Photonics Dictionary: D

The selective absorption of electromagnetic waves by a liquid made up of molecules with permanent dipole movement.

Any bending of a wave of radiation away from its expected path, as, for example, by diffraction or by a magnetic field.

A metal coil or coils wrapped around the outside of the neck of a cathode-ray tube. Current passing through the coils produces a magnetic field, which can be used as an alternative to deflection...

The exact mathematical description of the interactions of matter and intense electromagnetic fields, such as those that occur when laser sources are used to excite flame gases for spectroscopic...

A detector array refers to a collection of individual detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional grid or matrix format. Each element within the array is capable of detecting electromagnetic...

A measurement device used to study the structure of matter using the diffraction of electromagnetic radiation.

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is a nondestructive analytical technique used to investigate the optical properties of materials, particularly in the field of spectroscopy. Unlike traditional...

The scanning of photographs or transparencies of images, either by a vidicon camera or flying spot scanner, for the conversion of the images to digital form for storage on magnetic tape.

A form of photography in which an electronic camera converts an image to an electronic signal that is stored in digital format on magnetic media or film.

Digital signal processing (DSP) refers to the manipulation and analysis of signals, which are representations of physical quantities that vary over time or space. In the context of DSP, these signals...

Directed energy refers to a type of energy that is emitted and transferred in a controlled direction. The term is often associated with military and technological applications where energy, typically...

All formulas that present the index of refraction as a function of a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. Also called dispersion equation, Cauchy formula, Hartmann formula.

Phase shift in electromagnetic signals caused by daily variations in the ionosphere, often during sunrise or sunset.

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

Propagation of electromagnetic waves through the Earth's atmosphere in a path that conforms to the curvature of the Earth due to atmospheric thermal inversion. Regions of the atmosphere act as a...

An optical correlator incorporating a binary phase-only spatial light modulator made from an iron garnet magneto-optic solid crystal and used in target recognition systems.