Photonics Dictionary

An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging and measurement instrument used in nanotechnology, materials science, and biology. It is a type of scanning probe microscope that...

The electron beam tube of a television camera that converts an optical image into a pattern of electrostatic charges and then scans the pattern to produce a corresponding electronic signal for...

A vacuum tube with an electron gun at one end and a fluorescent screen at the other. Electrons emitted from a heated filament are accelerated by a series of annular anodes at progressively higher...

The scattering of charged particles, moving through matter, by the electrostatic force exerted by other charged particles.

The electrostatic field acting locally within a crystal as a result of the microscopic arrangement of atoms and ions in the lattice.

The decay of an electrostatic charge image resulting from long exposure to the dark.

A mass spectrometer utilizing both radial electrostatic and magnetic field analyzers to improve the focusing and increase resolution.

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...

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.

An electron-beam lithography (EBL) system is a sophisticated nanofabrication tool used in the semiconductor industry and research laboratories to pattern extremely fine features with sub-micrometer...

A device that permits only electrons within a narrow velocity range to pass through it, while rejecting those above and below.

The effect produced by electrical charges or fields alone, without interaction with magnetic influence.

The deflection of an electron beam by the action of an electrostatic field that has a component perpendicular to the direction of the beam.

The use of an applied electrical field to focus a cathode-ray tube's electron beam.

A nonmagnetic instrument utilizing an electrofocus and deflection tube with a photocathode for imaging purposes. The optical image is converted into a photoelectric output at the photocathode and is...

The electrical distribution that serves to influence an electron beam in the same way that an optical lens affects a light beam.

An instrument used to print an optical image on a specially treated paper. Light and dark portions of the original image are illustrated by electrostatically charged and uncharged portions of the...

A process used in document copying and printing that involves the visible rendering of an invisible electrostatic image on a photoconductive material by its treatment with oppositely charged pigment...

Information storage on a dielectric medium that represents the data as those spots on the medium having electrostatic charges, forming an observable record of the data.

A camera that records its images electrostatically on plastic tape; used in situations where radiation would have an adverse effect on regular photographic film.

An image intensifier that uses electrostatics to amplify and focus the electronic image.

The recording of patterns by the production and use of latent electrostatic charge patterns. See electrostatic process.

The term "embedded laser" typically refers to a laser device that is integrated or embedded into a larger system or structure. In this context, "embedded" implies that the laser is an integral part...

An exciton is a quasiparticle that represents the bound state of an electron and a hole in a solid-state material, typically a semiconductor or an insulator. In simpler terms, an exciton is a paired...

An image-forming instrument in which a strong electrostatic field causes cold emission of electrons from a sharply rounded point or from an object that is located on that point. The electrons are...

Fusion ignition refers to the point in a controlled nuclear fusion reaction where the energy released by the fusion reactions becomes self-sustaining, leading to a continuous release of energy...

An electron tube having two electron guns, one on each side of the storage medium, to encode the information onto the medium, and to read and simultaneously erase the electrostatic encoding.

Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from the fusion of light atomic nuclei, typically isotopes of hydrogen, through a...

Interferometric modulator display (IMOD) is a type of display technology used in electronic devices, known for its energy efficiency and ability to produce high-quality reflective color displays....

An electroradiographic process that uses ionization of air by x-rays as a basis for forming electrostatic images.

With respect to the crystal, the decrease in energy that follows the process whereby the ions, separated from each other by an infinite distance, are brought to their locations in the stable lattice....

A MEMS fiber optic switch is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device designed to selectively route optical signals between multiple fiber optic channels. These switches utilize miniature...

Micro-robotics refers to the field of robotics that involves the design, development, and application of miniature robotic systems, often at the microscale. These robots, commonly referred to as...

A cathode-ray tube combined with an electrostatic storage unit that is used to introduce, store and retrieve information translated into electric charge form.

A display device having a thermoplastic film as the control layer medium. The film, moving from a playoff reel, is scanned by an electron gun and melted by an RF heating unit. Deformation of the film...

Imaging materials that generally consist of a polyester base, a transparent electrically conductive layer and an organic photoconductive top coating. When charged and exposed to light, an...

A magnetic-deflection mass spectrometer that has an electrostatic field placed perpendicularly to its magnetic field, permitting both spatial mass dispersion and perfect double focusing in the plane...

A simple electrostatic lens with a focus controlled by a single potential difference.

Two electrodes that shift the electron beam vertically on a cathode-ray tube screen using electrostatic deflection.

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

A printing process of electrostatic electrophotography that uses a photoconductive insulating medium, in conjunction with x-rays or gamma rays, to produce latent electrostatic-charge patterns for...