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Photonics Dictionary

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positive-intrinsic-negative diode -> PIN photodiode

A PIN photodiode is a type of photodetector or semiconductor device used to convert light signals into electrical signals. The name "PIN" is derived from the arrangement of the three semiconductor...

positron -> electron

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...

positronium

Basically, a hydrogen atom with two alterations, positronium is the lightest atom in the universe and has an extremely light positron in its nucleus that replaces hydrogen's proton so that its atomic...

PPKTP

periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate

PPLN

periodically poled lithium niobate

PPSLT

periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate

prelasing

When uncontrolled laser energy leaks from a laser cavity prematurely, it causes serious damage to optical components and significant downtime for repair.

principal ray

The ray of an oblique pencil beam that passes through the center of the pupils. It is the effective axis of the oblique beam. Also called the chief ray.

prism chromatic resolving power

The chromatic resolving power of a prism is invariably stated for the case in which parallel rays of light are incident on the prism, in which the prism is oriented at the angle of minimum deviation...

profile dip -> index dip

The decrease in the refractive index at the center of a fiber's core, caused by certain fabrication techniques. Also called profile dip.

pulse code modulation

System of information coding in which the signal is sampled 8000 times per second and the samples quantized by referring them to a series of preset 8-bit codes. Thus digitized, the signal is sent to...

pushbroom scanning

Pushbroom scanning is a technique used in remote sensing and imaging systems, particularly in satellite and aerial sensors, to capture images of the Earth's surface or other objects. In pushbroom...

quantum

The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the atomic and subatomic scales. It originates from quantum theory, a branch of...

quantum dots

A quantum dot is a nanoscale semiconductor structure, typically composed of materials like cadmium selenide or indium arsenide, that exhibits unique quantum mechanical properties. These properties...

quantum efficiency

Quantum efficiency (QE) is a measure of the effectiveness with which a device or system, typically in the context of photonics or electronics, converts incoming photons (light) into a useful output...

quantum entanglement

Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where two or more particles become correlated to such an extent that the state of one particle instantly influences the state of the...

quantum key distribution

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method of secure communication that utilizes principles from quantum mechanics to establish a shared secret key between two parties, typically referred to as Alice...

quantum sensing

Quantum sensing refers to a class of sensing technologies that leverage principles from quantum mechanics to enhance the precision and sensitivity of measurements. Traditional sensors operate based...

quantum-ehanced metrology

Quantum-enhanced metrology refers to the use of quantum mechanics principles and techniques to enhance the precision and sensitivity of measurements in metrology—the science of measurement....

quasi-Fourier transform

The transform defining that, if a reference beam is a divergent spherical wavefront, then the reconstructed image will be the equivalent of the near-field diffraction pattern of the object. Also...

qubit

A qubit, short for quantum bit, is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing and quantum information processing. Unlike classical bits, which can exist in one of two states (0 or 1),...

radial gradient

In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the index varies in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Radial gradient lenses can focus light even when the lens surfaces are flat,...

radiant flux density -> irradiance

Radiant flux incident per unit area of a surface. Also called radiant flux density.

Raman effect

When light is transmitted through matter, part of the light is scattered in random directions. A small part of the scattered light has frequencies removed from the frequency of the incident beam by...

Raman laser -> Raman effect

Raman scattering -> Raman effect

Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry and physics to study vibrational, rotational, and other low-frequency modes in a system. Named after the Indian physicist Sir C.V. Raman...

rare gas halide laser -> excimer laser

An excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet laser that emits short pulses of light in the ultraviolet spectrum. The term excimer is derived from excited dimer, reflecting the nature of the gain medium...

reagent

A reagent is a substance or compound that is used in a chemical reaction to bring about a specific transformation or to detect the presence or absence of another substance. Reagents are employed in...

reciprocal megakelvin -> microreciprocal degree

An approximated measure of the smallest change in color temperature detectable by the human eye, defined as the reciprocal of the color temperature times 106. Also called mired or reciprocal...

reflectance confocal microscopy

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive imaging technique that allows for high-resolution, in vivo imaging of biological tissues at the cellular level. It is particularly useful in...

reflection grating

A reflection grating is an optical component that consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel reflecting surfaces or grooves. These grooves are typically ruled or etched onto a flat substrate or...

regenerative repeater

A repeater that is designed for digital transmission. Also called a regenerator.

relative dispersion -> dispersive power

A measure of the dispersive properties of a glass. The relative dispersion is defined as: where C, D, and F refer to the material's index of refraction at the three chief Fraunhofer lines in the...

repressing -> molded blank

A blank whose basic surface curves are attained by heating and forming a given weight of raw glass; a rough glass blank resembling the finished lens in size and shape. After molding, a precision lens...

responsive element -> active element

Component that is externally controlled via electronic or photon signal.

rheinberg illumination -> optical staining

With respect to microscopy, also called dispersive staining, optical staining the projection of colors through areas of a colorless specimen by color filters that are constructed to fit over the...

rhodamine

Rhodamine refers to a family of fluorescent organic dyes that are widely used in various fields, including biology, chemistry, medicine, and materials science. These dyes are known for their bright...

right-hand polarized wave

A wave that is polarized elliptically or circularly polarized and in which the electric field vector — observed while looking in the direction of propagation — rotates in a right-hand or...

Risley prism

A Risley prism, also known as a Risley prism pair or Risley rotating prism, is an optical device used for controlling the direction of a laser beam or other optical beam by independently rotating two...

Ronchi grating

A transparent plate ruled with black lines and equal, clear spaces. It is used as a multiple knife-edge for testing a concave mirror.

RTSP protocol

RTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is used for establishing and controlling media sessions between endpoints....

Ruticon

A ruticon is an opto-electronic device in which light going through it can be modulated by an electric field. The intensity distribution of the resulting image can be precisely controlled....

sagged bevel

The shape of the edge of a concave surface when the depth of the bevel plane to the vertex of the surface is controlled to a required distance.

sapphire -> sapphire

Sapphire refers to a crystalline form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that is used in various optical and photonic applications due to its exceptional optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Sapphire...

sapphire

scalar theory of light

That theory that treats the light field as a single scalar field rather than as two coupled vector fields.

scanning acoustic microscope

Also called scanning laser acoustic microscope. A device that uses high-frequency ultrasound waves to penetrate surfaces. A scanning laser beam is used as a detector, which transmits information...

scanning electron microscope

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a powerful imaging instrument used in scientific research, materials characterization, and various industrial applications. Unlike traditional optical...

scanning electron microscopy

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to obtain high-resolution, three-dimensional images of the surfaces of solid specimens. SEM achieves this by...

Photonics Dictionary