Photonics Dictionary: F

The field of view (FOV) refers to the extent of the observable world or the visible area that can be seen at any given moment through a device, such as an optical instrument, camera, or sensor. It is...

A fiber optic imaging bundle is a specialized optical device composed of multiple optical fibers bundled together. Each fiber optic strand within the bundle acts as a conduit for transmitting light....

A fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It serves as the precursor from which optical fibers are drawn. The process of...

One or more spots placed in the field of view of an optical system to provide a means of reference.

1. In raster scan television, one of the two scans that are interlaced to make up a frame. 2. See field of view.

1. A lens situated at or near the plane of an internal image to project the aperture of a previous objective or erector upon the aperture of a following lens. 2. A lens at or near the plane of a...

A low-power telescope with a wide field of view, typically attached to a higher power telescope with a narrower field of view. This enables an observer to locate a celestial object with the...

Fizeau fringes are interference fringes observed in an interferometer, specifically in a Fizeau interferometer. The Fizeau interferometer is named after the French physicist Armand Fizeau, who...

A reticle whose image may be moved about in a field of view.

A type of optical microscope that allows the specimen being viewed to be irradiated by ultraviolet, violet and occasionally blue radiation, causing the specimen to fluoresce.

The focal length of a lens is the distance between the lens's optical center (or principal point) and the image sensor or film when the lens is focused at infinity. In simple terms, it is the...

A single band in a group of light and dark bands that can be viewed in the periphery of Fresnel diffraction shadow.

A Fresnel lens is a type of optical lens that consists of a series of concentric grooves or steps carved into a flat, thin piece of transparent material, typically plastic or glass. This design...

The length of the small space within which the atmosphere exhibits coherence, particularly in relation to an observer on Earth viewing celestial objects. The turbulence of the Earth's atmosphere...

The restricting aperture located at the front of the lens. It is usually defined as the maximum diameter of the entrance cone at the front vertex, for the specified field of view at infinity focus.