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diffraction Dictionary Terms

x-ray crystal spectrometer
An instrument that measures the wavelengths of an x-ray spectrum by the diffraction of x-rays from a crystal with a given...
diffractometer
A measurement device used to study the structure of matter using the diffraction of electromagnetic radiation.
Bragg method of crystal analysis
A technique in which a beam of x-rays is directed against a crystal, the atoms of which, because of their lattice...
diffraction rings
1. The ring patterns of light that seem to encircle particles in the field of a microscope. 2. See Newton's rings.
zone plate
A plate of glass, usually a photograph, on which there is a central spot surrounded by concentric annular zones, alternately...
diffraction limited
The property of an optical system whereby only the effects of diffraction determine the quality of the image it produces.
x-ray spectrogram
A chart of an x-ray diffraction pattern.
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...
optical grating
An optical grating, in the context of optics and physics, refers to a device with a periodic structure of closely spaced,...
momentum transfer
In physics, momentum transfer is the amount of momentum transferred from one particle to another during particle collision...
wave optics
Also referred to as physical optics - the area of optics in which the wave nature of light is essential when defining its...
x-ray detection
The collection and detection of x-rays by virtue of their ionizing properties. The ionization may be perceived directly by a...
holographic optical element
A component used to modify light rays by diffraction; the HOE is produced by recording the interference pattern of two laser...
Airy disc
The central peak (including everything interior to the first zero or dark ring) of the focal diffraction pattern of a...
spectral order (diffraction grating)
When, for example, a beam of monochromatic light passes through a diffraction grating, the emergent rays that have remained...
Airy differential equation
The equation devised by Sir G.B. Airy for the analysis of light diffraction near a caustic surface: (d2f/dz2) - zf = 0 where...
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
diffraction image
diffractive optics
Optical elements that use diffraction to control wavefronts. Diffractive optical elements include diffraction gratings,...
spectrograph
An optical instrument for forming the spectrum of a light source and recording it on a film. The dispersing medium may be a...
Bessel functions
Two formulas used in diffractometer analysis, the first giving the individual diffraction patterns of each aperture, the...
diffraction grating
A diffraction grating is an optical component consisting of a surface with a periodic structure of equally spaced, parallel...
objective grating
A coarse diffraction grating that is used to form a scale of intensities to determine the relative magnitudes of stars. The...
thick-phase material
A type of recording material, usually a photodielectric polymer, offering in situ development mechanisms because of its...
Fresnel number
In a lens, the square of the radius of its aperture divided by the product of the focal length and the wavelength. It...
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,...
Czerny-Turner design
A form of monochromator optical system consisting of two spherical concave mirrors used in conjunction with a movable...
far-field diffraction pattern
The diffraction pattern of a source such as a light-emitting diode, injection laser diode or the output end of an optical...
x-ray spectrograph
An instrument that is used to chart x-ray diffraction patterns, such as an x-ray spectrometer having photographic or other...
Rowland mounting
The mounting of a concave diffraction grating and a plate holder at the ends of a rigid bar. The ends follow separate...
point spread function
The point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...
Fourier images
The series of images formed when periodic objects are exposed to collimated monochromatic radiation and that result from...
single molecule localization microscopy
Single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is a group of super-resolution microscopy techniques that surpass the...
sonoptography
The process whereby sound waves are employed to form a three-dimensional image of an object. The process involves generally:...
geometric optics
A field of physics that deals with light as if it truly were composed of rays diverging in various directions from the...
grating monochromator
An optical instrument used to isolate a narrow bandwidth of optical radiation using a diffraction grating as the dispersive...
echelette grating
A diffraction grating with lines and grooves formed so as to concentrate the radiation of a particular wavelength into one...
geometric image
The position and shape of the image of a point source, as predicted by geometric optics alone. The geometric image is to be...
diffraction velocimeter
 Fresnel zone plate
A zone plate in which the zones are alternately transparent and opaque to specific radiation, and coarse enough so that no...
acousto-optic tunable filter
A bulk crystalline optic which permits the propagation of light through a volume of index altered material. The variation in...
diffraction
As a wavefront of light passes by an opaque edge or through an opening, secondary weaker wavefronts are generated,...
diffraction-limited lens
A lens with aberrations corrected to the point that residual wavefront errors are substantially less than one-quarter the...
Lyot stop
A physical stop that is conjugate to the entrance pupil and is used primarily to reduce diffraction effects at longer...
laser diode array
A group of single emitter laser diodes, usually arranged vertically or horizontally with respect to each other. The power...
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,...
ghost
1. A faint second image caused by reflection that is sometimes seen when observing through an optical instrument. 2. With...
ultraviolet microscopy
The study and photographing of microscope specimens in ultraviolet light; using an optical microscope containing fluorite...
binary optics
Optical elements, often created by micromachining, lithography or vacuum deposition, that rely on diffraction of the...
first-order spectrum
The separate spectral lines formed by a diffraction grating that are characterized by one wavelength difference in path...
radial distribution method
A statistical analysis of facts obtained when the intensity of x-ray diffraction is calculated at different angles. In this...
smectic phase
A form of liquid crystal in which flow does not take place in the usual manner. When examined with polarized light, the...
Babinet principle
The principle stating that two diffraction screens, one being exactly the negative of the other, will form the same...
central obstruction
In a reflecting telescope, the obstruction of the primary mirror by a secondary mirror which blocks a small amount of the...
chirped-pulse amplification
Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) is a technique used in laser physics to amplify ultrashort laser pulses to high energies...
electron optics
The control of free electron movement through the use of electrical or magnetic fields, and use of this electron movement in...
structural color
Structural color refers to coloration in materials that is not caused by pigments or dyes but is instead a result of the...
optical design and engineering services
Optical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and...
double slit
A pair of long, slender parallel apertures used in experiments on diffraction and interference.
computer-generated hologram
A computer-generated hologram (CGH) is a holographic image produced using computational methods and algorithms, rather than...
monochromator
A monochromator is an optical instrument used to isolate and select a narrow range of wavelengths from a broader spectrum of...
beam shaper
A beam shaper is an optical device or system designed to modify the spatial profile or intensity distribution of a laser or...
Fraunhofer diffraction pattern
 near-field region
The area closest to an aperture or source where the diffraction pattern differs substantially from that observed at an...
diffraction scattering
Elastic scattering that occurs when inelastic processes eliminate particles from the beam.
wedge ring detector
A diffraction pattern sampling unit composed of a 32-element monolithic silicon photodiode array and a readout unit. The...
Fresnel fringe
A single band in a group of light and dark bands that can be viewed in the periphery of Fresnel diffraction shadow.
electron diffraction camera
A special evacuated camera equipped with means for holding a specimen and bombarding it with a sharply focused beam of...
scalar diffraction theory
Scalar diffraction theory is a simplified approach used to describe the propagation of electromagnetic waves, particularly...
Debye-Sears ultrasonic cell
A device used in ultrasonic imaging to measure the velocity and attenuation of compressional waves in a transparent liquid...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
crystal grating
A crystal that may serve as a diffraction grating if mounted effectively.
pulse compression
A means of achieving higher peak powers and more efficient harmonic generation by narrowing the pulse width and thus...
acoustical holography
The optical reconstruction of image information contained in a sound field. First the diffraction pattern, formed by an...
lensless microscopy
Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
x-ray film
A film or plate that is usually coated on both sides with a very fast emulsion that is sensitive to x-rays, and used to...
Rayleigh range
In the region of a Gaussian beam focus by a diffraction-limited lens, it is the axial distance from the point of minimum...
optical beam steering
Directing an optical beam in varying directions by varying reflection, refraction, focusing and diffraction methods.
diffraction fanning
The formation of a fan of light or energy rays in a beam as the beam passes through an extremely narrow aperture.
transmission grating
A transparent diffraction grating that serves to transmit light.
reconstruction diffraction efficiency
Holographic quantity expressed as the ratio of the reconstructed first-order image to that of the incident reconstructing...
near-field holography
A lithography method that allows the transfer of fine-pitch gratings from a phase mask into photoresist. The exposure takes...
superresolution
Superresolution refers to the enhancement or improvement of the spatial resolution beyond the conventional limits imposed by...
differential interference contrast microscopy
Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, also known as Nomarski interference contrast microscopy, is an optical...
Rowland circle
The circle that contains the slit, grating and primary astigmatic focus of a concave diffraction grating.
negative-refraction metamaterial
An artificial material, engineered to have a negative refractive index value, such that light or any other form of...
crystallography
The analysis of the atomic structures within crystals by means of x-ray diffraction.
deflection
Any bending of a wave of radiation away from its expected path, as, for example, by diffraction or by a magnetic field.
optical grating reflectance evaluator
A device for measuring diffraction grating efficiency at any angle of incidence, consisting of a reflectometer wherein the...
quasi-Fourier transform
The transform defining that, if a reference beam is a divergent spherical wavefront, then the reconstructed image will be...
grating beamsplitter
A grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...
near-field diffraction
diffraction pattern
The interference pattern formed by light waves diffracted at the edges of an object as seen on a screen placed in their path.
diffraction angle
The angle that lies between the direction of an incident light beam and any resulting diffracted beam.
dielectric coated grating
A shallow, fine-pitch diffraction grating having a precise dielectric overcoating that experimentally has absorbed...
vacuum spectrography
The technique of producing spectrograms in wavelengths beyond 120 nm by the use of a diffraction grating and a Schumann...
x-ray analysis trial
The testing by hypothesizing a likely crystal structure, computing a test x-ray diffraction pattern and comparing this to...
echelle grating
A specialized form of diffraction grating consisting of assembled glass plates of equal thickness that resemble a flight of...
diffractometry
The study of the diffraction of beams of a wave by matter to ascertain the structure of the matter.
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
dynamic theory
The theoretical explanation and analysis of the interactions between electron waves and crystals used in studying electron...
atomic emission spectrometry
Spectrometric analysis of the distinct and characteristic spectra of atoms of elements. The atoms are energized to emit...
phase mask
In optics and photolithography, a phase mask refers to a device that modifies the phase of light waves passing through it....
diffraction grating spectrograph
A spectrograph that uses a diffraction grating as its dispersive element in place of a prism, and yields greater resolving...
reflection grating
A reflection grating is an optical component that consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel reflecting surfaces or...
primary spectrum
The first-order spectrum formed by a diffraction grating.
infrared optic
Infrared optics refer to optical components and systems designed to manipulate and control infrared (IR) light, which lies...
structured illumination microscopy
Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is an advanced optical imaging technique used in microscopy to enhance the...
Fresnel diffraction
1. Also known as near-field diffraction. The field of radiation sent through an aperture in an absorbing screen at large...
proximity effect
The underexposure caused by the diffraction of light passing through small openings spaced closely together in masks used in...
ultrasonic light diffraction
The optical diffraction spectra formed, or the method that produces them, when a light beam is transmitted through a...
grating substrate
The substrate upon which a diffraction grating will be ruled. It must be dimensionally stable, and the surface must be...
holographic microscopy
The holographic recording of a microscopic specimen whereby magnification is achieved by alteration in a wavelength or...
image quality
A measure of the closeness with which an optical image is capable of resembling the original object. The factors that affect...
Arago spot
A bright spot or point, due to Fresnel diffraction, that appears at the center of the shadow of a circular object in light...
diffractive lens
Any optical device that utilizes diffraction in an image-forming capability. Familiar diffractive lenses are zone plates,...
Rowland ghosts
In spectroscopy, the false images arranged symmetrically on both sides of the true line and caused by irregularities in the...
optics
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter...
diffraction efficiency
Diffraction efficiency is a measure of how effectively a diffractive optical element (DOE) or diffraction grating directs...
blaze
1. A plane that forms one side of the groove ruled on a diffraction grating. 2. To form the individual grooves of a grating...
STED microscopy
STED microscopy, or stimulated emission depletion microscopy, is a superresolution imaging technique in fluorescence...
grating spectroscope
A spectroscope having a diffraction grating for the resolution of light of various wavelengths.
computer-calculated diffraction pattern
The use of computer analysis in the calculation of diffraction patterns for information on the design of optical systems. In...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and...
powder radiography
A technique used in radiography to determine a crystal's structure by obtaining radiographs of it in powder form, normally...
Weissenberg method
The Weissenberg method, named after the German physicist Karl Weissenberg, is a technique used in x-ray crystallography for...
nonlinear optical processing
Derivative of the half-tone screen process involving the fabrication of a binary pulse-width modulated copy of the...
fiber-based confocal luminescence microscope
A microscope in which laser light is delivered through single-mode fibers that replace the pinhole usually used in confocal...
apodization
The use of a variable transmission filter at the aperture stop of a lens to modify its diffraction pattern. Reduced...
stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy
Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) is a superresolution microscopy technique that enables imaging of...
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
blaze wavelength
The light wavelength for which the direction of reflectance from the groove face is identical to the angle of diffraction...
holography
Holography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and...
electron diffraction
The bending of an electron stream that occurs when the stream travels through a medium such as very thin metal foil.
amplitude hologram
A hologram in which diffraction is produced by the silver image, resulting in a dimmer image than in a phase hologram, where...
crystal spectrometer
A device designed to measure crystal properties by analysis of crystal diffraction.
ultrasonic grating constant
The space between diffracting centers of an ultrasonic wave that is forming certain light diffraction spectra.
blaze height
Blaze height typically refers to a parameter in the context of diffraction gratings, which are optical devices consisting of...
x-ray diffraction
The bending of x-rays by the regular layers of molecules in a crystal acting like a very small diffraction grating. The...
ultramicroscope
A dark-field microscope used to view extremely small objects. These objects are suspended in a gas or liquid in an enclosure...
tip-enhanced Raman scattering
Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a powerful technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhanced spatial...
Kapitza-Dirac diffraction
The diffraction of a particle by a standing lightwave.
crystallogram
The photographic record of the diffraction pattern formed when x-rays pass through a crystal.
hyperspectral imaging camera
A hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide...
acousto-optic diffraction
Light diffracted by a solid (usually quartz in crystal or fused form) traversed by acoustic waves. If the ultrasonic...
far-field region
A region far from an aperture or source where the diffraction pattern is essentially the same as that at infinity. Changes...
x-ray image spectrography
Irradiation of a cylindrical crystal with an x-ray beam resulting in Bragg diffraction that produces a slightly enlarged...
diffraction spectrum
In spectroscopy, the parallel bands that vary in lightness and darkness or color, and that are formed when light is...

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