Photonics Dictionary

In television, a lateral displacement of the lines from their normal position due to the instability of a synchronizing circuit. Visually, it appears as though parts of the images had been torn away.

There are three types of telecentric lenses: -Image-space telecentric lenses are those in which the aperture stop is located at the front focus, resulting in the chief rays being parallel to the...

A compound lens so constructed that its overall length is equal to or less than its effective focal length.

An afocal optical device made up of lenses or mirrors, usually with a magnification greater than unity, that renders distant objects more distinct, by enlarging their images on the retina.

A telescope lens is a primary optical component of a telescope system that gathers and focuses light to form an image. It is typically a curved, transparent piece of glass or other optical material...

A technique used to suppress extreme noise amplification during digital image reconstruction that relies on smoothing and differentiation of the data by simplified least squared procedures.

Electromagnetic radiation with frequencies between 300 GHz and 10 THz, and existing between regions of the electromagnetic spectrum that are typically classified as the far-infrared and microwave...

A terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz frequency range, typically spanning from about 0.1 to 10 terahertz (THz),...

Terahertz (THz) refers to a unit of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum, denoting waves with frequencies between 0.1 and 10 terahertz. One terahertz is equivalent to one trillion hertz, or...

The magnetic flux density given by a magnetic flux of one weber per square meter. (T).

A device used to detect elevation, pyramid and resolution errors in prisms and other components by bringing them into contact with the three highly polished, flat, perpendicular surfaces that form...

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are substances or compounds used to enhance the thermal conductivity between two surfaces in contact. These materials are primarily employed in electronic devices,...

The emission of radiant energy in which the energy emitted originates in the thermal motion of the atoms or molecules of the source material.

Also known as analog thermogram. The resultant photograph, illustrating, in tones ranging from black to white, the spatial relationship of the infrared radiation temperatures of the different details...

The instrument used to collect thermal radiation information on an object by scanning. It consists basically of a detector, a photoconductive element that converts incident radiation to an electrical...

Thermography is a technique that involves the use of an infrared imaging device, called a thermal camera or infrared camera, to detect and visualize the infrared radiation emitted by objects. This...

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) refers to a technology that converts heat energy into electricity using the principles of thermophotovoltaics. In a thermophotovoltaic system, thermal radiation from a heat...

A microcircuit whose passive components consist of a ceramic-metal combination deposited on a given substrate by screening and firing processes.

A device used to measure the thickness of a given substance.

A circuit whose passive components are deposited on a given substrate by sputtering or vacuum processes.

Thin-film deposition equipment refers to machinery and tools used in the process of depositing thin layers of material onto a substrate surface. This technique is commonly employed in various...

Calculations of lens aberrations whereby the first two terms of the series expansion are the only ones employed. This theory provides the six aberrations of Seidel.

A laser having a material, such as ruby, that has an energy state structure of three levels: the ground state (1) wherein excitation applied to the material raises ions in the material into the...

Three-photon microscopy is an advanced imaging technique that belongs to the family of multi-photon microscopy methods. It is used in biological and medical research to capture high-resolution images...

1. Voltage at which a PN junction begins to pass a current. 2. In a solid-state lamp, the voltage at which light is first emitted.

An arc discharge tube having a grid that is used to start the discharge through an atmosphere of inert gas or vapor at low pressure.

(TOF) The length of time needed for a signal to arrive at and be reflected from the target. The basis of an active autoranging/autofocus system.

Although low in sensitivity (approximately 10-7 m for helium-neon lasers), this holographic technique permits quantitative assessment of entire vibratory patterns of given structures in a single...

Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) is a technique used in photon counting applications, particularly in the field of experimental physics, biophysics, and fluorescence lifetime imaging...

Time-lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) refers to a medical imaging technique that captures a series of sequential OCT scans over time, allowing for the dynamic observation and monitoring of...

A time-to-amplitude converter (TAC) is an electronic circuit that converts a time interval between two events into an amplitude or voltage signal. TACs are commonly used in various scientific and...

Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a powerful technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhanced spatial resolution provided by a sharp metallic or dielectric tip. TERS allows...

The use of a surgical laser instead of sutures or staples to close a wound or rejoin severed blood vessels.

In fiber optics, the annular region between two concentric circles; used to specify fiber cladding and core sizes.

Topology is a branch of mathematics that focuses on the properties of space that are preserved under continuous deformations, such as stretching, crumpling, and bending, but not tearing or gluing....

A calculated measure of the ability of an incident force to cause an object to spin. The spin speed of any given object is a direct function of the duration of the torque application.

Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is an advanced fluorescence microscopy technique that leverages the principle of total internal reflection to selectively illuminate and image...

Effect whereby two electrons lose synchronism with the accelerating field and are lost during synchronous radiation. The effect is produced by the scattering of the electrons that are oscillating in...

A transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields, including electronics, acoustics, and instrumentation, to facilitate the...

A process used to control thickness and parallelism precisely during the production of plane-parallel plates. Elements are cemented to a blocking tool and their upper surfaces are polished. A second...

A single long gate electrode that transfers the line of charge packets to the transport shift register in a charge-coupled device.

A transmission electron microscope (TEM) is a powerful microscopy technique that uses a beam of electrons to create high-resolution images of extremely thin samples. In a TEM, electrons are...

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...