Photonics Dictionary: R

1. An optical distance finder that depends on triangulation of two convergent beams on an object from disparate view points. 2. A device that depends on the measurement of time of wave travel from an...

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...

When a lens system with a circular aperture is free of aberrations, the image of a point object will appear as a disc of finite size surrounded by concentric rings. When two points are separated such...

The restricting opening at the rear of a lens or prism that is commonly defined as the maximum diameter of the emergent cone for the specified field of view, at infinity focus.

A hologram that is illuminated by a source from the viewer's side.

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...

A figure of merit corresponding to the amount of light seen by a viewer through binoculars. A higher number indicates a brighter image in low-light situations. The relative brightness value is...

The discernment of depth or apparent difference in distance that causes the object to stand out from its background because of stereoscopic vision. The impression of relief can be obtained from the...

The optical phenomenon in which white light dispersed by small particles in suspension appears blue when viewed through a suitable Nicol prism.

A corrective lens system that is placed near the focal plane of a Newtonian telescope to increase its effective field of view by correcting for coma formed by the telescope's paraboloidal mirror.