Photonics Dictionary

The effect whereby a light beam is deflected by a birefringent prism when its polarization is changed by voltage applied to an electro-optical crystal through which the beam passes. The deflection of...

A device that detects radiation by utilizing the influence of light in forming an electrical signal. It may be a phototube; a photoconductive, photovoltaic or photojunction cell; a phototransistor;...

The change in the refractive index of a material under the influence of an electrical field.

The spectroscopic analysis of interference patterns using an electronic imaging tube with a Fabry-Perot interferometer to record the fringes.

A material having refractive indices that can be altered by an applied electric field.

An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is a device used to modulate the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light waves using an external electrical signal. Electro-optic modulation is a fundamental...

A radar system that uses electro-optic rather than microwave instrumentation and methods to perform its acquisition and tracking functions.

A device used to control or block a light beam by means of the Kerr electro-optical effect.

A transistor designed to respond to either light or electrical signals.

1. The branch of physics that deals with the use of electrical energy to create or manipulate light waves, generally by changing the refractive index of a light-propagating material; 2....

A type of optical modulator with potential application in optical switching and displays, in which applied voltage causes a change of interfacial tension between mercury and an electrolyte, varying...

The study of the reversible conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy. Electroplating is an electrochemical process.

Type of solid-state display tube in which the readout surface is coated with a material that changes color when positively or negatively charged.

A device consisting of an airtight quartz tube that holds the material to be analyzed. When a high-frequency electrostatic field, generated by microwaves, is applied to the tube, it emits energy of a...

The study of the generation of electromagnetic power by radiation from high-energy beams.

An electrochemical process of metal fabrication using an electrolyte, an anode to supply the metal, and a control of the electrical current and of the deposit of metal on the matrix of a reflector.

A technology that uses electrically activated holograms stored within specially developed crystals to route information in the form of lightwave signals from one optical fiber to another within and...

The deposition of a metallic coating, usually nickel, on a component by chemical means rather than by electroplating; the component is immersed in a solution containing a reducing agent.

The nonthermal conversion of electrical energy into light in a liquid or solid substance. The photon emission resulting from electron-hole recombination in a PN junction is one example. This is the...

The utilization of the light produced when electrical energy is directly converted into light within devices used for visual readout displays or as complex logic-circuit elements. With EL lighting,...

A panel of photoconductive and electroluminescent layers used as either a positive or negative image intensifier, depending on amplitude and phase of its two power supply voltages. The...

Conduction of an electric current through a chemical compound in its natural state, solution or as a molten, to decompose the compound.

Developing a photographic image by means of an applied electric field. The methods used include electrolysis and photoconductive systems.

A high-speed shutter, similar to a Kerr cell, that uses the birefringence produced in a liquid during the passage of an electric current through it to change the liquid's optical transmission...

The ability of a device to operate without electromagnetically interfering with the operation of nearby equipment and without suffering disturbances from the electromagnetic fields in its designated...

The distribution of electromagnetic fields in a given area. The units are volts per meter, watts per meter squared and joules per meter cubed.

An image intensifier tube that uses a magnetic field for focusing. It yields high-quality images, but its use is limited by its size and weight relative to other image tubes.

The interaction of charged particles and electromagnetic fields.

An electron lens consisting of a homogeneous axial electric field and a magnetic field used in high-quality image tubes for high modulation transfer function and small geometrical distortion...

Radiation emitted from vibrating charged particles. A combination of oscillating electrical and magnetic fields that propagates through otherwise empty space with the velocity of light. This constant...

The total range of wavelengths, extending from the shortest to the longest wavelength or conversely, that can be generated physically. This range of electromagnetic wavelengths extends practically...

The theory of propagation of energy by combined electric and magnetic fields included in Maxwell's equations.

Wave of radiation identified by individual fluctuations of electric and magnetic fields.

An electromagnon is a quasiparticle excitation that combines aspects of both magnetism and electric polarization in a crystal lattice. Specifically, it refers to a collective excitation of spins and...

A type of modulation spectroscopy that measures spectral reflectance or transmittance changes induced by applying a perturbing electric field. It can be performed in contactless modes with no special...

A charged elementary particle of an atom; the term is most commonly used in reference to the negatively charged particle called a negatron. Its mass at rest is me = 9.109558 x 10-31 kg, its charge is...

A spectrum band that is usually found in the visible or the ultraviolet because of the electron transitions taking place within the molecules.

A stream of electrons emitted by a single source that move in the same direction and at the same speed.

A maser that relies on the fact that electrons in orbital motion in high-magnetic fields will emit energy at the cyclotron frequency. The transfer of energy is from the bunching of the electrons by...

Any device in which the passage of electrons through a vacuum, gas or semiconductor is the principal means of conduction.

The bending of an electron stream that occurs when the stream travels through a medium such as very thin metal foil.

A special evacuated camera equipped with means for holding a specimen and bombarding it with a sharply focused beam of electrons. A cylindrical film is placed around the specimen to record the...

The freeing of electrons from an electrode into the surrounding space.

In a cathode tube, the electrode that serves as a source for electrons.

An electrostatic device that uses an electric potential barrier to allow the transmittance of electrons at or above a set level of energy while stopping the passage of those below it.

A cathode-ray tube that increases the brightness or size of an image or forms a visible image from invisible radiation. The focal plane for the optical image is a large, light-sensitive, cold...

An electric field produced to influence an electron stream much in the same manner that a lens affects a light beam.