Type

Browse by Letter

Sheetak - Cooling at your Fingertip 5/24 MR

Zurich Instruments AG - Lock-In Amplifiers 4/24 HP

331 terms

Photonics Dictionary

Clear All Filters x loss x
point-projection x-ray microscopy

A method of producing magnified images by x-rays. The specimen is placed close to a point source of x-rays; the magnification achieved is the ratio of source-image to source-object distance....

polymer

Polymers are large molecules composed of repeating structural units called monomers. These monomers are chemically bonded together to form long chains or networks, creating a macromolecular...

positive spherical aberration -> spherical aberration

Spherical aberration is an optical aberration that occurs when light rays passing through a lens or curved optical surface do not converge or diverge to a single focal point. Instead of focusing to a...

power flow equation

Optical fiber channel characterization scheme based on three assumptions; the discrete mode spectrum can be replaced by a continuum; the loss due to coupling between guided and radiation modes...

power scanning laws

Laws that predict the maximum power output as a function of tube diameter for a hydrogen cyanide laser of a given discharge length and cavity losses, all other parameters being optimized.

proximity effect

The underexposure caused by the diffraction of light passing through small openings spaced closely together in masks used in photolithography.

proximity-focused image tube

A planar photocathode and a planar phosphor screen mounted in a close-spaced parallel configuration in an evacuated enclosure so that the ensemble of photoelectrons emitted from each photocathode...

The figure of merit of a resonator, defined as (2p) x (average energy stored in the resonator)/(energy dissipated per cycle). The higher the reflectivity of the surfaces of an optical resonator, the...

q-switched operation

Q-switched operation, or q-switching, is a technique used in lasers to produce short and intense pulses of light. The term "Q" in q-switching stands for "quality factor," which is a measure of the...

quantum cascade laser

A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics. It is a versatile and powerful device used for emitting coherent light in...

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...

radiation length

The average length in a specific material in which a relativistic charged particle will lose 67 percent of its energy by bremsstrahlung.

rare-earth doped fiber

An optical fiber in which ions of a rare-earth element, such as neodymium, erbium or holmium, have been incorporated into the glass core matrix, yielding high absorption with low loss in the visible...

real holographic image -> conjugate holographic image

Also known as real holographic image. The indistinct, highly distorted image produced on the side of the hologram closest to the observer, in addition to the primary image. When the location of the...

rear focusing

A type of internal focusing in which only the lens elements closest to the rear of the lens barrel are moved.

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...

refractive index liquids

A closely spaced series of well-known chemicals having a refractive index lying between 1.33 for water and 1.95 for a solution of phosphorus in carbon disulfide. They are used to identify powdered...

residual absorption and scattering

Loss mechanisms that degrade the performance of all thin-film optical devices by removing radiant flux out of the specular beams.

ring-laser gyroscope

A ring laser gyroscope (RLG) is a type of gyroscope that uses laser light to detect and measure changes in orientation. It operates based on the Sagnac effect, which is a fundamental principle of...

return loss

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

Schmitt trigger

Oscilloscope electronic circuit that produces an output pulse whose pulse width is determined by the time that the output voltage exceeds a specified level.

scientific CMOS camera

A scientific CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera is a type of digital camera specifically designed for scientific imaging applications. It employs CMOS sensor technology, which...

scientific complementary metal-oxide semiconductor

Scientific complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (sCMOS) refers to a type of image sensor technology specifically designed for scientific and industrial imaging applications. Unlike traditional...

scintillation phosphor

A phosphor that has the ability to convert into light emission a portion of energy lost by ionization when a charged particle passes through the material.

secondary chromatic aberration -> secondary color

An aberration that remains after primary color is corrected. Primary color causes the back focus of a lens to vary with wavelength; for example, blue light comes to focus closer to the lens than...

secondary color

An aberration that remains after primary color is corrected. Primary color causes the back focus of a lens to vary with wavelength; for example, blue light comes to focus closer to the lens than...

secondary spectrum -> secondary color

An aberration that remains after primary color is corrected. Primary color causes the back focus of a lens to vary with wavelength; for example, blue light comes to focus closer to the lens than...

serpentine bend mode filter

A device used in measuring attenuation in optical fiber. The loss caused by the bends in a short reference length of fiber approximates that of a much longer fiber under test.

service-mount device

A surface-mount device (SMD) is an electronic component that is mounted directly onto the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) rather than being inserted into holes drilled in the board (as with...

servomechanism

A closed-loop system that is constantly adjusted in response to input signals generated within the system.

shadow mask tube

A type of color-generating cathode-ray tube that uses a shadow mask, a thin perforated electrode, located close to the display screen. Each hole in the mask coincides with a triad of three phosphor...

short-focus lens -> wide-angle lens

A wide-angle lens is a type of camera lens that has a shorter focal length than a standard or normal lens, allowing it to capture a broader field of view. Wide-angle lenses are characterized by their...

single-molecule FRET

Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a specialized technique in biophysics and molecular biology used to study the distances and dynamic interactions between two...

slicing and cutting machines - for crystals, quartz, glass, etc.

A crystal, glass, or quartz slicing and cutting machine is a specialized piece of equipment used in the manufacturing process to precisely cut and slice materials such as crystals, glass, and quartz...

smear ghost

A false image in television that follows the desired image so closely that it appears to be smeared.

solar simulator

A solar simulator is a device used to replicate the spectrum and intensity of sunlight in a controlled environment for testing and research purposes. Solar simulators are employed in various...

spatial intensity perturbation

A beam instability, induced by index of refraction inhomogeneities and component damage of dirt and dust particles, that exhibits exponential growth and causes both system degradation and energy loss...

speckle noise -> modal noise

In an optical system, noise created by mode-dependent optical losses and variations in the distribution of radiant power among the modes or relative phases of the modes. Also known as speckle noise.

spectrographic slits

The slits in a spectrograph that form images of spectral lines. Slits may be bilateral or unilateral, and generally close down to 0.01 mm and open up to almost a whole millimeter. The edges of the...

spectroscopic binaries

Two stars so close together that they cannot be resolved by telescopes. They are proved to be double stars by the doubling of their spectral lines.

spherical aberration

splice closure

A container which secures multiple splice trays and protects the trays and their contents from damage.

split lens

A close-up lens, semicircular in shape, that is mounted in front of a conventional lens focused at infinity. The result is an image made up of two sections; one focused through the split lens on near...

splitting uniformity

When splitting the output of a single optical fiber into two or more fibers, the difference in the maximum loss between any two channels.

sum of slopes

Heat loss determined by the sum of rising and falling slopes at a constant temperature.

superconductor

A metal, alloy or compound that loses its electrical resistance at temperatures below a certain transition temperature referred to as Tc. High-temperature superconductors occur near 130 K, while...

superfluorescence

The process in which the normal rate of fluorescent emission from a substance is enhanced by virtue of the optical gain of the medium; i.e., energy is lost not only by spontaneous emission but also...

synchronous detector

A detector sensitive only to signals close to or at a particular frequency that is the same as the frequency of a control signal applied independently. The synchronous detector also is...

Photonics Dictionary