Photonics Dictionary: R

Any of the many devices used to detect the presence of radiation from a specific region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

An instrument used to detect radioactive materials: alpha particles or helium nuclei; beta particles or free electrons; and gamma rays, which are x-rays of very short wavelength. They may be detected...

A plot showing how the response (ability to detect a signal) varies with wavelength. D(l).

An acronym for radioactive detection, identification and computation. The term refers to the detection and measurement of the intensity of emitted nuclear radiation.

The detection and measurement of nuclear and x-ray radiation.

Also known as radiation thermometer. A pyrometer in which the radiant intensity from the source to be measured is used to calculate its temperature. The usual detector is a thermocouple, thermopile...

A thermocouple that is used in infrared spectroscopy to detect a sample's infrared emittance. See thermocouple.

The detection and analysis of naturally formed extraterrestrial electromagnetic radiation within the radio frequency range of the spectrum.

Raman spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry and physics to study vibrational, rotational, and other low-frequency modes in a system. Named after the Indian physicist Sir C.V. Raman...

Also known as RAMP microscopy, random access multiphoton microscopy is a microscopic technique that uses multiple acousto-optic modulators to enable faster and addressable scanning of 3D cellular...

Rare earth dopants refer to elements from the lanthanide series, also known as rare earth elements, that are intentionally introduced into the crystal lattice of a material to modify its properties....

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of seventeen chemical elements found in the Earth's crust, characterized by their unique properties and scarcity relative to other elements. Despite their name,...

In imaging technology, a device that converts raster or line-scan data to pixel form for further processing.

Ratiometry is a technique used in various scientific fields, particularly in analytical chemistry and biochemistry, to measure concentrations or quantities by comparing the intensity of two different...

Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene. It involves tracing the path of rays of light as they travel through a...

Reactive evaporation refers to a process in thin-film deposition where a material is deposited onto a substrate through evaporation, and chemical reactions take place during or after the evaporation...

In an optical data storage system, denoting the optical head's ability both to record information and to detect it for playback.

A reagent is a substance or compound that is used in a chemical reaction to bring about a specific transformation or to detect the presence or absence of another substance. Reagents are employed in...

A photodetector mounted in the same package as a laser diode that is positioned to monitor the output from the rear facet of the diode.

A detector and signal demodulator used in optical communications systems to receive a signal and often to translate it into an electronic signal.

Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a molecular biology technique used to rapidly amplify specific DNA or RNA sequences under isothermal conditions, meaning it does not require the...

A technique used in photogrammetry to ensure parallelism during projection printing. Failure to do this will change a rectangular image on a negative into a trapezoidal image on the print.

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive imaging technique that allows for high-resolution, in vivo imaging of biological tissues at the cellular level. It is particularly useful in...

A means of high resolution study through the application of soft and hard x-rays onto a sample surface in order to obtain image information from 1-10 nm layers and surfaces. The x-ray source emission...

Reflectance spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the reflective properties of materials across various wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. By measuring the reflectance of light from a...

The term reflective is an adjective that describes the ability of a surface or material to reflect light or other forms of radiation. It implies the capability of bouncing back or redirecting...

The technique for measuring the index profile of an optical fiber by scanning the entrance face with the vertex of a high numerical aperture cone and measuring the change in power of refracted...

A device employed to identify toxic agents lingering on the ground or in the air from up to three miles away, by using laser beams to detect infrared light-absorption patterns that can be analyzed to...

Remote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or systems from a distance, typically using remote sensing technologies and...

Remote sensing is a method of data collection and observation where information about objects, areas, or phenomena on Earth's surface is gathered from a distance, typically using sensors onboard...

Optical components, usually reflectors, produced using proprietary techniques that transfer the precision of a master to a number of elements.

A device having electrical resistance and used in an electric current for purposes of protection, operation or control of current.

A type of ultrasensitive laser spectroscopy that can detect quantities as small as a single atom of some substances and that can differentiate between isobars of different elements.

A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance, which is a phenomenon that occurs when an external force or stimulus is applied at a specific frequency, causing the system to oscillate...

The number of electrons emitted per photon incident upon a photodetector.

A retroreflector is an optical device or structure that reflects incident light or electromagnetic waves back to their source, regardless of the direction from which the light approaches. Unlike...

Rhodamine refers to a family of fluorescent organic dyes that are widely used in various fields, including biology, chemistry, medicine, and materials science. These dyes are known for their bright...

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...

The study of x-rays, their biological effects and technology. Named for W.C. Roentgen, who discovered x-rays in 1895.

RTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is used for establishing and controlling media sessions between endpoints....