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Optics, Illumination, Light Sources Dictionary Terms

atom optics
The area of optics in which the wave nature of a particle is exploited to carry out very accurate interferometry and other...
pressurization
Injecting a gas (usually nitrogen) with a very low moisture content into the body of an optical instrument to create a...
reticle
A reticle, also known as a reticule or graticule, is a pattern or set of markings placed in the focal plane of an optical...
rheinberg illumination
dark-field illumination
The transmission of light by a condenser to observe either very small particles or very fine lines with a microscope.
micro ion milling
Process developed for the production of high-resolution patterns in electro- and magneto-optics. These high-generation...
matrix optics
 chain scission
The breakdown of the bonds in polymer chains caused by illumination.
processed hologram
A superposition of many zone plates, each reconstructing a real and virtual point image at the appropriate locations upon...
color rendering index
A CIE index describing the changes in color of standard test objects when the illumination is changed from a standard to a...
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
optical
Pertaining to optics and the phenomena of light.
octave
In optics, an octave typically refers to a range of frequencies or wavelengths that spans a factor of 2. In other words,...
cladding glass
In fiber optics, the glass that is found around the glass core of the fiber, and that has a lower refractive index than the...
light diffusion
Light diffusion refers to the process by which light is scattered or spread out in various directions as it interacts with a...
image intensifier
An image intensifier, also known as an image intensification tube or image intensification device, is a specialized...
laser pointer
Handheld optical laser device containing a semiconductor or DPSS source. The output is corrected via internal collimating...
optical phase distortion
Optical phase distortion refers to a phenomenon where the phase of an optical wavefront is altered as it propagates through...
spherical gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the refractive index varies symmetrically about a point.
ion-beam sputtering
Ion-beam sputtering (IBS) is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique used for depositing thin films onto substrates. It...
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...
grating beamsplitter
A grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...
nanoimprint lithography
Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a nanolithography technique used for fabricating nanoscale patterns on a substrate. It is a...
soft coating
A term describing an antireflection coating that may be applied to optics that cannot tolerate the high temperatures usually...
hygroscopic
In fiber optics, a material whose properties, usually of transmission, are distinctly affected by the absorption of water...
silicon photodiode
A silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector...
rainbow hologram
Essentially, a hologram of a hologram, in which the first-generation hologram is masked with a narrow slit. During image...
nano
An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other...
resonator
A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance, which is a phenomenon that occurs when an external force or...
photobleaching
Photobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently...
cleaning equipment
In optics, degreasers or ultrasonic arrangements used for removing pitch, cement or polishing material from lenses during...
replicated optics
Optical components, usually reflectors, produced using proprietary techniques that transfer the precision of a master to a...
reflectance confocal microscopy
Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive imaging technique that allows for high-resolution, in vivo imaging...
breakout cable
A breakout cable, also known as a fan-out cable or breakout assembly, is a type of cable that combines multiple individual...
cutoff wavelength
1. In detector technology, the long wavelength at which detector response falls to a set percentage (usually 20 or 50...
sputtering target
A sputtering target is a solid material used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
diffractive lens
Any optical device that utilizes diffraction in an image-forming capability. Familiar diffractive lenses are zone plates,...
brightfield
Brightfield refers to a type of microscopy and imaging technique in which the specimen is illuminated with a white light...
diverging lens
A diverging lens is a type of lens that causes parallel rays of light to spread out or diverge. It is thinner in the center...
dispersion
Dispersion refers to the phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light travel at different speeds when passing...
germanium crystal
Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor...
illuminometer
A photometric instrument used to measure the illumination falling on a surface. It may be photoelectric or visual.
linear receive optics
Linear receive optics typically refers to the optical components and systems used in the reception (detection) of linearly...
metamaterial
Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These...
polychromatic illumination
Light that is a mixture of wavelengths.
Mach-Zehnder interferometer
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer is an optical device used to measure the phase difference between two collimated beams of...
paraboloidal mirror
A concave mirror that has the form of a paraboloid of revolution. The paraboloidal mirror may have only a portion of a...
GaAlAs laser
A GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic...
chip-on-board lights
Chip-on-board (COB) lights refer to a type of LED lighting technology where multiple LED chips are directly mounted onto a...
fiber optics
The use of thin flexible glass or plastic fibers as wave guides — or "light pipes" — to channel light from one...
lumen
A lumen is a unit of measurement used to quantify the amount of luminous flux, which is the perceived power of light. In...
swept source optical coherence tomography
Swept-source optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in...
sensitometer
An instrument for determining the sensitivity of a photographic film to light. The film is given either a stepped exposure...
Bertrand lens
A small convergent lens, located between the objective and eyepiece of a microscope, that focuses an image of the upper...
volume Bragg gratings
Volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) are specialized optical elements that consist of periodic variations in refractive index...
whispering gallery mode
Whispering gallery mode (WGM) refers to a phenomenon in wave physics, particularly in optics, where waves, such as light or...
fusion
1. The combination of the effects of two or more stimuli in any given sense to form a single sensation. With respect to...
helium-neon laser
A helium-neon (HeNe) laser is a type of gas laser that emits visible red light at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. It operates...
focal length
The focal length of a lens is the distance between the lens's optical center (or principal point) and the image sensor or...
automated optical inspection
Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a technology used in manufacturing processes, particularly in electronics, to...
topological photonics
Topological photonics is a branch of physics and optics that explores the application of topological concepts to the...
fluence
Fluence is a term used in various scientific and technical disciplines to describe the amount of something per unit area....
aeolight
A glow discharge lamp consisting of a cold cathode and a mixture of inert gases. The intensity of illumination varies with...
ray tracing
Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene....
machine vision lighting
Machine vision lighting refers to the use of specific lighting techniques and equipment in the field of machine vision,...
active optics
Technology that corrects the shape of reflective optics; primarily applied in large telescope systems, in order to...
nox
Equal to 10-3 lux; used in measuring low values of illumination and luminance.
binary optics
Optical elements, often created by micromachining, lithography or vacuum deposition, that rely on diffraction of the...
multi-axis alignment
Multi-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...
phase screen
A phase screen, in the context of optics and wave optics, refers to a surface or medium that introduces a phase delay to an...
nonlinear optics
Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics that studies the optical phenomena that occur when intense light interacts with a...
Rydberg atom
The term "Rydberg atom" refers to an atom in a highly excited state where one or more of its electrons are in a Rydberg...
illumination
The general term for the application of light to a subject. It should not be used in place of the specific quantity...
cosine law of illumination
Law relating the illuminance (or irradiance) of a surface to the cosine of the angle, q, between the normal to the surface...
image
In optics, an image is the reconstruction of light rays from a source or object when light from that source or object is...
injection molding
A method of producing high-quality plastic optics in large volumes by injecting the heated, liquified plastic at high...
retroreflection
Retroreflection is a phenomenon in optics where light is reflected back toward its source, typically in a direction nearly...
meteorological optics
optical encoder
A device designed to measure linear or rotary motion by detection of the movement of markings on a transparent medium past a...
fresnel
A unit of frequency equivalent to 1012 cps. Named for Augustin Jean Fresnel, a French physicist known for his work in light...
long-pass filter
A long-pass filter is an optical filter that allows longer wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking or...
motion controller
In optics, a motion controller refers to a device or system that precisely controls the movement of optical components, such...
vapor-phase axial deposition
A process by which high-quality fiber optics are made. See axial vapor-phase deposition.
piezoelectric motion systems
Piezoelectric motion systems are mechanical systems that utilize piezoelectric materials to generate controlled motion or...
first-order optics
 borescope
A device for the internal inspection of hard-to-get-at mechanical parts, such as rifle barrels, sewer pipes, oil wells, or...
event-based sensor
An event-based image sensor, also known as a dynamic vision sensor (DVS), is a type of digital imaging device designed to...
attenuation-limited power
In fiber optics, the limitation on performance imposed by the amplitude of a received signal rather than distortion.
GaN-based LEDs
Gallium nitride-based light-emitting diodes (GaN-based LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric...
minimum spot size
The smallest linear diameter to which a laser or other beam of radiant energy is capable of being focused, depending on the...
light-emitting diode
An LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
reference white
The light from a nonselective diffuse reflector due to the standard illumination of the scene to be televised.
polarization
Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave, such as light waves, radio waves, or other...
autofocus system
A means of adjusting the sharpness of an image automatically, with a sensor for estimating distance or contrast and a drive...
optical gate
An optical gate typically refers to a device or system that controls the transmission of light, allowing it to pass through...
crystal optics
The study of the transmission of radiant energy through crystals, especially anisotropic crystals, and their effects on...
aplanatic points
Aplanatic points refer to specific points in an optical system where certain aberrations, such as spherical aberration or...
3D laser triangulation
3D Laser Triangulation - A technology that allows sensors to probe the surroundings. Laser triangulation systems have an...
spatially offset Raman spectroscopy
Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) is a technique that extends traditional Raman spectroscopy by incorporating...
harmonic generation
Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
vertical transmitted illumination
With respect to microscopy, light that is directed through the specimen by a substage condenser.
half bandwidth
The term half bandwidth (HBW) generally refers to the width of a spectral band or frequency range at half of its maximum...
edge-emitting LED
An edge-emitting light-emitting diode is a type of LED structure where light emission occurs primarily along the edge of the...
bellows
In optics, a collapsible structure situated between the lens and film of a camera to allow variation of the distance between...
flow cytometry
Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology and medicine for the quantitative analysis of the physical and...
infrared optic
Infrared optics refer to optical components and systems designed to manipulate and control infrared (IR) light, which lies...
concave grating
A reflecting grating ruled on a concave spherical surface that not only disperses the light but focuses the spectrum. The...
mandrel
A shaft, spindle or any object generally passed through a workpiece to hold, support or shape a particular piece during its...
illuminance
Luminous flux incident per unit area of a surface; luminous incidence. (The use of the term "illumination" for...
optofluidics
Optofluidics is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles from optics and fluidics to create devices and systems...
dichroscopic eyepiece
An eyepiece used in a polariscope or polarizing microscope to give a comparison view of the same object under illumination...
darkroom
A room that is light-tight, permitting total darkness or illumination with a safelight when working with photosensitive...
geometric optics
A field of physics that deals with light as if it truly were composed of rays diverging in various directions from the...
total internal reflection fluorescence
Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is an advanced fluorescence microscopy technique that leverages the...
phase mask
In optics and photolithography, a phase mask refers to a device that modifies the phase of light waves passing through it....
variable-focus condenser
An Abbe condenser in which the upper lens element is fixed. The lower lens may focus the illumination between the elements...
dissonance
In optics, the production of maxima and minima by the superimposition of two sets of interference fringes from light of two...
integration time
Integration time, in the context of optics, imaging systems, and sensor technology, refers to the duration over which a...
dark adaptation
The ability of the human eye to adjust itself to low levels of illumination.
knife-edge scanning microscope
An imaging device originally created to image whole mouse brain volumes at microscopic resolution. The main component of the...
beam shaper
A beam shaper is an optical device or system designed to modify the spatial profile or intensity distribution of a laser or...
head-up display
An optical system that superimposes a synthetic display providing navigational or weapon-aiming information on a pilot's or...
infrared searchlight
An infrared source combined with reflecting projection optics to illuminate a target making it visible when observed through...
frequency comb
A frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...
bubble chamber optics
Specially designed optics for the observation and photographing of hydrogen in a bubble chamber.
collective lens
A convex or positive lens that serves to collect energy and direct it into subsequent system optics.
relay condenser
A form of lens assembly used in a projection system to maximize efficiency and assure uniform illumination of the object...
spot meter
A telescopic light-sensing meter used to measure illumination levels of small regions at a distance of many feet; it is used...
nonlinear optical materials
Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
automatic profiling
In fiber optics, the use of a detector to study the range of refractive indices achieved at various wavelengths. This...
polarization photometer
A photometer having a pair of Nicol prisms introduced into the beam from the brighter of two sources to be compared. Turning...
Linnik interference microscope
A Michelson-type interference microscope used to produce interference patterns of reflective specimens through the...
remote laser welding
A robotic process commonly employed by automakers that enables high-speed and flexible production throughput by using...
distal end
The end of an optical fiber farthest from the source of illumination.
autocollimator
An autocollimator is an optical instrument used for measuring small angular deviations with high precision. It operates on...
linear positioning stage
A linear positioning stage, also known as a linear stage or translation stage, is a precision mechanical device used to...
refractive index contrast
A measure of the relative difference in refractive index between two optical materials. Most commonly used in fiber optics...
shadowgraph
A method of demonstration or examination using a point source illumination without the use of any projection lens between...
CIE source
Standard light source representative of the quality of specified natural or artificial illumination.
t number
The equivalent f number of a fictitious lens that has a circular opening and 100 percent transmittance, which would give the...
anisotropy
Anisotropy refers to the property of exhibiting different values or characteristics when measured in different directions....
optical combiner
An optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...
fused quartz and silica
Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...
physiological optics
The study of visual perception by the sense of sight.
critical fusion frequency
The fusion frequency of flicker that is needed just to produce complete fusion and to assure the visual sensation of...
snooperscope
An instrument used for viewing in low levels of illumination by means of infrared radiation. A high-aperture lens forms an...
phase
In optics and photonics, "phase" refers to a property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the position...
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
aspheric lens
An aspheric lens is a type of lens whose surface profiles deviate from the traditional spherical shape. Unlike spherical...
laser damage threshold
The laser damage threshold refers to the maximum level of laser intensity that a material can withstand without experiencing...
electro-optic modulator
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is a device used to modulate the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light waves using an...
modulation
In general, changes in one oscillation signal caused by another, such as amplitude or frequency modulation in radio which...
photon jet
A photon jet is a narrow, highly collimated beam of light that is formed when light interacts with small dielectric...
thermograph
The instrument used to collect thermal radiation information on an object by scanning. It consists basically of a detector,...
tangent ogive
In optics, a shape often given to the leading edge of a projectile. In any side view it appears as a pointed arc, while any...
figure
In optics, the geometrical form of an optical surface.
freeform mirrors
Freeform mirrors refer to reflective optical components that deviate from traditional symmetric or rotationally symmetric...
Ti:sapphire laser
A Ti:sapphire laser is a type of solid-state laser that utilizes a titanium-doped sapphire crystal as the gain medium. The...
comparison lamp
A reference incandescent light source having a luminous intensity that is used in photometry for comparison of other light...
high-performance parallel interface
A very high bandwidth communication line often used in fiber optics.
optical design and engineering services
Optical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and...
low-light-level instrumentation
Instrumentation designed to permit the perception, recording or measurement of scenes under conditions of low incident...
phase matching
Phase matching is a crucial concept in the field of optics, particularly in nonlinear optics and the generation of coherent...
strain
In optics, the mechanical tension, compression or shear in optical glass due to internal stress caused by improper cooling...
dioptrics
The branch of optics that deals with the study of the refraction of light, particularly by the transmitting medium of the...
Koehler illumination
A two-stage illuminating system for a microscope in which the source is imaged in the aperture of the substage condenser by...
metasurfaces
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...
tolerance field
In fiber optics, the annular region between two concentric circles; used to specify fiber cladding and core sizes.
Lloyd's mirror
A mirror employed with a very high incidence angle to form a pair of coherent light sources by reflection, and therefore...
electro-optics
1. The branch of physics that deals with the use of electrical energy to create or manipulate light waves, generally by...
fiber-coupled LED
A fiber-coupled LED (light-emitting diode) refers to an LED device that is optically coupled to an optical fiber for the...
micro-optic gyroscope
A thin-film device that integrates optics and electronics on a single chip to provide a passive-ring resonator gyroscope...
micro-ring resonator
A micro-ring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
Nomarski microscopy
Also referred to as differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy; Nomarski microscopy is a unique form of microscopy...
photoplethysmography
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a non-invasive optical technique used to detect changes in blood volume in tissues. It...
massive optics
Optical components exceeding 24 in. in diameter. The components are usually glass, acrylic or polystyrene and are used for...
momentum transfer
In physics, momentum transfer is the amount of momentum transferred from one particle to another during particle collision...
computer-generated hologram
A computer-generated hologram (CGH) is a holographic image produced using computational methods and algorithms, rather than...
lattice
In photonics, a lattice refers to a periodic arrangement of optical elements or structures, often on a microscopic or...
metalens
A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...
normalized frequency
Also referred to as the V number in fiber optics; the normalized frequency is a dimensionless quantity, denoted by the...
high-density storage
Extensive data storage in the form of bits, with the use of high-resolution photographic materials and optics, and generally...
visually coupled airborne systems simulator
A visual system including a tiny television tube and imaging optics, all contained in a helmet to be worn by pilots in...
near-field scanning
A measurement technique used to determine the spatial distribution profile of an electrical or optical quantity of interest...
optical grating
An optical grating, in the context of optics and physics, refers to a device with a periodic structure of closely spaced,...
beam table
Laser light show effects equipment including optics and mechanical devices that reflect, position or distort the laser beam,...
incoherent
In optics, the term denoting the lack of a fixed phase relationship between two waves. If two incoherent waves are...
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
magnitude
In astronomy, the relative brightness of a celestial body. Originally a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 represented the brightest...
achromat
An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration....
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...
photon sieve
A photon sieve is an optical device used in the field of optics and imaging. It's designed to focus and shape light,...
light sheet fluorescence microscopy
Also known as single plane illumination microscopy (SPIM), this process was designed for imaging of sensitive samples and...
luxmeter
An illuminometer designed to measure illumination in terms of luxes.
x-ray optics
The study of the physics of x-rays, where the x-rays exhibit properties similar to those of lightwaves. Also called Roentgen...
neutralization
In optics, the process of combining two lenses having equal and opposite powers to produce a result having no power.
plastic optical fiber
Plastic optical fiber (POF) is a type of optical fiber made from transparent plastic, typically polymethylmethacrylate...
vertical incident illumination
With respect to microscopy, light that is directed down through the objective onto the specimen and then returned by...
Geometrical optics
The area of optics in which the propagation of light is described by geometrical lines (or rays) governed by Fermat's...
reactive evaporation
Reactive evaporation refers to a process in thin-film deposition where a material is deposited onto a substrate through...
hard coating
Usually a dielectric coating on glass or plastic optics; a coating that is comparable in hardness to glass itself.
flicker
The fluctuation in apparent illumination that has a rate comparable to the reciprocal of the period of persistence in vision.
Mie scattering
Mie scattering, named after the German physicist Gustav Mie, refers to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation (such as...
laser diode module
A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...
laser output
The laser output refers to the generated and emitted light produced by a laser system. This output is characterized by...
second-harmonic generation
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine...
Kerr effect
The Kerr effect, named after the physicist John Kerr who first observed it in 1875, is a nonlinear optical phenomenon where...
narrow-angle dark-field illumination
An imaging system designed to highlight small deviations in a planar reflective object such as a mirror. The system can be...
GRIN lens
A GRIN (gradient index) lens is a type of optical lens that utilizes a gradient in refractive index across its volume rather...
collector
A positive lens located at or close to an intermediate image plane. The collector refracts off-axis light bundles, directing...
object
The figure seen through or imaged by an optical system. It may contain structures, natural or artificial, or it may be the...
solar simulator
A solar simulator is a device used to replicate the spectrum and intensity of sunlight in a controlled environment for...
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
electron trapping optical memory
A method of erasable optical data storage in which information is stored by visible light, then read by illumination with an...
acousto-optics
Discipline within optical physics that addresses sound vibration, phonon effects and their influencing behavior within...
sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal refers to a transparent, single-crystal form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) known as corundum. It is one of the...
laser pen
Device consisting of a laser diode, beam-correcting optics and collimating optics in a single housing. Also called a...
kinematic mount
A mount for an optic element or optics assembly, designed so that all six degrees of freedom are singly constrained. This...
mode-locked lasers
Mode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...
liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...
linear optics
Linear optics refers to the study and manipulation of light in a linear and deterministic manner, where the response of...
space-division multiplex
In fiber optics, the condition in which each fiber of a bundle carries a separate channel.
single-photon avalanche diode
A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...
endoscope
An endoscope is a medical device used for visualizing and examining the interior of hollow organs, body cavities, or...
ultraviolet fiber optics
Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
metallographic microscope
A specially designed microscope for observing the etched surface of a polished metal specimen. The specimen is often laid...
quantum optics
The area of optics in which quantum theory is used to describe light in discrete units or "quanta" of energy known as...
Lieberkuhn illumination
cold atom
Cold atoms refer to atoms that have been cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically in the microkelvin (µK) to...
synchrotron
A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses magnetic fields to steer charged particles, typically electrons or...
physical optics
The branch of science that treats light as a wave phenomenon wherein light propagation is studied by wavefronts rather than...
plastic optics
Plastic optics refers to optical components or systems that are made from transparent plastic materials, as opposed to...
transmission
In optics, the conduction of radiant energy through a medium. Often denotes the percentage of energy passing through an...
beam optics
diamond-turned optic
Diamond turning refers to a precision machining process used to produce complex optical components, particularly lenses and...
bench photometer
A device used to compare the luminous intensities of two sources by locating a point between the two light sources where the...
geometric metamerism
Metamerism that occurs when the geometry of illumination or viewing is changed.
isolator
In the context of electronics and optics, an isolator refers to a device that allows the transmission of signals in one...
steradian
The unit solid angle subtended at the center of a sphere by an area on its surface equivalent to the square of the radius;...
underillumination
Illumination of hologram facets with a beam that covers only a small portion of the hologram in order to optimize laser...
arc light source
In present usage, especially for spectroscopic identification, an arc between electrodes that serves as a radiation source....
critical illumination
Illumination in which the light source is imaged at the object.
superresolution
Superresolution refers to the enhancement or improvement of the spatial resolution beyond the conventional limits imposed by...
diffuser
An optical diffuser is an optical component or material designed to scatter or diffuse light that passes through it. It is...
prism
A prism is a geometric optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. It is typically a solid, transparent...
polariton
A polariton is a quasiparticle resulting from the strong coupling between photons (light particles) and certain types of...
diffractive optics
Optical elements that use diffraction to control wavefronts. Diffractive optical elements include diffraction gratings,...
illumination distribution
Generally, the orientation of rays of light striking a surface.
custom optic
A custom optic refers to an optical component that is designed, manufactured, and tailored to meet specific requirements or...
infrared light-emitting diode
An infrared light-emitting diode (IR LED) is a semiconductor device that emits infrared light when an electric current...
diode laser
A diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate coherent light....
photodiode
A two-electrode, radiation-sensitive junction formed in a semiconductor material in which the reverse current varies with...
laser triangulation
A technique that uses a solid-state laser and a detector to determine an object's relative distance to the system. The laser...
threshold contrast
In visual perception, the smallest difference in illumination perceived on the average.
colorimeter
A colorimeter is a device used to measure and quantify the color characteristics of an object or a light source. It provides...
overillumination
A hologram facet illumination technique in which the illuminating beam is twice the size of the hologram facet so that full...
concave
Concave is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves inward or has a hollow or recessed appearance. In...
photon-rich
Photon-rich typically refers to an environment or situation where there is an abundance of photons present. In the context...
selenium cell
A photoconductive cell consisting of a layer of selenium on a substrate whose electrical resistance varies with the...
monochromator
A monochromator is an optical instrument used to isolate and select a narrow range of wavelengths from a broader spectrum of...
radial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the index varies in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis....
meta-optics
Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
nanopositioning
Nanopositioning refers to the precise and controlled movement or manipulation of objects or components at the nanometer...
molecular motor
A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
image plane holography
A hologram in which the image of an object, or the object itself, is located near the hologram recording plane, for optimum...
intensified charge-coupled device camera
An intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera is an advanced imaging device that combines the capabilities of both an...
adaptive optics
Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of...
optical filter
An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...
ultrafast pulsed laser
An ultrafast pulsed laser is a type of laser that emits extremely short pulses of light with durations typically on the...
fiberless optics
mode beating
In optics, "mode beating" refers to an interference phenomenon that can occur in laser systems with multiple longitudinal...
image optics
Any form of lens, optical system (camera, telescope, microscope, etc.), or opto-electronics utilized for the purpose of...
Dammann grating
A Dammann grating is a type of diffractive optical element (DOE) used to create an array of equally spaced,...
cold-light illumination
A means of illumination from which the infrared component has been removed by absorption or reflection filters within the...
light fidelity
LiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
bright-field illumination
The illumination generally used in microscopy, whereby the specimen appears dark against a light background.
color holography
The recording of three or more separate holograms having a different color on a medium, so that illumination with a tricolor...
heterostructures
A method used in integrated optics; formed by growing an epitaxial layer of active material, removing it from its base and...
CIE illuminant
Spectral power distribution representing a standard source of illumination, which may be real or hypothetical.
electric-discharge lamp
A lamp that uses the transmission of an electric current through a gas or vapor to produce illumination. Neon, mercury and...
delta error
The term delta error (delta-E) generally refers to the difference or change in error between two values or states. The word...
wedge photometer
A photometer that uses a wedge, marked to show its reduction of flux density, to make two light sources equal in intensity...
nanoLED
An LED (light-emitting diode) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
attenuation
Attenuation refers to the gradual loss or reduction of intensity, force, or magnitude of a particular property as it...
magneto-optics
Magneto-optics refers to the study and manipulation of the interaction between magnetic fields and light (electromagnetic...
lidar
Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and...
light pattern
In optics, a pattern, such as the Buchmann-Meyer pattern, that may be viewed when the record surface is illuminated by a...
holography
Holography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and...
Pockels
In optics, the Pockels effect refers to the phenomenon where the refractive index of a material changes in response to an...
scratch resistant coating
Thin layers intended to prevent damage to plastic optics.
pyramid error
Pyramid error in optics refers to an aberration in the shape of an optical surface, particularly in the context of mirrors....
vacuum apparatus
Equipment dependent on the effects of a vacuum. The principal applications in optics are in the coating of lenses and...
Laurent polarimeter
A Laurent polarimeter is an instrument used in optics for measuring the rotation of plane-polarized light caused by...
Abbe illumination
Image of a uniform source through the sample of a microscope image system. Light from the sample plane is reimaged by the...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The...
optical table
An optical table, also known as an optical bench or an optical breadboard, is a specialized platform used in optics...
leaky ray
In an optical waveguide, a ray for which geometric optics would predict total internal reflection at the core boundary, but...
emergent ray
In optics, the light ray leaving a medium in contrast to the entering or incident ray.
electron optics
The control of free electron movement through the use of electrical or magnetic fields, and use of this electron movement in...
Judas optics
A small defocused Galilean telescope mounted in a hole in a door. Viewed from inside through the positive lens, a wide-angle...
supercontinuum
Supercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the...
static beam shaping
A technique for creating optimal performance in a system by producing a specific beam irradiance distribution, usually...
nonlinear polarization
Nonlinear polarization refers to the phenomenon where the polarization of a material responds nonlinearly to an applied...
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin...
dark-field photomicrography
A photomicrographic recording technique that utilizes dark-field illumination to render an image of an object having a...
laser guide star
An artificial star used to aid in adaptive optics imaging of the sky. The guide star is provided from a telescope system on...
optogenetics
A discipline that combines optics and genetics to enable the use of light to stimulate and control cells in living tissue,...
thin-film coating
Thin-film coatings are layers of material applied to the surface of an object or substrate, typically to modify its optical,...
chalcogenide
Chalcogenide refers to a class of compounds containing elements from group 16 of the periodic table, which includes sulfur...
freeform optics
Freeform optics refers to the design and fabrication of optical surfaces that do not follow traditional symmetric shapes,...
photoresponse nonuniformity
Noise created by patterns imaged on a CCD surface. Pixel sensitivity is altered by responsivity during illumination.
split-image microscope
A mask-alignment microscope used to produce and inspect microcircuits in the electronics industry. It provides flat-field,...
laser optics
Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...
directional reflectance
Reflectance in a specified direction, for a specified direction of incident illumination.
laser
A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
dichroism
Dichroism refers to the property of certain materials to exhibit different colors or absorbance of light depending on the...
thin-film deposition equipment
Thin-film deposition equipment refers to machinery and tools used in the process of depositing thin layers of material onto...
geometric image
The position and shape of the image of a point source, as predicted by geometric optics alone. The geometric image is to be...
lateral shearing interferometer
A lateral shearing interferometer is an optical device used in interferometry to measure phase differences between two beams...
confocal scanning microscope
A microscope design that involves apertures inserted in conjugate plane positions inside the microscope, with one aperture...
Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor
The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is an optical device used for measuring the wavefront aberrations of an optical system....
surface
1. In optics, one of the exterior faces of an optical element. 2. The process of grinding or generating the face of an...
laser tube
The device, usually made of glass or a similar material, that contains the resonant cavity and optics of a gas laser.
CIE
Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage, the international commission on illumination.
halogen lamp
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen, quartz-halogen, or quartz iodine lamp, is an incandescent lamp that uses a...
adapter
1. In optics, the housing, usually cylindrical, that contains the lenses and iris diaphragm of a camera. 2. In fiber optics,...
transposition
In optics, the changing of the relative curves of a lens without changing its refractive value.
Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering is a phenomenon in physics where an incident electromagnetic wave (usually light) interacts with...
transverse mode
In the context of optics and lasers, a transverse mode refers to a specific spatial pattern of the electric field within the...
distributed feedback laser
A distributed feedback laser (DFB laser) is a type of semiconductor laser diode designed to emit coherent, narrow-bandwidth...
masks for evaporation/deposition
In the context of thin film deposition processes such as evaporation or sputtering, masks are used to selectively deposit...
scanner
1. A device used to trace out an object and build up an image. One of the most common of these types is video scanning. The...
lambertian source plane
In optics, a plane that emits a flux proportional to the cosine of the angle of the normal; dense opal glass is an example.
photodynamic therapy
A medical technology that uses lasers or other light sources in combination with photosensitizing drugs to treat cancerous...
Fresnel reflection
Fresnel reflection refers to the reflection of light at the interface between two different media with different refractive...
polishing jig
In fiber optics, a device used to polish a biconic plug to a specified length and surface finish. Also called a polishing...
vortex phase plate
A vortex phase plate is an optical device designed to impart a phase singularity, commonly referred to as a vortex or phase...
intensified vidicon
A standard direct-readout vidicon tube linked by fiber optics to an intensifier for increased sensitivity.
tissue optics
The study of the optical properties of living tissue. Increased understanding of the behavior of light in this varied,...
indirect illumination
The light formed by visible radiation that, in traveling from light source to object, undergoes one or more reflections. In...
optics of material
The area of optics that deals with the interaction of light with a given material. The optical properties of material are...
second-order nonlinear optical properties
Second-order nonlinear optical properties refer to a class of phenomena exhibited by certain materials in response to...
phototherapy
Phototherapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of light to treat various conditions, particularly those related...
covered groove
A technique used in integrated optics where a groove is cut on a substrate surface and covered by a thin film to facilitate...
atmospheric optics
The analysis of the properties of radiation, such as light, when acted upon by variations in the atmosphere. Blue and red...
infrared light source
An infrared light source is a device that emits light in the infrared spectrum, which lies beyond the visible spectrum of...
machine vision system
A machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...
solar furnace
An optical system that is designed to produce a high temperature in a specified area by the optical direction and...
integrated optics
A thin-film device containing miniature optical components connected via optical waveguides on a transparent dielectric...
stimulated Brillouin scattering
In Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), an incident photon (usually laser light) interacts with acoustic phonons in a...
photographic photometry
A form of photometric measurement, often used with light sources that are transparent or fluctuating, in which a...
conjugate autofocus system
A system that determines whether an image is in or out of focus by means of a source of illumination at the conjugate focal...
Gaussian beam optics
The area of optics that deals with the propagation of Gaussian laser beams in free space, or any general medium - i.e....
direct illumination
Light produced by visible radiation that moves from the light source to the object without reflection. With respect to...
structural color
Structural color refers to coloration in materials that is not caused by pigments or dyes but is instead a result of the...
microlens array
A microlens array is a grid-like structure composed of numerous small lenses, typically arranged in a regular pattern. Each...
image jump
In optics, the term image jump refers to a displacement or shift in the apparent position of an image when a change occurs...
Fizeau fringes
Fizeau fringes are interference fringes observed in an interferometer, specifically in a Fizeau interferometer. The Fizeau...
infrared microscope
A type of microscope that uses radiation in the infrared region to illuminate objects that are opaque to visible radiation....
convergence
1. In optics, the bending of light rays toward each other, as by a convex or positive lens. 2. Turning in the eyes to view a...
double-clad fiber
Double-clad fiber (DCF) is a specialized optical fiber that features two concentric cladding layers surrounding a core. The...
reflective
The term reflective is an adjective that describes the ability of a surface or material to reflect light or other forms of...
optics
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter...
gradient-index profile
The term gradient-index profile refers to a specific type of refractive index distribution within an optical material. In...
magnetorheological finishing
Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...
paraxial
Characteristic of optical analyses that are limited to infinitesimally small apertures. Also called first-order or Gaussian...
optical testing instrument
An optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...
Matrix optics
The linear relationship between input and output optical fields for a given optical system or application that allows the...
plasmonics
Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
APD detector
An APD detector, or avalanche photodiode detector, is a type of photodetector used to detect light or optical signals by...
Kerr soliton
A Kerr soliton refers to a specific type of soliton, a self-reinforcing wave packet, that arises in nonlinear optical...
optical profiler
Also known as a white-light interferometer. Measures surface texture and shape from nanometer-scale roughness to...
optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is a branch of electronics that focuses on the study and application of devices and systems that use light...
refracting sphere
A transparent sphere that has an index of refraction that is different from that of the medium surrounding it; used in...
paraboloidal condenser
A condenser composed of a paraboloidal reflector and used for dark-field illumination.
optical noise
Optical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...
free-space optics
Free-space optics (FSO), also known as optical wireless communication or optical wireless networking, refers to the...
bandwidth-limited operation
In fiber optics, the limitation on performance imposed by the system bandwidth rather than the amplitude of the signal.
gain
Also known as amplification. 1. The increase in a signal that is transmitted from one point to another through an amplifier....
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...
convex
Convex is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves outward, bulges, or has a rounded and outwardly...
solid optics
Optical elements arranged with no spaces between, so that the light travels only through glass, not air.
buffer
1. In fiber optics, a protective material applied as an optical fiber cover that has no optical function. 2. In image...
integrated photonics
Integrated photonics is a field of study and technology that involves the integration of optical components, such as lasers,...
lensless microscopy
Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
chemical vapor deposition equipment
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment refers to a class of specialized apparatus used in the process of chemical vapor...
structured illumination microscopy
Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is an advanced optical imaging technique used in microscopy to enhance the...
optical Fourier transform
The optical Fourier transform is a mathematical operation applied to optical signals that involves transforming a spatial...
fluorescent whitening agents
Agents used for testing light sources and natural daylight with visual and instrumental assessment using a set of white...
Gaussian optics
1. That branch of optics that illustrates the theory in which q is substituted for sin q in Snell's law. Effective results...
PIN photodiode
A PIN photodiode is a type of photodetector or semiconductor device used to convert light signals into electrical signals....
cold coating
A method of applying antireflection coatings to optics that avoids the elevated temperatures normally used. A cold coating...
sputtering equipment
Sputtering equipment is machinery used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
spectroradiometer
A spectroradiometer is a device used to measure the intensity of light at different wavelengths across the electromagnetic...
axial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the refractive index varies along the direction of light propagation,...
toric lens
A lens having one or more toric surfaces. A toric surface is one having a maximum power in one meridian and a minimum power...
aperture illumination
The amplitude, polarization and phase contained in the field distribution over the aperture.
quantum well
A quantum well is a structure in quantum mechanics that confines particles, such as electrons or holes, in one spatial...
Schlieren optics
An optical system that records inhomogeneities within a medium by detecting the energy refracted by that portion of the...
custom lapping and polishing services
Custom lapping and polishing services involve specialized processes used to improve the surface finish and dimensional...
terahertz spectrometer
A terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz...
spatial light modulator
A spatial light modulator (SLM) is an optical device that modulates or manipulates the amplitude, phase, or polarization of...
infrared scanner
An optical system used to collect infrared energy from a scene using scanning optics with a point or line detector, as...
microbubble resonator
A microbubble resonator is a device used in photonics and optical physics for the precise manipulation of light waves. It...
high-speed motion camera
A high-speed motion camera, also known as a high-speed camera or slow-motion camera, is a specialized imaging device...
oblique illumination
A common technique in microscopy, oblique illumination is one in which the object is illuminated by a light source that is...
equivalent wavelength
In surface height measurement of optics with steep slopes, the use of two short visible wavelengths to synthesize a longer,...
Ruticon
A ruticon is an opto-electronic device in which light going through it can be modulated by an electric field. The...
mesoscope
In the field of optics and imaging, a mesoscope refers to an optical instrument that is designed to observe and capture...
phase-modulated sensor
A phase-modulated sensor is a type of sensor that uses modulation of the phase of a signal to measure changes in a physical...
mercury arc
An electric arc that is formed in mercury vapor through which an electric current flows. The intensity of the illumination...
rolling shutter artifacts
Rolling shutter artifacts are distortions or visual anomalies that can occur in images or videos captured by cameras with...
exposure
In optics, the total radiant energy incident on a surface-per-unit area. It is equal to the integral over time of the...
microdisplay
A microdisplay is a miniature electronic display technology that is designed to project visual information onto a small...
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
photobiomodulation
A light therapy that utilizes nonionizing light sources, including lasers, LEDs, and broadband light, in the visible and...
dust extinction
In atmospheric optics, the almost total blocking of light transmission in the atmosphere due to the scattering and...
photoelastic
In optics, the double refraction that is produced when stress is applied to a transparent material. Plastics, which are...
diffuse illumination
Light emitted by one or more sources and characterized by a high degree of scatter.
coated optics
Optical elements that have been coated with one or more layers of dielectric, or metallic material. These coatings serve to...
concave and convex spherical mirror
Concave and convex spherical mirrors are types of curved mirrors that have surfaces shaped like segments of spheres. These...
dissector
In optical character recognition, the mechanical or electronic transducer used to detect the level of illumination present...
wave optics
Also referred to as physical optics - the area of optics in which the wave nature of light is essential when defining its...
divergence
1. In optics, the bending of rays away from each other. 2. In lasers, the spreading of a laser beam with increased distance...
beam candlepower
With relation to the equivalent beam candlepower of a searchlight, the candlepower of a bare source that would produce the...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and...
nanophotonics
Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...
cladding mode
A mode that is confined by virtue of a lower-index medium surrounding the cladding. Cladding modes, in the terminology of...
resolution
1. In optics, the ability of a lens system to reproduce the points, lines and surfaces in an object as separate entities in...
quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
liquid crystal light valve
A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV), also known as a spatial light modulator (SLM), is an optical device that modulates the...

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