Photonics Dictionary

The process by which an atomic system changes from one energy level to another by either the emission or absorption of visible, infrared or ultraviolet radiation.

Any organic substance, that when dissolved in appropriate liquid based solvents will absorb and emit electromagnetic radiation in the near ultraviolet, visible and near infrared spectral regions....

A chemical substance that exhibits fluorescence when excited by ultraviolet radiation, x-rays or an electron beam. The amount of visible light is proportional to the amount of excitation energy. If...

The term photochemical pertains to chemical processes or reactions that are initiated or influenced by the absorption of light. Photochemical reactions involve the interaction of light, often in the...

Photochromic refers to a property exhibited by certain materials, typically organic compounds or dyes, which undergo reversible changes in color when exposed to light. Specifically, photochromic...

Phototherapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of light to treat various conditions, particularly those related to the skin or mood disorders. There are different types of phototherapies,...

A lamp with a quartz envelope that transmits radiation generally rich in the ultraviolet.

A spectrograph used to detect radiation in the range of the ultraviolet in the electromagnetic spectrum. It is made up of quartz because that material, unlike regular glass, is not opaque to the...

A photographic method used to obtain an image of a subject by means of its reflectance of incident ultraviolet radiation. An ultraviolet source is used to irradiate the subject, while the reflected...

A microscope that uses a reflecting objective; often used with ultraviolet or infrared radiation.

A scintillation crystal, also known simply as a scintillator, is a material that emits light when it interacts with ionizing radiation such as gamma rays, x-rays, or charged particles. The emitted...

Radiation from the sun that is made up of a very wide range of wavelengths, from the long infrared to the short ultraviolet with its greatest intensity in the visible green at about 5000 Å. The...

The simulation of solar radiation in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum for the analysis of extraterrestrial sunlight and its effects on spacecraft, materials and components.

1. The reduction in the developable density of a photographic emulsion that has been extremely overexposed. 2. In a laser system, damage resulting from ultraviolet radiation that degrades the lasing...

Any pyrheliometer that has a filter placed over its sensor to limit the range of solar radiation it will detect; used to determine the distribution of solar radiation over its visible and into its...

Radiation emitted by electrons when they travel in circular orbits at speeds close to that of light. Synchrotron radiation occurs in the x-ray and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. Once considered...

Teloscopy, while not a commonly used term, could be understood in the context of principles related to telescopes and their applications in observation and measurement. If we interpret teloscopy as...

Time-resolved ultraviolet photodissociation mass spectrometry (TR-UV-PDMS) is a specialized analytical technique used in mass spectrometry to study the dynamics of chemical reactions, molecular...

Ultraviolet (UV) coatings are specialized optical coatings designed to operate in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically ranging from 10 nm to 400 nm. These coatings are...

Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet light, which is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than...

A type of lamp that emits a high quantity of ultraviolet radiation. This may be an arc lamp encased in a bulb of a glass that is transparent to ultraviolet rays.

A lens intended for use with wavelengths shorter than about 380 nm. It must be made of quartz, calcium fluoride, lithium fluoride or some other material transparent to ultraviolet radiation, as glass...

A microscope used either to detect selective absorption of various wavelengths by the specimen or to achieve increased resolution by virtue of the short wavelength of ultraviolet radiation. Electron...

A technique for measuring the energy spectrum of electrons emitted during the absorption of ultraviolet radiation. This spectrum reveals the characteristic ionization energies of the molecules and...

The photographic recording that uses ultraviolet radiation to irradiate the microscope sample being examined and to form an image of the object on a photographic medium. The components of the...

Ultraviolet reflectance refers to the ability of a material or surface to reflect UV light. Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than those of visible light,...

A type of glass contrived by Schott that is highly transparent to ultraviolet radiation.

A device that serves to detect the presence of vacuum ultraviolet radiation. It may be photographic film, a thermopile, ion chamber, vacuum photodiode, photomultiplier or channel electron multiplier.

Any source that emits radiation of wavelengths between 100 and 300 nm. Instruments used to study these sources must be evacuated, as vacuum ultraviolet does not travel freely in air.

The phenomenon in which alkali metals are transparent to ultraviolet radiation.

A printing process of electrostatic electrophotography that uses a photoconductive insulating medium, in conjunction with infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation, to produce latent...