectric mirrors, also known as broadband mirrors, are optical coatings designed to efficiently reflect or...
zetta
In the SI system, prefix meaning 1021. (Z).
Boys camera
A camera system for recording lightning.
point cloud
A point cloud is a set of data points in a three-dimensional coordinate system, where each point represents a specific...
erect image
An image, real or virtual, whose spatial orientation is identical to that of the object. The image obtained at the retina...
ternary notation
Refers to a notation system using a base of 3 and the numerical characters 0, 1 and 2.
inertial confinement fusion
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a method of achieving nuclear fusion, a process where two atomic nuclei combine to...
acousto-optic modulators and deflectors
An acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is a device that utilizes the interaction between sound waves and light waves to modulate...
enclosed laser device
A laser or laser system positioned within an enclosure to prevent dangerous optical radiation from leaving the enclosure.
relay condenser
A form of lens assembly used in a projection system to maximize efficiency and assure uniform illumination of the object...
optical profiler
Also known as a white-light interferometer. Measures surface texture and shape from nanometer-scale roughness to...
insertion loss
The total optical power loss caused by the insertion of an optical component such as a connector, splice or coupler into a...
Foucault rotating mirror
A rotating mirror coupled with a distant mirror and used in a system by Foucault to compute the velocity of light. Light...
conversion efficiency
In a pumped laser system, the ratio of output energy to pump energy.
tracking
1. The process of following an object's movement; accomplished by focusing a radar beam on the reticle of an optical system...
tellurium
The material favored for study of interaction of high-acoustic intensities with free carriers. Tellurium is the...
exciter filter
In ultraviolet and fluorescence photography, the term applied to the filter used in the photographic system and with the...
coherent communications
A fiber optic communications system that works on the principles of homodyning or heterodyning. The transmitting laser...
quantum-ehanced metrology
Quantum-enhanced metrology refers to the use of quantum mechanics principles and techniques to enhance the precision and...
beaconage
A system of beacons used in navigation.
optical repeater
In an optical fiber or waveguide communications system, an optoelectronic device or module that receives an optical signal,...
infrared alarm system
A system that uses infrared detectors and related instrumentation to determine when abnormal amounts of infrared radiation,...
laser welder
A system that uses the heat from a pulsed laser to weld metals. Because of the rapidity and localization in which the...
unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard. UAVs are remotely...
diopter
A unit of optical measurement that expresses the refractive power of a lens or prism. In a lens or lens system, it is the...
ground state
Also known as ground level. The lowest energy level of an atom or atomic system. A material in the ground state is not...
projection thermography
The measurement of surface temperature by a thermograph that forms a pattern of the heat radiated by the surface on a...
collimation
1. The process of aligning the optical axes of optical systems to the reference mechanical axes or surfaces of an...
crystal spectrograph
A system that applies a crystal as a diffracting agent to photograph the spectrum.
imagery rectification
Photogrammetric compensation for incidental camera movement (which prevents attainment of true vertical photographs) whereby...
afocal
An optical system with object and image points at infinity. Literally, "without a focal length."
spheric lens
A spheric lens, also known as a spherical lens, is a type of optical lens with at least one surface that is part of a...
metasurfaces
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...
horizontal travel
The rotation of an instrument (or the line of sight of an optical system) in a horizontal plane; transverse.
circular dichroism spectroscopy
A type of spectroscopy used extensively in the analysis of biological samples. Because most biologically synthesized...
event-based sensor
An event-based image sensor, also known as a dynamic vision sensor (DVS), is a type of digital imaging device designed to...
laser surgery
Laser surgery refers to a medical procedure in which a laser, or focused beam of light, is used as a precision tool to cut,...
turbulence propagation medium
Simulation of atmospheric turbulence for laboratory experimentation purposes, achieved by creating an unstable vertical...
image optics
Any form of lens, optical system (camera, telescope, microscope, etc.), or opto-electronics utilized for the purpose of...
emission spectrum
An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light...
narcissus
A defect in infrared systems that appears as a dark circular area on a displayed image, caused by radiation reflecting into...
graphene
Graphene is a two-dimensional allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal...
internet of things
The internet of things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other objects...
optical path difference
The relative path difference (or phase shift) traveled between two rays that pass through different mediums from the same...
apparent movement
The visual perception of motion when fixed stimuli are exposed in rapid temporal and spatial succession.
adaptive optics
Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of...
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin...
relative aperture
The ratio of the diameter of the entrance pupil in an optical system to the equivalent focal length of that system. The...
oscillograph
An instrument used to record rapidly varying currents or voltages. An oscillograph may consist of a cathode-ray tube...
error function
A single number, defined by the computer program or the user that expresses the performance of an optical system. Also known...
neuromorphic vision sensor
A neuromorphic vision sensor is a type of imaging device designed to mimic the structure and functioning of the human visual...
coherence length
That length over which energy in two separate waves remains constant. With respect to a laser, the greatest distance between...
forward-looking infrared
A night-vision device that uses one or more infrared transducers to scan a scene in the 3- to 5-µm or 8- to...
photocoagulator
An optical medical instrument that uses an intense, precisely focused beam of light to stop weakened blood vessels from...
threshold current
The minimum driving current corresponding to lasing threshold at a specified temperature. (Ith).
CIE system
Methodology for specifying color based on the CIE sources, observers, and coordinate system.
direct laser interference patterning
Also called DLIP, a high-speed, high-resolution processing technique that uses high-power, pulsed laser systems to directly...
GRIN lens
A GRIN (gradient index) lens is a type of optical lens that utilizes a gradient in refractive index across its volume rather...
underwater television system
A television system designed to obtain pictures of objects or scenes beneath the surface of the water. Generally, a...
nanotube
A nanotube, also known as a nanotubule or simply a tube-like structure, is a nanoscale cylindrical structure composed of...
camera
A light-tight box that receives light from an object or scene and focuses it to form an image on a light-sensitive material...
optical Fourier transform
The optical Fourier transform is a mathematical operation applied to optical signals that involves transforming a spatial...
Angstrom compensation pyrheliometer
A system used for measuring direct solar radiation.
thermionic emission
The emission of free electrons by a rise in temperature of the cathode alone.
constant deviation
That property of certain optical devices, e.g., a penta prism, that maintains the angular relationship between the entering...
transmission electron microscope
A transmission electron microscope (TEM) is a powerful microscopy technique that uses a beam of electrons to create...
lock-in amplifier
A lock-in amplifier is a specialized electronic instrument used to extract and measure small signals embedded in noise or...
magneto-optics
Magneto-optics refers to the study and manipulation of the interaction between magnetic fields and light (electromagnetic...
launch numerical aperture
The numerical aperture of an optical system used to couple (launch) power into an optical waveguide.
Seidel aberrations
Seidel aberrations refer to a set of monochromatic aberrations in optical systems, named after the German mathematician and...
infrared detector
An infrared detector is a device that is used to detect and measure infrared radiation, which lies beyond the visible...
crystallized glass
Glass of special composition that is melted, formed into desired shapes, and subjected to a high-temperature treatment in...
facsimile chart
Data gathered by a facsimile system and converted into graphic, readable form; generally used in meteorology. Also known as...
cryospectroscopy
The spectrographic analysis of matter that is in a cooled state. Generally, a mechanical refrigerator is used to lower the...
bias buildup
Degradation factor in coherent light systems where the amplitude of the recorded signal is decreased as the number of object...
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...
optical filter
An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...
optical transfer function
The function that characterizes the quality of an optical system by denoting the modulation and spatial phase shift of the...
fiber-linked array image formatter
A wide-field multiobject spectroscopy system used in astronomy, in which a bundle of low-loss optical fibers positioned on...
emissive power
The emissivity of a body times the emissive power of a blackbody at the same temperature. For a blackbody, it is the total...
aspheric mirror
An aspheric mirror is an optical mirror surface that deviates from the shape of a perfect sphere, having a non-spherical...
stereoscopic television
A television system in which the images produced appear three-dimensional.
newton (N)
The unit of force in the mks system that will give 1 kg of mass an acceleration of 1 m/s2.
diaphragm
A flanged or plain ring with a restricted aperture, located in an optical system at any of several points, that cuts off...
optically compensating zoom system
A variable focal length lens system that retains the object in focus as one or more lenses move as a unit along its optical...
automatic optical inspection
A system for automatic industrial process control or measurement, consisting of an optical module for image acquisition, a...
silver-disc pyrheliometer
An instrument that uses a blackened silver-disc reflector with a shutter to create temperature fluctuations that are...
fiber optics
The use of thin flexible glass or plastic fibers as wave guides — or "light pipes" — to channel light from one...
advanced tactical air reconnaissance system
An aerial reconnaissance system that can transmit, in near real time, image data recorded by IR and visual-spectrum sensors,...
direct viewfinder
A viewfinder whose optical system forms a direct image of a subject, as opposed to those systems that use reflectance in the...
audiovisual
Concerned with the transmission and reception of both sight and sound. An audiovisual system communicates pictorial images...
flame excitation
The use of high temperatures, between 2000 and 3000 °C, to excite emission lines from a sample in spectroscopic...
infrared scanner
An optical system used to collect infrared energy from a scene using scanning optics with a point or line detector, as...
kilo
In the SI system, prefix meaning one thousand, 103.
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...
symmetrical lens
A lens system made up of two sets of similar lenses, each of which compensates for many of the aberrations produced by the...
nonlinear optical materials
Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
glass annealing furnace
A furnace, generally electrically heated, with a control system capable of following a cam by which the temperature can be...
helium leak detector
A small mass spectrometer used to find leaks in a vacuum system by detecting the presence of helium. Using a magnetic...
transmitter central wavelength range
The central wavelength range of a transmitter based on the worst-case scenarios of temperature, manufacturing and other...
nonlinear optics
Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics that studies the optical phenomena that occur when intense light interacts with a...
stadimetry
The determination of distance based upon the known size of an object and the size of its image at the image plane of an...
retroreflector
A retroreflector is an optical device or structure that reflects incident light or electromagnetic waves back to their...
data bus
A system incorporated into fiber optic data communications characterized by several spatially distributed terminals that are...
cold-light illumination
A means of illumination from which the infrared component has been removed by absorption or reflection filters within the...
stabilized light source
A light source that does not fluctuate despite temperature changes.
photometry
Photometry is the branch of science that deals with the measurement of light, particularly in terms of its intensity and the...
remote sensing
Remote sensing is a method of data collection and observation where information about objects, areas, or phenomena on...
heat equation
A calorimetric calculation from which the temperature vs. time dependence of any point on a sample can be determined,...
real-time processing
The ability of a vision system to interpret an image in a short enough time to keep pace with most operations.
degrees of freedom
The number of unique ways in which a part can move in an alignment system. In static alignment, there are six: one in the...
noise
The unwanted and unpredictable fluctuations that distort a received signal and hence tend to obscure the desired message....
virtual image
An image that is formed when rays emerging from an optical system are diverging from the optical axis. The virtual image is...
grinding
The process in the manufacture of an optical system that gives it the required geometric shape.
freeform mirrors
Freeform mirrors refer to reflective optical components that deviate from traditional symmetric or rotationally symmetric...
read-write capability
In an optical data storage system, denoting the optical head's ability both to record information and to detect it for...
effective aperture
1. That portion of the aperture that functions to collect energy and deliver it to the final system detector. 2. For an...
fusing
The permanent uniting of two glass pieces by high-temperature heating.
negative ghost
A ghost image that has the reverse lightness relations of the original image. This phenomenon is a common optical illusion...
reflective
The term reflective is an adjective that describes the ability of a surface or material to reflect light or other forms of...
radiation temperature
The temperature of a complete radiator that has a total radiant emittance identical to that of an unknown resource.
thermophotovoltaic
Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) refers to a technology that converts heat energy into electricity using the principles of...
Matrix optics
The linear relationship between input and output optical fields for a given optical system or application that allows the...
turnkey system
A system that is complete and self-contained, needing no further additions to permit its operation.
axial gradient technology
A method of designing lasers whereby the laser rod is cut into elliptical discs and cooled by running water over the disc...
electro-optic modulator
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is a device used to modulate the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light waves using an...
transmission loss
The decrease in power that occurs when an optical beam or signal is transmitted through a system.
inertial fusion energy
Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from...
aerial reconnaissance
The use of optical or electronic recording systems to extract information from the terrain, while aloft, for reconnaissance...
qubit
A qubit, short for quantum bit, is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing and quantum information...
detector-Dewar assembly
A detector-Dewar assembly typically refers to a combination of a detector and a Dewar flask used in scientific instruments,...
frame rate
Frame rate refers to the frequency at which consecutive images, or frames, are displayed in a video sequence. It is...
quantum noise
Noise generated within an optical communications system link that has both internal (dark current) and external (background...
rangefinder
1. An optical distance finder that depends on triangulation of two convergent beams on an object from disparate view points....
film plane
The site behind the lens system in a camera where photographic media are positioned for exposure.
pincushion distortion
An aberration of a lens system caused by an increase in lens focal length as the field angle increases. The amount of...
coefficient of thermal expansion
A numerical representation of the rate at which a material will exhibit dimensional changes as a direct result of changes in...
active infrared system
imaging system which clearly shows the IR signals in the field of view as well as ambient environment
optofluidics
Optofluidics is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles from optics and fluidics to create devices and systems...
fluorophosphate glass
A special laser glass made primarily of fluoride compounds that exhibits extremely low refractive index and allows greater...
solar simulator
A solar simulator is a device used to replicate the spectrum and intensity of sunlight in a controlled environment for...
diffraction limited
The property of an optical system whereby only the effects of diffraction determine the quality of the image it produces.
Franck-Condon principle
The principle that electronic energy transitions occur at such speeds that the nuclei of the atoms in the molecular system...
magneto-optic storage
A specific type of storage in which the material to be written on is heated above its transition temperature and switched in...
image
In optics, an image is the reconstruction of light rays from a source or object when light from that source or object is...
focus lamp
An incandescent or carbon arc lamp designed with a stable and compact arc or filament that permits it to be used as a light...
pushbroom scanning
Pushbroom scanning is a technique used in remote sensing and imaging systems, particularly in satellite and aerial sensors,...
aplanatic surface
An aplanatic surface is an optical surface that is specifically designed or shaped to minimize spherical aberration and...
minimum object distance
Minimum object distance, often abbreviated as MOD, refers to the closest distance at which a camera lens or optical system...
polariton
A polariton is a quasiparticle resulting from the strong coupling between photons (light particles) and certain types of...
laser drift
Laser drift typically refers to a phenomenon where the frequency or wavelength of a laser source gradually changes over...
laser texturing
Laser texturing is a manufacturing process that involves using a laser beam to selectively modify the surface of a material,...
microfilm system
A camera copying system that can reduce originals onto 35- or 16-mm film for easy storage.
atom optics
The area of optics in which the wave nature of a particle is exploited to carry out very accurate interferometry and other...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The...
cesium-antimonide photocathode
A photocathode that exhibits maximum sensitivity in the blue and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. The sensitivity is...
attosecond photonics sources
Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of...
temporal Fourier hologram
A technique used to suppress extreme noise amplification during digital image reconstruction that relies on smoothing and...
image transducer
Any arrangement of a bundle of optical fibers that alters the shape of the image. For example, by systematic regulation of...
anisotropy
Anisotropy refers to the property of exhibiting different values or characteristics when measured in different directions....
Bohr's frequency relation
The law given by the formula: that is, the frequency of radiation emitted or absorbed by a system when E2 and E1...
FTIR spectrometer
FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectrometer is a powerful analytical instrument used to obtain an infrared spectrum of...
Geiger counter
Also called Geiger-Müller counter. An instrument designed to detect and measure radioactivity through the use of a...
temperature-sensitive coating
A coating having pigments that change color when exposed to heat. This effect has been widely used to monitor hot spots in...
photoelectric spectrophotometer
A system that consists of a spectrophotometer with a photoelectric detector for measurement of radiant energy.
gamma correction
Modification of a system to provide for a linear transfer characteristic from an input to an output device. A circuit for...
acousto-optic deflector
A system designed with a laser as a light source and a means for producing sound waves extending beyond 100 MHz to deflect...
automated optical inspection
Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a technology used in manufacturing processes, particularly in electronics, to...
Rogovsky coil
Conductor element for use in integrated electro-optic systems that measures current flowing through it.
polysulfone resin
A thermoplastic, self-extinguishing polymer with excellent high-temperature, low-creep and arc resistance properties.
incomplete radiator
A thermal source that emits less radiation than a blackbody under identical temperature conditions.
holographic crystal growth analysis
The study of crystal growth from the molten stage utilizing a holographic system wherein interferometric techniques record...
MTF optimization
Computerized lens design algorithm that permits the lens MTF characteristic to be included and controlled during the...
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...
blackbody source
A blackbody source, often simply referred to as a blackbody, is a theoretical or practical physical object that absorbs all...
computer-integrated manufacturing
The use of computer systems for monitoring and controlling industrial production.
Deslandres diagram
A diagram in which the variable frequencies of a spectral band system are plotted corresponding to ascending values of the...
Curie temperature
The temperature above which a ferromagnetic material becomes only paramagnetic.
damped least squares
An organizational method used in optical design computer programs. The technique produces one number (merit function) to...
gun camera
A camera accurately aligned to a weapons system to provide a photographic record of system performance.
fiber optic field flattener
A plate consisting of fused optical fibers with both surfaces ground and polished, and having the entrance surface curved to...
electron image tube
A cathode-ray tube that increases the brightness or size of an image or forms a visible image from invisible radiation. The...
adiabatic process
A process during which no heat enters or leaves the system.
heat-resistant glass
Glass that has been specially treated so that it will not shatter when exposed to high temperatures followed by immediate...
optical time-domain reflectometer
An optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) is a specialized instrument used in optical fiber communications to characterize...
National Television Systems Committee
The code used to describe the United States system of color telecasting.
wide-angle lens
A wide-angle lens is a type of camera lens that has a shorter focal length than a standard or normal lens, allowing it to...
color conversion filter
A filter that serves to alter the color temperature and the mired value of the radiation emitted by a source.
prismatic spectrum
The spectrum formed by a dispersing prism or a dispersing prism system.
resonance
Resonance can be defined in various contexts, including physics, chemistry, and music. Here are definitions for resonance in...
optical design software
Optical design software refers to specialized computer programs used by optical engineers, physicists, and designers to...
skew angle
The angle at which photoelectric sensors are aligned to prevent light from being reflected back to the sensor from 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...
frame frequency
The number of times per second that the frame of a television system is completely scanned. In the United States, 30 per...
advanced driver assistance systems
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) refers to a set of safety features and technologies designed to assist drivers in...
image inverter
A system of elements which rotates the optical image with respect to the optical axis by a factor of pi radians.
Airy disc
The central peak (including everything interior to the first zero or dark ring) of the focal diffraction pattern of a...
linear optics
Linear optics refers to the study and manipulation of light in a linear and deterministic manner, where the response of...
tetartohedral crystal
The section of crystal symmetry having only one-quarter of the greatest number of faces permitted by the crystal system of...
numerical aperture
The sine of the vertex angle of the largest cone of meridional rays that can enter or leave an optical system or element,...
aspheric lens system
An optical system having one or more lens or mirror components that have nonspherical surfaces. These surfaces, whether...
in vivo
In vivo is a Latin term that translates to "within the living." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and...
rarefaction
In a gas, the temporary drop in density caused by contact with a sound wave.
single-molecule spectroscopy
An advanced technique that allows the detection of one molecule within a crystal or a cell through optical excitation....
optical fiber
Optical fiber is a thin, flexible, transparent strand or filament made of glass or plastic used for transmitting light...
color comparator
1. A device used in chemistry to compare the colors of solutions held in flat-bottomed tubes and viewed along the length of...
anamorphic
A term used to denote a difference in magnification along mutually perpendicular meridians. Anamorphic systems are basically...
laser designator
A laser device used to establish a location or target usually for detection by an impact source e.g. missiles and guided...
heat exchanger
A type of cooling system in which one fluid is used to carry heat off another without direct contact between the two.
reflecting objective
An image-forming system that uses mirrors rather than lenses. Such objectives are frequently used for astronomical...

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