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IES Dictionary Terms

angle of refraction
The angle formed between a refracted ray and the normal to the surface. This angle lies in a common plane with the angle of incidence. See also Snell's law of refraction.
Hertzian waves
The radio waves of the electromagnetic spectrum that have frequencies of up to 10,000 megacycles per second.
ferromagnetism
The properties of certain materials that cause them to have relative permeabilities that exceed unity. This permeability...
FTIR spectrometer
FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectrometer is a powerful analytical instrument used to obtain an infrared spectrum of...
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...
erosion
In image processing, a morphology operator in which a structuring element or probe of a particular shape is moved over the...
microdensitometry
The science that deals with the measurement of optical absorbance (i.e. optical densities) over microscopic areas of a given...
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
concave grating
A reflecting grating ruled on a concave spherical surface that not only disperses the light but focuses the spectrum. The...
chemical vapor deposition equipment
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment refers to a class of specialized apparatus used in the process of chemical vapor...
quantitative phase imaging
Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to measure and analyze the optical...
unstable resonator
A resonator often used for mode control in Fresnel number laser cavities that is highly vulnerable to extremely weak...
fractional photothermolysis
A laser skin-resurfacing method that creates microscopic thermal wounds referred to as microscopic treatment zones (MTZs),...
Fizeau fringes
Fizeau fringes are interference fringes observed in an interferometer, specifically in a Fizeau interferometer. The Fizeau...
band-elimination filter
A filter that suppresses a given range of frequencies, transmitting only those above and below that band. Also called...
aeolight
A glow discharge lamp consisting of a cold cathode and a mixture of inert gases. The intensity of illumination varies with...
phase mask
In optics and photolithography, a phase mask refers to a device that modifies the phase of light waves passing through it....
embedded laser
The term "embedded laser" typically refers to a laser device that is integrated or embedded into a larger system or...
nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
That branch of spectroscopy that applies to the study of interactions between energy and atomic nuclei. The simultaneous...
ideal filter
Any filter in which the range of frequencies within a chosen radius suffers no attenuation and the range of frequencies...
plasma accelerator
A plasma accelerator is a type of particle accelerator that uses electric fields and magnetic fields to accelerate charged...
laser crystal
A laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of...
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of optical lens that consists of a series of concentric grooves or steps carved into a flat, thin...
atmospheric inhomogeneities
Localized variations in the purity and the index of refraction of the atmosphere.
Fourier images
The series of images formed when periodic objects are exposed to collimated monochromatic radiation and that result from...
quantum key distribution
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method of secure communication that utilizes principles from quantum mechanics to...
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...
organic light-emitting diode
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a type of light-emitting diode (LED) technology that utilizes organic compounds to...
photoimmunotherapy
Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is a medical treatment approach that combines elements of phototherapy and immunotherapy to target...
image centroid
Often referred to as the geometric center of a given image or image plane, the centroid of an image is a fixed point located...
GigE
GigE, short for gigabit Ethernet, refers to a standard for high-speed Ethernet communication, capable of transmitting data...
law of Brewster
The law stating that when light strikes a surface at such an angle that the reflected and refracted rays are perpendicular...
digital holographic microscopy
Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is an advanced imaging technique that combines holography and digital image processing...
optical cements and adhesive
Optical cements and adhesives are specialized materials used in the assembly and bonding of optical components in optical...
flowmeter
A flowmeter is a device used to measure the flow rate or quantity of a fluid passing through a particular point in a system....
polarization photometer
A photometer having a pair of Nicol prisms introduced into the beam from the brighter of two sources to be compared. Turning...
optical clock
An optical clock is a highly precise and advanced timekeeping device that relies on the oscillations of electromagnetic...
pumping band
A group of energy levels to which ions in the ground state are initially excited when pumping radiation is applied to a...
flame spectrophotometry
The study of the reflection or transmission properties of specimens as a function of wavelength after they have been excited...
step-and-repeat camera
A type of camera that has scales or other arrangements by which successive exposures can be lined up and equally spaced on a...
spectral domain optical coherence tomography
Spectral domain optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in...
videography
Videography refers to the process of capturing moving images and recording them in a digital format. It involves the use of...
automated optical inspection
Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a technology used in manufacturing processes, particularly in electronics, to...
nanoparticle
A small object that behaves as a whole unit or entity in terms of it's transport and it's properties, as opposed to an...
optical table
An optical table, also known as an optical bench or an optical breadboard, is a specialized platform used in optics...
thick-phase material
A type of recording material, usually a photodielectric polymer, offering in situ development mechanisms because of its...
photofabrication
The use of photoetching techniques to produce small tools, parts and dies from sheet metal.
hybrid cooler
A cryogenic cooler device that is an intermittent Joule-Thomson refrigerator with a passive radiator serving as the...
laser diode module
A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...
plasmon ion-assisted deposition
Plasmon ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) is a technique used in thin-film deposition processes, particularly in the production...
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin...
in vitro
In vitro is a Latin term that translates to "in glass." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and medicine, it...
optical switching
Optical switching refers to the process of controlling the routing or transmission of optical signals within a network using...
long-wave infrared
Long-wave infrared (LWIR) refers to a specific range of the infrared spectrum. Infrared radiation is divided into three main...
Paschen series
An array of lines in the infrared region of the emission spectrum of atomic hydrogen. Their wave numbers are expressed by...
mixing
Combining light beams, usually of unlike frequencies, to form a single beam with a frequency that is equal to the frequency...
whole slide imaging
Whole slide imaging (WSI), also known as virtual slide microscopy or digital pathology, is a technology that involves the...
swept source optical coherence tomography
Swept-source optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in...
neural network
A computing paradigm that attempts to process information in a manner similar to that of the brain; it differs from...
zones
1. In a polished surface, concentric waves that appear as zones in Newton's rings when a test glass is applied. 2. An...
flow chemistry
Flow chemistry, also known as continuous-flow chemistry, is a chemical manufacturing process where reactions take place in a...
epitaxial equipment
Epitaxial equipment refers to a set of specialized tools and systems used in the process of epitaxy, which is the growth of...
photoemissive detector
An electronic tube instrument in which the anode current varies with the intensity of light incident on the cathode.
optical analysis
The mathematical evaluation of an optical system to determine and quantify its basic optical properties and image quality...
charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a type of electronic image sensor used in various imaging devices, including digital...
Lorentz oscillator model
The Lorentz oscillator model is a theoretical model used in physics to describe the response of a charged particle (such as...
radiometallography
The analysis, by x-rays, of the crystalline structure and other properties of metals and alloys.
topology
Topology is a branch of mathematics that focuses on the properties of space that are preserved under continuous...
single-molecule FRET
Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a specialized technique in biophysics and molecular...
electric vector
The electric field associated with an electromagnetic wave and thus with a lightwave. The electric vector specifies the...
computer-output microfilm system
A camera system capable of producing microfilm copies of computerized data presented on a screen.
rotating hologram
A disc composed of a series of holographic optical elements that diffract light at various angles. When spinning, a raster...
reagent
A reagent is a substance or compound that is used in a chemical reaction to bring about a specific transformation or to...
infrared light source
An infrared light source is a device that emits light in the infrared spectrum, which lies beyond the visible spectrum of...
electron cyclotron maser
A maser that relies on the fact that electrons in orbital motion in high-magnetic fields will emit energy at the cyclotron...
plane holographic grating
The generation of a grating on a flat surface by means of a series of interference fringes formed by a holographic process....
time domain
The time domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to describe signals in terms of their behavior over...
PP junction
A transition boundary between two regions having different properties in a P-type semiconducting material.
cosmic expansion
The ongoing expansion of the universe based on observations of the recession of distant galaxies from each other as...
laser surgery
Laser surgery refers to a medical procedure in which a laser, or focused beam of light, is used as a precision tool to cut,...
equidensitometry
1. The use of an electronic microdensitometer to measure points of equal density on a photographic deposit. 2. A technique...
laser active elements
Laser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...
eye-safe laser operation
Wavelengths between 400 and 1400 nm (VIS to NIR) are focused onto the retina by the cornea. Because the retina is sensitive...
liquid marble
Liquid marble refers to a unique form of microscale liquid encapsulation, where small droplets of liquid are coated with a...
machine vision
Machine vision, also known as computer vision or computer sight, refers to the technology that enables machines, typically...
radial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the index varies in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis....
photoelectric colorimeter
A system having a photoelectric detector for the measurement of three quantities related by linear combination to...
immunohistochemistry
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a method for detecting antigens or haptens in cells of a tissue section by using labeled...
Nernst glower
A Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater...
tip-enhanced Raman scattering
Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a powerful technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhanced spatial...
photonic crystal surface-emitting laser
PCSEL stands for "photonic crystal surface-emitting laser." It refers to a type of laser diode that emits light from its...
critical angle
The least angle of incidence at which total internal reflection takes place. The angle of incidence in a denser medium, at...
apodization
The use of a variable transmission filter at the aperture stop of a lens to modify its diffraction pattern. Reduced...
laser rangefinder
A laser rangefinder is a device that uses laser technology to measure the distance between the device and a target. It...
chemical actinometer
A light-sensitive detector having a chemical compound that reacts when exposed to light. It is used in photochemistry and...
computer vision
Computer vision enables computers to interpret and make decisions based on visual data, such as images and videos. It...
lens molding
The production of rough glass lens blanks that are pressed while red-hot to the approximate size and shape of the finished...
inverse square law
The law stating that the illuminance (or irradiance) from a point source varies as the inverse square of the distance...
coherent fiber bundle
A coherent fiber bundle (CFB), also known as a coherent fiber optic bundle, is an assembly of multiple optical fibers...
comb filter
A filter that passes a series of wavelength regions that are at equal distances from one another, such that its output...
temporal Fourier hologram
A technique used to suppress extreme noise amplification during digital image reconstruction that relies on smoothing and...
extrinsic detector
A photodetector composed of a semiconductor material whose responsive properties can be altered by the addition of...
homogeneous x-rays
X-rays of one frequency or a narrow band of frequencies.
dichroic mirror
A dichroic mirror, also known as a dichroic beamsplitter or interference filter beamsplitter, is an optical device that...
flexible display
A flexible display refers to a type of electronic visual display that is designed to be bendable, foldable, or rollable,...
Munsell color system
Founded by professor Albert Munsell. In the field of colorimetry, the Munsell color system is a color space that identifies...
Pockels
In optics, the Pockels effect refers to the phenomenon where the refractive index of a material changes in response to an...
astronomical mirror
An astronomical mirror, also known as a telescope mirror or primary mirror, is a key component of a reflecting telescope. It...
CMOS image sensor
A CMOS image sensor, short for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor, is a type of semiconductor device used...
spectral power distribution
The relative power emitted by a source as a function of wavelength. It determines the color-rendering properties of the...
laser absorption spectroscopy
An experimental research technique by which absorbed or unabsorbed radiation is analyzed in order to characterize and...
ballast resistance
In a laser, the series resistance necessary for a stable electrical discharge.
speckle imaging
A technique for obtaining improved resolution of images produced by large telescopes and distorted by the effects of...
fast axis
In a birefringent material, the index of refraction varies with the direction of vibration of a lightwave. That direction...
fiber optic imaging bundle
A fiber optic imaging bundle is a specialized optical device composed of multiple optical fibers bundled together. Each...
differential interference contrast microscopy
Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, also known as Nomarski interference contrast microscopy, is an optical...
spectrophotometer
A spectrophotometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the intensity of light at various wavelengths in the...
chronophotography
The photographic recording of an action by taking a series of still pictures at regular intervals throughout the action.
quantum efficiency
Quantum efficiency (QE) is a measure of the effectiveness with which a device or system, typically in the context of...
scribing
The process of perforating a silicon or ceramic substrate with a series of tiny holes along which it will break. Nd:YAG or...
metasurfaces
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...
optically isotropic crystal
A transparent crystalline substance that displays the same optical properties (i.e. refractive index) in all directions such...
surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that enhances the Raman scattering signal of...
octave
In optics, an octave typically refers to a range of frequencies or wavelengths that spans a factor of 2. In other words,...
free-abrasive machining
The process whereby a rotating wheel carries grains of an abrasive, suspended in a vehicle, across the surface of the...
Abbe constant
A dispersion relation defined in order to value the reciprocal amount of dispersion. It is defined as the refractivity over...
micro-LED
Micro-LED (micro-light-emitting diode) refers to a technology that involves the use of very small light-emitting diodes to...
paraxial ray
A ray that behaves according to paraxial equations; one that lies close to and almost parallel to the optical axis.
positron emission tomography
A medical imaging device that uses a ring of crystal/photomultiplier tube assemblies encircling the patient to detect gamma...
photovoltaic cell
A photovoltaic cell, commonly known as a solar cell, is a semiconductor device that directly converts light energy into...
biometrics
Biometrics refers to the automated recognition of individuals based on their physiological or behavioral characteristics....
solar battery
A series of solar cells arranged to collect solar radiation and to generate a given amount of electrical energy.
diamond-turned optic
Diamond turning refers to a precision machining process used to produce complex optical components, particularly lenses and...
dithering
In image processing, modifying the dot that forms the image in order to simulate a series of gray tones.
optical correlator
A device incorporating a spatial light modulator and a reference filter; used for matching an input optical waveform or...
Bragg method of crystal analysis
A technique in which a beam of x-rays is directed against a crystal, the atoms of which, because of their lattice...
blackbody locus
With respect to a chromaticity diagram, this is the locus of points that represent the chromaticities of blackbodies...
polymer
Polymers are large molecules composed of repeating structural units called monomers. These monomers are chemically bonded...
high harmonic generation
High harmonic generation (HHG) refers to a nonlinear optical process in which intense laser light interacts with a gaseous...
acousto-optic modulators and deflectors
An acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is a device that utilizes the interaction between sound waves and light waves to modulate...
germicidal UV
Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) refers to a specific range of UV radiation that has disinfectant properties capable of killing...
positioning
Positioning generally refers to the determination or identification of the location or placement of an object, person, or...
calorimetry
Calorimetry is a branch of science that involves the measurement of heat flow in physical or chemical processes. It...
microdensitometer
The fundamental tool of microdensitometry, the microdensitometer is an instrument used for the precise measurement of...
pulse forming network
A series of capacitors and inductors connected to the flashlamp in a pumped Nd:YAG laser system in order to regulate the...
microbubble resonator
A microbubble resonator is a device used in photonics and optical physics for the precise manipulation of light waves. It...
optical Fourier transform
The optical Fourier transform is a mathematical operation applied to optical signals that involves transforming a spatial...
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...
angle of reflection
The angle formed between the normal to a surface and the reflected ray. This angle lies in a common plane with the angle of...
fused quartz and silica
Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...
nonlinear optics
Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics that studies the optical phenomena that occur when intense light interacts with a...
cold atom
Cold atoms refer to atoms that have been cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically in the microkelvin (µK) to...
light-emitting diode
An LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
gallium arsenide phosphide
Gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) is a semiconductor alloy composed of gallium (Ga), arsenic (As), and phosphorus (P). It...
hybrid focal plane array
A device where each pixel in the detector array is mated with a preamplifier on a single silicon chip, providing sensing and...
atmospheric absorption line parameters compilation
Compilation of the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories that contains values of the line parameters of the 1-0 bands of...
integration time
Integration time, in the context of optics, imaging systems, and sensor technology, refers to the duration over which a...
electrowetting display
An electrowetting display (EWD) is a type of electronic display technology that utilizes the principles of electrowetting to...
photonic crystals
Photonic crystals are artificial structures or materials designed to manipulate and control the flow of light in a manner...
ultrafast laser
An ultrafast laser is a type of laser that emits extremely short pulses of light with durations typically on the order of...
ground truth
A term variously applied to remote sensing techniques that essentially refers to all parametric conditions that influence...
basal plane
A plane in a crystal that lies parallel to the principal plane of symmetry.
nonlinear optical materials
Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and...
lens blank
A lens blank is a piece of optical material in a raw, unfinished state, typically in the form of a disk or block, from which...
volumetric imaging
Volumetric imaging refers to the capture, visualization, and analysis of three-dimensional (3D) information from a volume of...
ephemeris
A tabulation of predicted positions that have been calculated for one or more celestial bodies or orbiting satellites.
photochemical
The term photochemical pertains to chemical processes or reactions that are initiated or influenced by the absorption of...
light valve
With respect to display systems, a device that uses an independent light source and a control-layer medium, the active...
quantum sensing
Quantum sensing refers to a class of sensing technologies that leverage principles from quantum mechanics to enhance the...
interlaced
Describing the standard television method of raster scanning in which the image is the product of two fields, each of which...
molecular motor
A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
Fabry-Perot interferometer
A multiple-beam interferometer, usually consisting of two flat plates, with high reflective ability. The plates are set...
aplanatic lens system
A system that satisfies the Abbe sine condition, and is free from spherical aberration and coma.
solid-state laser
A solid-state laser is a type of laser that uses a solid gain medium (as opposed to a liquid or gas) to produce coherent...
liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...
stacked hologram
The superimposing of holographic pages in a thick, erasable storage material by changing the reference and object beams....
magneto-optics
Magneto-optics refers to the study and manipulation of the interaction between magnetic fields and light (electromagnetic...
spectrophotometry
Study of the reflection or transmission properties of specimens as a function of wavelength.
flying spot scanner
A device used to scan, with a small, intensely bright spot, portions of a picture surface and to transform the original...
network interface card
A network interface card (NIC), also known as a network adapter or LAN adapter, is a hardware component that allows...
attenuation
Attenuation refers to the gradual loss or reduction of intensity, force, or magnitude of a particular property as it...
zodiacal light
The sunlight that extends to the earth after scattering from other solar bodies, mostly from meteorite dust of radii...
dewetting
Dewetting is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where a thin film or coating spontaneously undergoes a process of...
two-photon polymerization
Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a technique used in additive manufacturing, specifically in the field of 3D printing. It...
lab-on-a-chip
A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a miniaturized device that integrates various laboratory functions and capabilities onto a single,...
fiber laser
A fiber laser is a type of laser in which the active gain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth ions such as...
contouring
Selection of specific brightness values or minimum threshold levels as contingencies for the display of digital data.
isotopically selected laser spectroscopy
A spectroscopic technique in which an excitation band absorbs laser energy resulting in an electronic transition. The...
lens transmission
The ratio of the intensities of a light bundle before and after passing through the lens.
microRNA
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, single-stranded RNA molecules, typically consisting of about 19 to 24 nucleotides,...
permanent magnetic focusing
The focusing of an electron beam by a magnetic field that permanently retains the majority of its magnetic properties.
optical link
Any optical transmission channel used in telecommunications designed to connect two end terminals or to be connected in...
Prandtl number
Ratio of the molecular diffusion coefficients of momentum in terms of heat; used in convection studies.
venetian-blind effect
Short-distance scattering of light in holography caused by random index inhomogeneities and the developing index that...
isoperibol enclosure
An enclosure for a calorimeter that allows measurement of unusually low quantities of power and energy.
Cornu double prism
A compound prism formed by cementing together two 30° prisms, one of right-handed and one of left-handed quartz. It has...
reflectance confocal microscopy
Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive imaging technique that allows for high-resolution, in vivo imaging...
spatial frequency
With a repetitive object such as a series of equispaced lines, the reciprocal of the line spacing in object or image,...
spatial resolution
Spatial resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in an image or a spatial dataset. It is a measure of the...
ultrasonic
Ultrasonic refers to sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing, typically above...
induction linear accelerator
A device used to accelerate the electrons in a free-electron laser by supplying electrical energy to the electron beam...
metalens
A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...
photonic integrated circuit
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a compact and integrated device that incorporates multiple photonic components and...
sapphire
Sapphire can refer to either a gemstone or a specific type of crystalline material commonly used in various industrial...
harmonic generation
Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
photoconductive antenna
Photoconductive antenna (PCA) is a semiconductor element that generates or detects high-frequency electromagnetic signals....
Rowland ghosts
In spectroscopy, the false images arranged symmetrically on both sides of the true line and caused by irregularities in the...
direct laser interference patterning
Also called DLIP, a high-speed, high-resolution processing technique that uses high-power, pulsed laser systems to directly...
perovskite
The term perovskite refers to a specific crystal structure commonly found in various materials. Perovskite structures have a...
cascade amplification
In a series of amplifiers, amplification by each of the preceding output.
optical parametric oscillator
A laser-pumped crystal with nonlinear optical properties inside of an optical resonator in which the output generates...
electron micrograph
The photographic recording of images produced by the electrons from an electron microscope. The electron beam carries the...
internet of things
The internet of things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other objects...
oleophobic
Oleophobic is a term used to describe substances or materials that repel or resist oils. The word oleophobic comes from the...
anisotropy
Anisotropy refers to the property of exhibiting different values or characteristics when measured in different directions....
band-to-band photoluminescence
The emission of a photon by the return of an excited carrier from the conduction band to the valence band of a semiconductor...
Er:YAG laser
An Er:YAG laser is a type of solid-state laser that uses a crystal made of erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet...
cathode-ray graphic display
A cathode-ray tube, driven by a computer, that receives impulses of information from the computer and displays it in a...
Canada balsam
A resin obtained from the balsam fir, Abies balsamea, used as a lens cement.
immunofluorescence
The technique that uses light to detect and analyze the antibodies produced by a specimen stained with an organic dye.
photographic photometry
A form of photometric measurement, often used with light sources that are transparent or fluctuating, in which a...
gamma correction
Modification of a system to provide for a linear transfer characteristic from an input to an output device. A circuit for...
freeform optics
Freeform optics refers to the design and fabrication of optical surfaces that do not follow traditional symmetric shapes,...
complementary wavelength
Also called complementary dominant wavelength. On a chromaticity diagram, the wavelength on the spectrum locus that lies on...
blaze height
Blaze height typically refers to a parameter in the context of diffraction gratings, which are optical devices consisting of...
reactive evaporation
Reactive evaporation refers to a process in thin-film deposition where a material is deposited onto a substrate through...
piezoelectric crystal
A crystal consisting of a substance that has the ability to become electrically polarized and has strong piezoelectric...
frame rate
Frame rate refers to the frequency at which consecutive images, or frames, are displayed in a video sequence. It is...
atomic absorption spectrometer
An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical...
Hall effect
The development of a transverse electric field in a solid material when it carries an electric current and is placed in a...
anamorphic distortion
A type of distortion in which the magnification varies in different orientations, the directions of maximum and minimum...
concave
Concave is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves inward or has a hollow or recessed appearance. In...
delay distortion
The distortion created because the different frequencies of a signal have different propagation velocities through a medium.
visual binaries
A pair of stars (double star) that can be seen separately with a telescope, generally by setting a filar micrometer for the...
radiometry
Ratiometry is a technique used in various scientific fields, particularly in analytical chemistry and biochemistry, to...
atmospheric turbulence
Irregularities and disturbances in the atmosphere that are of particular interest because they induce random temporal and...
reflection grating
A reflection grating is an optical component that consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel reflecting surfaces or...
hero experiments
Laboratory experiments that focus on demonstrating new capabilities of a certain technology or device, usually without...
Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering is a phenomenon in physics where an incident electromagnetic wave (usually light) interacts with...
evaporation coating
Coating carried out in a sealed chamber evacuated by a mechanical pump in series with an oil diffusion pump to a pressure...
videodisc
A disc whose surface contains recorded digital data at high-packing densities arranged in concentric rings. The data,...
radio-frequency linear accelerator
A device used to accelerate the electrons in a free-electron laser by channeling microwave energy into waveguide cavity...
ultraviolet reflectance
Ultraviolet reflectance refers to the ability of a material or surface to reflect UV light. Ultraviolet light is...
azimuth angle
1. In astronomy, the angle measured clockwise (eastward) in a horizontal plane, usually from north (true north, Y-north,...
diffusion pump
A vacuum pump in which heated oil or another substance is forced through jets as a vapor that collides with gas molecules...
total internal reflection fluorescence
Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is an advanced fluorescence microscopy technique that leverages the...
modulation
In general, changes in one oscillation signal caused by another, such as amplitude or frequency modulation in radio which...
holographic microscopy
The holographic recording of a microscopic specimen whereby magnification is achieved by alteration in a wavelength or...
laser drift
Laser drift typically refers to a phenomenon where the frequency or wavelength of a laser source gradually changes over...
waveguide
A waveguide is a physical structure or device that is designed to confine and guide electromagnetic waves, such as radio...
laser optics
Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...
mutual coherent function
A function that quantifies the performance degradation of coherent communications systems, imaging systems and all systems...
visual test chart
A series of high contrast block letters or similar objects arranged to permit the evaluation of eyesight in humans.
kinematics
That portion of physics concerned with motion in the abstract, such as of points or space figures, and separated from its...
infrared lens
An infrared lens is an optical component specifically designed and optimized for transmitting, focusing, or manipulating...
gradient-index profile
The term gradient-index profile refers to a specific type of refractive index distribution within an optical material. In...
selenium cell
A photoconductive cell consisting of a layer of selenium on a substrate whose electrical resistance varies with the...
atmospheric optics
The analysis of the properties of radiation, such as light, when acted upon by variations in the atmosphere. Blue and red...
dual laser
A gas laser equipped with Brewster windows and concave mirrors (having unlike reflective properties) at each end of the tube...
birefringence
Birefringence is an optical property of certain materials that causes them to exhibit different refractive indices for light...
receiver primaries
Also known as display primaries. Colors formed by a television receiver that are of constant chromaticity and variable...
curvilinear distortion
A lens aberration in which the focal length varies radially outward from the center of the field. It has the effect of...
microchannel spatial light modulator
A device to modulate spatially a collimated coherent beam of light with input data in optical data processing. It uses a...
acousto-optic modulator
A device that varies the amplitude and phase of a light beam; e.g., from a laser or by sound waves. Also known as a Bragg...
Kerr soliton
A Kerr soliton refers to a specific type of soliton, a self-reinforcing wave packet, that arises in nonlinear optical...
instantaneous field of view
Instantaneous field of view (iFOV) is a term commonly used in the context of remote sensing, imaging systems, and optical...
pulse code modulation
System of information coding in which the signal is sampled 8000 times per second and the samples quantized by referring...
virtual histology
Virtual histology refers to the use of digital technology and computational methods to simulate or recreate histological...
microchannel plate
A microchannel plate (MCP) is a specialized electron multiplier device used in various applications such as particle...
rolling shutter artifacts
Rolling shutter artifacts are distortions or visual anomalies that can occur in images or videos captured by cameras with...
epitaxial
Epitaxial refers to the growth of a crystalline layer on a crystalline substrate in such a way that the orientation of the...
coelostat
A plane mirror mounted on a polar axis that lies parallel to the plane of the mirror. When the mirror is rotated once in 48...
comparator
1. An eyepiece or magnifier with a scale at its image plane. That scale is placed in contact with an object, permitting...
parallel transmission
A mode of data transmission whereby bits of information are carried simultaneously at different frequencies over a single...
crush
A surface scratch or series of scratches formed by mishandling.
polygon mirror
A rotating component with a series of flat reflective surfaces around the perimeter that is used in scanning systems to...
lead zirconate titanate
A ferroelectric polycrystalline ceramic material used in optical memories for computers and as a piezoelectric transducer.
Bose-Einstein condensate
A Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that forms at temperatures close to absolute zero. It is named after...
television bandwidth
The span of frequencies within which a single channel of broadcast television must fall; in the US, it is 6 MHz.
Matrix optics
The linear relationship between input and output optical fields for a given optical system or application that allows the...
hyperchromic shift
Hyperchromic shift refers to an increase in the absorption of light, leading to a higher absorbance, often observed in...
masks for evaporation/deposition
In the context of thin film deposition processes such as evaporation or sputtering, masks are used to selectively deposit...
optical staining
With respect to microscopy, also called dispersive staining, optical staining the projection of colors through areas of a...
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
optical filter
An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...
Newton's rings
The series of rings or bands formed when light beams reflected from two polished, adjacent surfaces, placed together with a...
diurnal aberration
Atmospheric aberration caused by the Earth's rotation; the degree varies from 0 at the poles to a maximum of 0.31 s of arc...
RTSP protocol
RTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is...
orange peel
In the context of imaging, particularly digital imaging and printing, "orange peel" refers to a texture or visual distortion...
etalon
An etalon is an optical device that consists of two parallel reflecting surfaces separated by a precise and known distance....
laser-light-scattering photometer
A scattering photometer using scattered light in the solid angle 4.51+0 19° with respect to the forward direction, and...
mode
1. The characteristic of how light propagates through a waveguide that can be designated by a radiation pattern in a plane...
pulsed laser
A laser that emits energy in a series of short bursts or pulses and that remains inactive between each burst or pulse. The...
optical bistability
The phenomenon that can render an optical resonator the equivalent of a semiconductor flip-flop. A bistable device will...
light quantum
The individual coherent series of lightwaves that defines a quantum of radiant energy. Light quantum is equal to hv, h being...
anisotropic
Anisotropic is a term used to describe a material or substance that exhibits different properties or behaviors in different...
micro-robotics
Micro-robotics refers to the field of robotics that involves the design, development, and application of miniature robotic...
ellipsometry
Ellipsometry is an optical technique used to characterize the properties of thin films and surfaces. It is based on the...
second-harmonic generation
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine...
microdisplay
A microdisplay is a miniature electronic display technology that is designed to project visual information onto a small...
quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
photometer
A device used to compare the luminous intensities of two sources by comparing the illuminance they produce.
GaAlAs laser
A GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic...
freeform mirrors
Freeform mirrors refer to reflective optical components that deviate from traditional symmetric or rotationally symmetric...
stellar photometry
The utilization of photometric measurement to determine the relative magnitudes of the heavenly bodies.
GRIN lens
A GRIN (gradient index) lens is a type of optical lens that utilizes a gradient in refractive index across its volume rather...
structural color
Structural color refers to coloration in materials that is not caused by pigments or dyes but is instead a result of the...
particle acceleration
Particle acceleration refers to the process by which charged particles, such as electrons or protons, gain kinetic energy...
bionics
The application of observed operational processes of sophisticated living organisms to mechanical and electrical systems in...
spectroradiometer
A spectroradiometer is a device used to measure the intensity of light at different wavelengths across the electromagnetic...
erythema
Localized redness of skin due to congestion of capillaries; a common result of overexposure to laser radiation.
brightfield
Brightfield refers to a type of microscopy and imaging technique in which the specimen is illuminated with a white light...
transversely excited atmosphere carbon dioxide laser
Abbreviated TEA CO2 laser. A gas laser that provides shorter pulses and higher peak powers than conventional CO2 lasers. The...
optical coherence tomography
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used in medical and scientific fields to capture...
phase angle
1. The angle between two vectors that represent two simple periodic quantities that vary sinusoidally and that have the same...
optical memory
1. The direct storage of data as bits in memory using optical systems and properties. The memory makes use of a laser beam...
diffraction efficiency
Diffraction efficiency is a measure of how effectively a diffractive optical element (DOE) or diffraction grating directs...
nodal testing
The measurement of first- and higher order properties of a lens and its formed image, including effective focal length, back...
astrometry
The analysis and measurement of celestial bodies, their motions and positions.
x-ray detection
The collection and detection of x-rays by virtue of their ionizing properties. The ionization may be perceived directly by a...
ultraviolet fiber optics
Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
Eberhard effect
Observed phenomenon of a small developed image with higher density than a larger image because of variation in photographic...
phase contrast microscopy
Phase contrast microscopy is an optical microscopy technique that enhances the contrast of transparent and colorless...
resonance ionization spectroscopy
A type of ultrasensitive laser spectroscopy that can detect quantities as small as a single atom of some substances and that...
dark-field microscopy
A technique whereby the sample is illuminated by a hollow cone of light larger than the acceptance angle of the objective,...
near-infrared camera
A near-infrared (NIR) camera is an imaging device designed to capture images in the near-infrared region of the...
bench photometer
A device used to compare the luminous intensities of two sources by locating a point between the two light sources where the...
quantum confinement
Quantum confinement refers to the phenomenon in quantum mechanics where the motion of charge carriers, such as electrons or...
mensuration
The process or act of measuring the geometric properties of an object or image.
astronomical camera
A camera designed to record astronomical objects (e.g., stars, planets, nebulae, galaxies) and their spectra.
photodynamic inactivation
Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a therapeutic approach that utilizes the combination of light, a photosensitizer, and...
parallel scanning
Parallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather...
Golay cell
A thermal radiation detector consisting of a small cell with a blackened plastic front face that bulges slightly when heat...
wafer
In the context of electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, a wafer refers to a thin, flat disk or substrate made of a...
synchrotron
A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses magnetic fields to steer charged particles, typically electrons or...
optical glass
Optical glass refers to a type of glass specifically engineered and manufactured for use in optical components and systems,...
chromaticity coordinates
Proportions of standard primaries (tristimulus values) required for a color match; ratios of each tristimulus value of a...
destructive interference
The interaction of superimposed light from two separate sources that results in a combined intensity that is less than the...
dispersing prism
A prism or series of prisms used to disperse a beam of radiant energy of mixed wavelengths into its spectral components.
image definition area
In computer graphics, the coordinated two-dimensional or three-dimensional area of increased resolution where graphics...
frequency shift keying
In digital data transmission, the separation of the two binary states into output at two frequencies.
resonance
Resonance can be defined in various contexts, including physics, chemistry, and music. Here are definitions for resonance in...
Planckian locus
Locus of points on a chromaticity diagram that includes the chromaticities of blackbody radiators.
trochoidal mass spectrometer
A magnetic-deflection mass spectrometer that has an electrostatic field placed perpendicularly to its magnetic field,...
optical delay camera
A type of high-speed cine camera that uses different image paths and a Kerr cell to produce a series of successive images at...
material scattering
The total scattering attributable to the intrinsic properties of the materials through which an optical wave is propagating.
quasi-linear theory
The first nonlinear theory in plasma physics that details the time and space evolution of plasma wave instability from a...
gain-guided laser
A laser diode in which the beam is confined to the region of the active layer with gain high enough to accomplish such...
optoacoustic
Optoacoustic, or photoacoustic, refers to a phenomenon and related techniques that involve the generation of acoustic waves...
relative detector response
A plot showing how the response (ability to detect a signal) varies with wavelength. D(l).
mask
1. A framelike structure that serves to restrict the viewing area of the screen when placed before a television picture...
Bohr's frequency relation
The law given by the formula: that is, the frequency of radiation emitted or absorbed by a system when E2 and E1...
reflective
The term reflective is an adjective that describes the ability of a surface or material to reflect light or other forms of...
heterogeneous
Property of a substance whose volume elements differ in composition and optical properties.
Camera Link HS
Camera Link HS (high speed) is a standard developed for high-speed digital data transmission in machine vision and...
Dammann grating
A Dammann grating is a type of diffractive optical element (DOE) used to create an array of equally spaced,...
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...
decision-tree classification
A structural method of optical character recognition, used where the input media are variable, as in hand-written or...
flat-field frame
A frame taken with a CCD camera of a surface that is evenly illuminated by diffuse light. This frame shows irregularities in...
opening
In morphological image processing, a series of erosions followed by the same number of dilations.
nanotechnology
The use of atoms, molecules and molecular-scale structures to enhance existing technology and develop new materials and...
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a laboratory technique used to detect and measure the presence of specific...
nematic phase
A form of liquid crystal with an appearance of moving, threadlike structures, particularly visible when observed in thick...
Monte Carlo simulation
Simulation of radiative transfer in which each photon is generated by a source and its path through the medium is...
data cube
A multidimensional array of values that is commonly used in programming to describe a time series of image data. Each...
Bjerrum screen
In ophthalmic practice, an instrument that determines the boundaries of the field of view. It is composed of a 2-m square of...
optical assembly
An optical assembly refers to a collection of optical components that are carefully arranged and aligned to perform a...
detector-Dewar assembly
A detector-Dewar assembly typically refers to a combination of a detector and a Dewar flask used in scientific instruments,...
halogen
Any of the five elements astatine, chlorine, fluorine, bromine and iodine, grouped because their chemical properties are...
light-powered telephone
Technology that relies on a highly efficient photodetector that can detect incoming light signals at one frequency and...
subtractive color process
The basic process of color photography whereby colors are subtracted from white light by means of filters, making all colors...
CMOS camera
A CMOS camera refers to an imaging device that employs a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor to...
surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique that combines the principles of Raman spectroscopy...
molded lens
A molded lens is an optical lens manufactured using a molding process, typically involving the shaping of a material, such...
GaN distributed feedback lasers
GaN (Gallium Nitride) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers refer to a specific type of semiconductor laser based on Gallium...
threshold test
In laser damage testing, the exposure of many sites of a sample to different intensities of laser irradiation to discover...
beam profiling
Beam profiling is a technique used to characterize and analyze the spatial intensity distribution of a laser beam. It...
movement parallax threshold
The unequal angular velocities of two objects moving at equal speeds but at different distances from the observer, which are...
electron multiplication charge-coupled device camera
An EMCCD (electron-multiplying charge-coupled device) camera is a type of scientific camera specifically designed for...
Lyot filter
A type of filter consisting of a series of birefringent crystals and polarizers invented by French astronomer Bernard Lyot...
equidensities
1. A contour map of a photographic deposit consisting of lines and curves that join points of equal density. 2. The...
tissue optics
The study of the optical properties of living tissue. Increased understanding of the behavior of light in this varied,...
linear optics
Linear optics refers to the study and manipulation of light in a linear and deterministic manner, where the response of...
MSM photodiode
A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode is a type of photodetector that consists of metal electrodes on a semiconductor...
multilayer coating
A coating made up of many layers of material having alternating high and low refractive index. In this way, it is possible...
backscatter
Backscatter refers to the phenomenon in which radiation or waves are scattered backward, opposite to the direction of the...
optical manufacturing tools and machinery
Optical manufacturing tools and machinery encompass a wide range of equipment, instruments, and systems used in the...
absorption coefficient, absorption cross section
The transition cross section constant coefficient which defines the transition probability of absorption from ground to a...
laser photochemistry
The study concerned with the stimulation of chemical activity by laser light as a result of the absorption of photons by a...
optical character recognition
Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that is used to convert printed or handwritten text into...
phase matching
Phase matching is a crucial concept in the field of optics, particularly in nonlinear optics and the generation of coherent...
Liebmann effect
The visual perception of contrasting forms is more difficult if the forms have the same luminance but different...
diffraction grating
A diffraction grating is an optical component consisting of a surface with a periodic structure of equally spaced, parallel...
multiple slits
The series of equally spaced parallel slits that make up a scanning aperture in place of a single slit, in the scanning of a...
CoaXPress
CoaXPress (CoaXPress or CXP) is a standardized digital interface and communication protocol used primarily in machine vision...
line spectrum
A spectrum formed by radiation whose energy values of the property being measured cluster about at least one discrete value,...
fluorochrome
The combination of the organic dye in a stained specimen and the antibodies produced that is detected by exposure to light.
optical power spectrum
Also known as the Wiener spectrum or the noise power spectrum, the optical power spectrum is a fundamental quantity in...
heat treating
The process of subjecting glass to temperature cycling to produce physico-chemical reactions that alter its properties....
homogeneous
That property of a substance that determines that all components of volume are the same in composition and optical...
indium gallium arsenide camera
An InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide) camera is a type of imaging device that utilizes InGaAs sensors to capture images in the...
polychromatic acousto-optic modulator
A crystal-based device that combines and adjusts the intensities of multiple wavelengths of laser light in order to obtain...
step tablets
In sensitometric testing, a series of areas progressing by equal density steps (usually the increments between steps are...
laser probe
Coherent source used for analysis of excited state species.
atomic clock
An atomic clock is a highly precise timekeeping device that uses the vibrations or oscillations of atoms as a reference for...
actinide
Any of a series of radioactive elements with atomic numbers ranging from 89 to 103.
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment or experience that can be...
terahertz radiation
Electromagnetic radiation with frequencies between 300 GHz and 10 THz, and existing between regions of the electromagnetic...
optical design and engineering services
Optical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and...
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...
lateral shearing interferometer
A lateral shearing interferometer is an optical device used in interferometry to measure phase differences between two beams...
spectroscopic binaries
Two stars so close together that they cannot be resolved by telescopes. They are proved to be double stars by the doubling...
surface quality standards
The standards of MIL-O-13830 set by the US government relative to tolerable surface scratches and other such defects in an...
heterochromatic photometry
Light measurement by comparison of the luminances of unlike chromaticities.
vacuum phototube
A phototube that functions within a vacuum and thus eliminates the effects of gaseous ionization on its electrical...
crystal spectrograph
A system that applies a crystal as a diffracting agent to photograph the spectrum.
optical fiber optic switches
Optical fiber optic switches are devices used in optical fiber communication systems to selectively route optical signals...
substrate
A substrate refers to a material or surface upon which another material or process is applied or deposited. In various...
Z-scan
A technique for determining the nonlinear optical properties of a sample material by moving the sample through a focused...
ghost
1. A faint second image caused by reflection that is sometimes seen when observing through an optical instrument. 2. With...
laser cavity
A laser cavity, also known as an optical cavity or resonator, is a fundamental component of a laser system. It is a confined...
label-free
Label-free refers to a technique or method that does not require the use of additional labels, tags, or markers to detect or...
topological photonics
Topological photonics is a branch of physics and optics that explores the application of topological concepts to the...
custom lapping and polishing services
Custom lapping and polishing services involve specialized processes used to improve the surface finish and dimensional...
Van der Waals
Van der Waals forces refer to the attractive or repulsive forces between molecules (or parts of molecules) that arise from...
ferroelectric materials
Ferroelectric materials are a type of dielectric materials that exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, meaning they...
aptamer
An aptamer is a short, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecule that can bind to a specific target molecule with high affinity...
digital camera
A digital camera is a device that captures and records still images or video in digital format. Unlike traditional film...
holographic camera
A holographic camera, also known as a holographic imaging system or holographic recorder, is a specialized device used to...
design and engineering consulting services
Design and engineering consulting services refer to professional services provided by specialized firms or individuals to...
annealing
The process of heating and slowly cooling a solid material, like glass or metal, to stabilize its thermal, electrical or...
heterodyne
The interaction between two oscillations of unlike frequencies that forms other oscillations, specifically those with a...
relative index
The ratio of the velocities of light in two adjacent media, neither of which is air.
quantum
The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the...
laser annealing
Laser annealing is a process that involves using a laser beam to heat and modify the microstructure of a material, typically...
emission spectroscopy
A study of the energies and wavelengths of radiation emitted by atoms and molecules when particular physical conditions are...
spectral flow cytometry
Spectral flow cytometry is an advanced flow cytometry technique that expands the capabilities of traditional flow cytometry...
custom optic
A custom optic refers to an optical component that is designed, manufactured, and tailored to meet specific requirements or...
hyperspectral imaging camera
A hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide...
InGaAs photodiode
An InGaAs photodiode refers to a photodetector device that is constructed using a semiconductor material composed of a...
metaverse
The term "metaverse" refers to a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical...
sine wave target
Bar pattern represented as a sine curve in which the light distribution varies in one direction.
resolution
1. In optics, the ability of a lens system to reproduce the points, lines and surfaces in an object as separate entities in...
phase distrortion
Phase distortion refers to a change in the phase relationships between different frequency components of a signal. In the...
infrared absorption
Infrared radiation absorbed by crystals as a result of the excitation of lattice vibrations in which ions having opposite...
spectral series
A classification of particular regularities that occur in the spectra of many atoms.
frame
1. To center an image or place it in any part of the television screen desired. Also applies to stills. 2. A single image of...
fiber optic gyroscope
A fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) is a type of gyroscope that uses the interference of light waves to detect changes in...
unpolarized
Behaving as though characterized by a series of waves having planes of vibration oriented at all possible azimuths.
transport theory approximations
Multiple scattering method used in biological analysis in which approximations yield simple, explicit solutions, at least...
nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy
Nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy is a microscopy technique that combines the principles of photonic...
ultraprecision cathode-ray tube display
A highly accurate cathode-ray tube used to display information with the utmost efficient stability and resolution. The...
cascade method
A heterochromatic photometric process using successive comparison of similar chromaticities and the calculation of relative...
laser-triggered switching
A process by which the ionizing capabilities of a laser beam are used to break initiate conduction between pairs of...
fiber optic transceiver
A fiber optic transceiver, often simply referred to as an "optical transceiver," is a device used in fiber optic...
electromagnetic radiation
Radiation emitted from vibrating charged particles. A combination of oscillating electrical and magnetic fields that...
deuterated triglycine sulfate
A type of pyroelectric detector with favorable qualities of linearity, sensitivity and spectral responsivity used in FTIR...
electron-beam lithography system
An electron-beam lithography (EBL) system is a sophisticated nanofabrication tool used in the semiconductor industry and...
multi-axis alignment
Multi-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...
inverse problem
Any problem that requires retrieval of the distribution of some internal properties, such as temperature concentration,...
third-order theory
Calculations of lens aberrations whereby the first two terms of the series expansion are the only ones employed....
photobleaching
Photobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently...
neuromorphic
Neuromorphic refers to the design and development of computing systems or devices that are inspired by the structure and...
dopant
The impurity added to a substance to produce desired properties in the substance.
slide projection lens
A lens designed for projection of color transparencies.
in vivo
In vivo is a Latin term that translates to "within the living." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and...
graphene
Graphene is a two-dimensional allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal...
antigen
An antigen is any substance that is capable of triggering an immune response in an organism. Antigens are typically proteins...
blink comparator
An optical system that rapidly alternates two similar pictures or scenes to permit the detection of small dissimilarities...
intrinsic detector
A photodetector composed of a photoconductive material that, when exposed to radiation, conducts without the aid of added...
calcium indicator
A calcium indicator is a molecule that is sensitive to changes in calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations in biological systems....
chronophotograph
The continuous record containing the series of pictures formed by chronophotographic methods.
objective grating
A coarse diffraction grating that is used to form a scale of intensities to determine the relative magnitudes of stars. The...
radiant power
The time rate of flow of radiant energy, expressed in watts (W), and carries the units of Joule per second (J/s). The prefix...
time-lapse optical coherence tomography
Time-lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) refers to a medical imaging technique that captures a series of sequential OCT...
diffraction angle
The angle that lies between the direction of an incident light beam and any resulting diffracted beam.
grinding and polishing machinery
Machinery used to grind and finish a component, such as a lens or prism, to a desired precision. Usually such machines carry...
electric quadrupole lens
A device that uses four electrodes set in an alternating positive-negative polarity series to focus the beams of charged...
rare earth dopants
Rare earth dopants refer to elements from the lanthanide series, also known as rare earth elements, that are intentionally...
neuromorphic vision sensor
A neuromorphic vision sensor is a type of imaging device designed to mimic the structure and functioning of the human visual...
optical coherence tomography imaging system
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics and biomedical research to obtain...
metropolitan area network
A cable backbone used to interconnect local area networks at various sites (corporate offices and factories, for example) in...
filter
1. With respect to radiation, a device used to attenuate particular wavelengths or frequencies while passing others with...
parabolic profile
The condition in which the index of refraction in an optical fiber varies as a parabolic function of the radius.
inertial fusion energy
Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from...
Gram positive
Gram-positive bacteria are a group of bacteria that have a thick cell wall composed primarily of a substance called...
photonic cavity
A photonic cavity, also known as an optical cavity, is a structure that confines electromagnetic radiation within a certain...
impurity level
In the context of optical materials, the term "impurity level" refers to the presence of foreign atoms or molecules within...
meridional ray
A ray that lies in the meridional plane; a ray that lies in the plane that contains the optical axis. A tangential ray.
quantum well
A quantum well is a structure in quantum mechanics that confines particles, such as electrons or holes, in one spatial...
closing
In morphological image processing, a series of dilations followed by the same number of erosions.
nanophotonics
Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...
modulation transfer function analysis/measurement equipment
MTF analysis/measurement equipment refers to instruments and tools used to measure and analyze the modulation transfer...
unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard. UAVs are remotely...
quiescent period
The time interval of no activity occurring between each pulse during transmission.
lens testing equipment
Lens testing equipment refers to a range of specialized tools and instruments used to evaluate the optical performance,...
optical coatings
Optical coatings are thin layers of materials applied to optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, filters, and prisms,...
machine vision lighting
Machine vision lighting refers to the use of specific lighting techniques and equipment in the field of machine vision,...
hackle
A defect in the cleaved end face of an optical fiber, defined as multiple surface irregularities across the fiber surface. A...
astronomy
The scientific observation of celestial radiation that has reached the vicinity of Earth, and the interpretation of these...
Doppler broadening
The spreading of potentially equal radiation frequencies that results in broadening of the spectral line. This effect is...
Luneburg lens
A dielectric sphere with an index of refraction that varies with distance from the sphere center. A parallel beam of rays is...
heat sink
A series of flanges or other conducting surfaces, usually metal, attached to an electronic device to transmit and dissipate...
quantum dots
A quantum dot is a nanoscale semiconductor structure, typically composed of materials like cadmium selenide or indium...
three-filter densities
Integral densities that are measured relative to arbitrarily selected red, green and blue filters.
image dissector tube
An electron tube that is used as a camera tube for a television system. When the picture to be transmitted is focused on a...
laser marking
Laser marking is a process in which a laser beam is used to mark or engrave a surface by altering its properties or...
spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is a technique used in the study of interactions between matter and electromagnetic radiation. It involves...
phototoxicity
Phototoxicity refers to the harmful effects caused by exposure to light, particularly intense or ultraviolet (UV) light, on...
laser sintering
Laser sintering is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that involves using a laser to selectively fuse...
lateral vision
The perception of visual stimuli at the left and right outer boundaries of the visual field.
metabolic imaging
Metabolic imaging refers to the visualization and quantification of metabolic processes within living organisms, tissues, or...
Mie scattering
Mie scattering, named after the German physicist Gustav Mie, refers to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation (such as...
die bonding
Die bonding is a critical process in semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics assembly, where a semiconductor die or...
linewidth
1. The range of frequencies or wavelengths over which radiations are absorbed or emitted in a transition between a specific...
swept-source laser
A swept-source laser, also known as a wavelength-swept laser, is a type of laser that rapidly and continuously changes its...
resonator
A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance, which is a phenomenon that occurs when an external force or...
pathogen
A pathogen is a biological agent, such as a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or parasite, that causes disease in its...
grenz rays
The soft x-rays used in the industrial radiography of materials having too small a range of densities to produce an image...
optical gate
An optical gate typically refers to a device or system that controls the transmission of light, allowing it to pass through...
hygroscopic
In fiber optics, a material whose properties, usually of transmission, are distinctly affected by the absorption of water...
temporal coherence
A characteristic of laser output, calculated by dividing the speed of light by the linewidth of the laser beam. The temporal...
crystal spectrometer
A device designed to measure crystal properties by analysis of crystal diffraction.
linear element
A device for which the output electric field is linearly proportional to the input electric field, and no new wavelengths or...
intravital microscopy
Intravital microscopy is an imaging technique used to visualize biological processes within living organisms, typically in...
Kerr effect
The Kerr effect, named after the physicist John Kerr who first observed it in 1875, is a nonlinear optical phenomenon where...
nitrogen vacancy
A nitrogen vacancy (NV) refers to a specific type of defect or impurity in a crystal lattice where a nitrogen atom replaces...
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...
femtosecond laser
A femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds,...
root sum square
A statistical method of dealing with a series of values where each value is squared, the sum of these squares is calculated...
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...
computer animation
The use of a computer to generate a series of interrelated images so that the images give the illusion of movement in space...
germanium crystal
Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor...
holographic cinematography
A technique used to create a series of interrelated holographic images that give an appearance of motion when projected in...
hand viewer
A device small enough to be held in a hand that uses a magnifying lens and a translucent back to permit the viewing of...
sextant
A handheld navigational instrument used to measure the elevation angle of celestial bodies such as the sun. An image of the...
dielectric
Exhibiting the characteristic of materials that are electrical insulators or in which an electric field can be sustained...
phototheranostics
Phototheranostics, a portmanteau of "photo" (light), "therapy," and "diagnostics," refers to an emerging field that combines...
NTSC triangle
The triangle in a chromaticity diagram joining the chromaticities of the NTSC phosphors, and containing all chromaticities...
ion
An atom that has gained or lost one or more electrons and, as a result, carries a negative or positive charge.
safelight
Filtered light to which photographic or other photosensitive materials are not responsive; used to illuminate darkrooms when...
optofluidics
Optofluidics is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles from optics and fluidics to create devices and systems...
free-space optics
Free-space optics (FSO), also known as optical wireless communication or optical wireless networking, refers to the...
3D printing
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional objects...
focal plane assembly
An infrared imaging device composed of a detector array and readout electronics. It may include a cryogenic cooling system....
image intensifier
An image intensifier, also known as an image intensification tube or image intensification device, is a specialized...
mosaic structure
In a crystal, its subdivision into polyhedral blocks of macroscopic sizes, with discontinuities contained in the lattice...
optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is a branch of electronics that focuses on the study and application of devices and systems that use light...
fluorescent screen
A fluorescent screen refers to a phosphorescent or fluorescent-coated surface that emits visible light when exposed to other...
broadband dielectric mirrors
Broadband dielectric mirrors, also known as broadband mirrors, are optical coatings designed to efficiently reflect or...
Huygens principle
An analysis used for problems of wave propagation. The principle notes that each point of an advancing wavefront is the...
modulator
A modulator is a device or component that modifies a carrier signal in order to encode information for transmission over a...
redshift
The displacement of spectrum lines, as determined by the increasing distance between, and the relative velocity of, the...
glass annealing furnace
A furnace, generally electrically heated, with a control system capable of following a cam by which the temperature can be...
multimodality imaging
A technique that combines two or more imaging processes in order to minimize the disadvantages within each of the...
turbidity
Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by the presence of suspended particles. These...
spherical gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the refractive index varies symmetrically about a point.
activity
1. Synonymous with radioactivity. The intensity of a radioactive source illustrated as the number of atoms disintegrating in...
laser peening
Laser peening is a surface enhancement technique used to improve the mechanical properties of materials, particularly...
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...
laser
A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
optical testing instrument
An optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...
neutral density wedge
A strip or annulus of glass coated with a semitransparent material such as inconel. The coating thickness, and as a result...
phenotype
In biology, particularly genetics and evolutionary biology, the phenotype refers to the observable characteristics or traits...
injection molding
A method of producing high-quality plastic optics in large volumes by injecting the heated, liquified plastic at high...
emission spectrum
An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light...
intensity modulation
The process in which the electron beam of a cathode-ray tube varies in intensity in accordance with the magnitude of the...
photoelectron microscopy
Surface analysis by means of photon induced electron emission. PEM methods provide high lateral resolution of the observed...
Weissenberg method
The Weissenberg method, named after the German physicist Karl Weissenberg, is a technique used in x-ray crystallography for...
multispectral imaging
Multispectral imaging is a technique that involves capturing and analyzing images at multiple discrete spectral bands within...
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite characterized by its standardized size and modular design. CubeSats are...
photometric equipment
Photocells of various kinds used to measure photometric quantities; i.e., intensity, luminance and illuminance. Meter...
pixel pitch
Pixel pitch refers to the distance between the centers of two adjacent pixels on a display screen or imaging sensor. It is...
x-ray analysis
The series of processes used to identify and evaluate crystal structure by using crystalline solids to diffract x-rays. In...
time-lapse camera
A cine camera that exposes a series of individual frames to record the changes in a subject that slowly alters with time....
Nd:YAG laser
Nd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain...
photochemistry
The study of chemical reactions stimulated by the properties of light.
sky noise
Variations in signal detected on a bolometer that are caused by instabilities in the temperature of the sky.
law of reversibility
In physics, the law of reversibility is often associated with the concept of reversibility in thermodynamics. The law...
transducer
A transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields,...
near point of eye
The closest distance to which the eye can focus on an object, normally taken to be 250 mm. The near point varies with age.
half bandwidth
The term half bandwidth (HBW) generally refers to the width of a spectral band or frequency range at half of its maximum...
keyhole welding
The process of binding or attaching larger metal sheets by laser welding. The effect is generated by higher power densities...
additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a manufacturing process that involves creating three-dimensional...
phage
A phage, short for bacteriophage, is a type of virus that infects and replicates within bacteria. Phages are composed of...
laser-induced fluorescence
Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is a spectroscopic technique that involves using a laser to excite molecules or atoms,...
microscopy
Microscopy is a scientific technique that involves the use of microscopes to observe and study objects that are too small to...
tangential distortion
Optical aberration such that image magnification varies with ray distance from the optical axis in a radial distortion.
streak camera
A high-speed cine camera used to record, on a continuously moving film, very brief events such as a flash of light. The...
exciton
An exciton is a quasiparticle that represents the bound state of an electron and a hole in a solid-state material, typically...
crystal
A solid with a structure that exhibits a basically symmetrical and geometrical arrangement. A crystal may already possess...
moiré deflectometry
An optical interference technique widely utilized as a method of nondestructive testing when determining the ray deflection...
resolution target
A chart on paper or glass containing a series of sets of lines at progressively smaller spacing and used to ascertain the...
zonal aberration
Spherical or chromatic aberration in a lens having a wide aperture. It is present because the refracting power varies for...
x-ray astronomy
The study of the celestial bodies, relative to x-ray emission. Satellites launched to study x-ray sources have revealed many...
fiber optic cable assembly
A fiber optic cable assembly refers to a complete unit consisting of optical fibers, connectors, protective jackets, and...
laser desorption
A process of forming ions within a given molecular species by incident laser light. The molecular species may remain intact,...
infrared mapping
The process of mapping the infrared emittance of an area through the use of an infrared detector and related scanning...
biomarker
A biomarker, short for biological marker, refers to a measurable and quantifiable indicator of a biological condition,...
beamsplitter
A beamsplitter is an optical device for dividing a beam into two or more separate beams. A simple beamsplitter may be a very...
polarization dependent loss
In passive optical components, loss that varies as the polarization state of the propagating wave changes. Expressed as the...
space-division multiplex
In fiber optics, the condition in which each fiber of a bundle carries a separate channel.
isodensities
The points on a photographic negative that are of equal density.
electro-optic modulator
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is a device used to modulate the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light waves using an...
nuclear magnetic resonance
A phenomenon, exploited for medical imaging, in which the nuclei of material placed in a strong magnetic field will absorb...
arc discharge
The electric arc that is a particular discharge between two electrodes in a gas or vapor which is characterized by high...
bandpass filter
A filter with a transmission that is high for a particular band of frequencies, but that falls to low values above and below...
magnetic spectrograph
An electron system using the effect of a constant magnetic field on electron paths to differentiate electrons that have...
high-voltage electron microscope
An imaging device whose technology contributes three specific advantages: ability to study large solid specimens that...
Rockwell hardness
Rockwell hardness (Rc) refers to a method for measuring the hardness of a material, primarily metals, using an indentation...
matt
A term used to describe a nondirectionally diffusing surface that, when illuminated, appears equally bright from all angles....
overhead projector
A projector used to project transparencies. A horizontal 8 x 10-in. stage for writing or laying down preformed...
light source power
The electrical power used to stimulate any light source. Power supplies may be step-up or step-down transformers; rectifiers...
corner cube
A corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light...
Kell factor
In an interlaced scanning electro-optical system such as television, the system resolution will be less than the number of...
power modulation
Power modulation refers to the intentional variation of power levels in a signal, often in the context of electronic...
galvanometric scanner
A galvanometric scanner, also known as a galvanometer scanner or galvo scanner, is a type of optical scanning device used to...
whispering gallery mode
Whispering gallery mode (WGM) refers to a phenomenon in wave physics, particularly in optics, where waves, such as light or...
radiation counter
An instrument used to recognize and identify incident radiation by the ionizing or stimulating properties of the radiation.
root mean square
A statistical method of dealing with a series of values where each value is squared, the mean of these squares is...
quantum-ehanced metrology
Quantum-enhanced metrology refers to the use of quantum mechanics principles and techniques to enhance the precision and...
optical tweezers
Optical tweezers refer to a scientific instrument that uses the pressure of laser light to trap and manipulate microscopic...
chirality
Chirality is a property of certain molecules and objects in which they are non-superimposable on their mirror images. In...
Doppler principle
The theory established by Christian J. Doppler in 1842 that states that the rate of change in distance between a perceiver...
III-V material
In semiconductor physics and materials science, the term "III-V materials" refers to compounds composed of elements from...
light field
The term light field refers to the spatial distribution of light rays traveling in all directions through a given space. It...
CIE observer
Hypothetical observer having standard color vision as described by standard color-matching properties.
maser
An acronym for microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Predecessor to the laser, the maser or...
Schlieren optics
An optical system that records inhomogeneities within a medium by detecting the energy refracted by that portion of the...
intensified charge-coupled device camera
An intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera is an advanced imaging device that combines the capabilities of both an...
spectrum locus
On a chromaticity diagram, the line on which fall the chromaticities of the pure spectrum colors.
hydrophobic
Hydrophobic is a term used to describe substances or materials that repel or do not readily interact with water. The word...
graded reflectivity mirror
A mirror whose percent reflectance varies as a function of position on the mirror surface.
Brace prism
A compound prism composed of two 30° prisms, one of which is partially coated with a suitable opaque metal of high...
fluorescence lifetime imaging
Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is an advanced imaging technique that provides information about the lifetime of...
curvature
The measure of departure from a flat surface, as applied to lenses; the reciprocal of radius. Applies to any surface,...
smectic phase
A form of liquid crystal in which flow does not take place in the usual manner. When examined with polarized light, the...
chalcogenide
Chalcogenide refers to a class of compounds containing elements from group 16 of the periodic table, which includes sulfur...
photodiode
A two-electrode, radiation-sensitive junction formed in a semiconductor material in which the reverse current varies with...
magnetorheological finishing
Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...
Raman effect
When light is transmitted through matter, part of the light is scattered in random directions. A small part of the scattered...
Koehler illumination
A two-stage illuminating system for a microscope in which the source is imaged in the aperture of the substage condenser by...
Fabry-Perot fringes
The series of rings when monochromatic light passes through a Fabry-Perot interferometer.
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
laser output
The laser output refers to the generated and emitted light produced by a laser system. This output is characterized by...
optical design software
Optical design software refers to specialized computer programs used by optical engineers, physicists, and designers to...
amorphous
The disordered, glassy solid state of a substance, as distinguished from the highly ordered crystalline solid state....
autofluorescence
Autofluorescence refers to the natural emission of fluorescence exhibited by certain biological structures or molecules when...
silicon carbide light-emitting diodes
Silicon carbide (SiC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric current is...
pulsed sandwich holography
Separation of incident laser pulses by several seconds so holographic plates can be changed and sandwiched between the...
magnetometer
A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and/or direction of a magnetic field. It can detect...
carbonization
Carbonization is a process in which organic materials are heated in the absence of air, leading to the decomposition of the...
Peltier cooler
A Peltier cooler, also known as a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) or thermoelectric module, is a solid-state device that uses...
cathode-ray tube deflection plane
A plane that lies at right angles to the tube axis that has the deflection center.
light fidelity
LiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...
optical isolator
Also known as an optical diode, an optical isolator is a device that utilizes the Faraday effect to suppress or redirect...
exciplex
The term "excimer," strictly used, refers to excited species made by combination of two identical moieties, atoms...
plasmonics
Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
well plate
A well plate, also known as a microplate or microtiter plate, is a flat plate with multiple small wells or depressions...
magnon
A magnon is a quasiparticle representing a quantized spin wave in a magnetic material. In other words, it is a collective...
liquid crystal
Liquid crystals are a state of matter that exhibits properties intermediate between those of conventional liquids and solid...
optical time-domain reflectometer
An optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) is a specialized instrument used in optical fiber communications to characterize...
pellicle mirror
A thin, stretched plastic membrane cemented to a rigid supporting ring. It may be coated to act as a beamsplitter, for...
polariton
A polariton is a quasiparticle resulting from the strong coupling between photons (light particles) and certain types of...
ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the eyes and visual system....
inhomogeneous broadening
Broadening of a laser's spectral linewidth when the resonance frequencies of the atoms (or molecules) of the medium are not...
2D profile sensor
A 2D profile sensor is a type of sensor used in various industrial and technological applications to measure and capture...
hydrogel
A hydrogel is a three-dimensional network of polymer chains that are hydrophilic, meaning they have a strong affinity for...
prism chromatic resolving power
The chromatic resolving power of a prism is invariably stated for the case in which parallel rays of light are incident on...
crystal diode
A diode with a semiconducting material, such as germanium or silicon, for one electrode, and a fine wire "whisker''...
blackbody source
A blackbody source, often simply referred to as a blackbody, is a theoretical or practical physical object that absorbs all...
photometry
Photometry is the branch of science that deals with the measurement of light, particularly in terms of its intensity and the...
bandwidth
The range of frequencies over which a particular instrument is designed to function within specified limits. See also fiber...
fluorophore
A fluorophore is a molecule or a portion of a molecule that has the ability to emit light upon excitation by an external...
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
chroma
1. Attribute of a visual sensation that permits a judgment to be made of the amount of pure chromatic color present. 2. The...
laser cell sorting
A moving group of fluid-suspended biological species directed through separate channels by which the population is isolated....
two-dimensional Fourier transform
The Fourier series representation of a two-dimensional periodic field, assuming that the original image is periodic both...
Murty interferometer
A form of shearing interferometer that contains a simple wedged (plane-parallel) glass plate with a nonzero optical path...
near-infrared spectroscopy
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the...
pixel
A pixel, short for "picture element," is the smallest controllable element of a digital image or display. It is a...
long-pass filter
A long-pass filter is an optical filter that allows longer wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking or...
BCS theory
Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, based on the notion that electrons with opposite momentum and spin...
infrared astronomy
The study and the interpretation of the infrared emittances of celestial bodies and phenomena.
parametric oscillator
A device using a parametric amplifier inside a resonant optical cavity to generate a frequency-tunable coherent beam of...
remote inspection
Remote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or...
idiochromatic
Pertaining to the possession of photoelectric characteristics as a result of the properties of the true crystal and not of...
extrinsic properties
The properties exhibited by a semiconductor as the result of its modification by imperfections and impurities in the crystal.
magnetic lens
An arranged series of coils, magnets or electromagnets disposed in such a way that the resulting magnetic fields generate a...
zero phase shift mirror
A mirror that supplies equal reflectance for both the S-polarization and the P-polarization of a laser for a defined angle...
microcomb
A microcomb, short for microresonator frequency comb, is a novel photonic device that generates a precise series of evenly...
microphotometer
An instrument capable of measuring the transmitted or reflected luminance from a very small area seen under a microscope....
mid-wave infrared
MWIR stands for mid-wave infrared, referring to a specific range of wavelengths within the infrared spectrum. Infrared...
microchannel cooling
A method of heat removal in which liquid passes through small channels with high packing densities.
magnetic resonance spectroscopy
A method of studying the chemical and physical properties of atoms and molecules (typically living tissue and chemical...
diamond turning
Diamond turning, also known as diamond machining or diamond cutting, is a precision machining process used to produce...
nanoLED
An LED (light-emitting diode) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
axial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the refractive index varies along the direction of light propagation,...
photomultiplier tube
A photomultiplier tube (PMT) is a highly sensitive vacuum tube that detects and amplifies low levels of light. It is widely...
deep ultraviolet
Deep ultraviolet (DUV or deep-UV) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet light with shorter wavelengths than those in the...
metamaterial
Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These...
near-field scanning optical microscope
A scanning probe microscope that analyzes the surface of a specimen by recording the intensity of light as it is focused...
dilution
In chemistry, the addition of an inert substance to reduce the concentration of a species. In colorimetry, addition of white...
toric surface
A surface that is swept out by revolving a circle about an axis that lies in the plane of the circle but that does not...
polysulfone resin
A thermoplastic, self-extinguishing polymer with excellent high-temperature, low-creep and arc resistance properties.
stylus profilometer
A measuring instrument used for surface profiling and quantifying the roughness of a material. The stylus is placed on the...
spatial condition
The spatial distribution of incident and collected flux contained in the analysis of reflectance, transmittance or densities.
polarizing coating
A coating made up of particular birefringent materials having polarizing properties. It may be used, in some cases, to...
diffuse reflectance spectroscopy
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is a nondestructive analytical technique used to investigate the optical properties...
slide projector
An optical projection device designed to project positive color transparencies onto a screen for viewing.
holographic particle velocimetry
A method of measuring flow velocity by seeding the flow with neutrally buoyant particles and using a pulsed laser to...
optical combiner
An optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...
meta-optics
Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
spatial intensity perturbation
A beam instability, induced by index of refraction inhomogeneities and component damage of dirt and dust particles, that...
luminescence
Luminescence is the emission of light that occurs without the involved substance undergoing a significant increase in...
excitation index
The ratio of the intensities of two specified spectral lines of a source having vastly different excitation energies. This...
Marx generator
High-voltage, fast-discharge circuit named after its inventor, Erwin Marx. Its capacitors are charged in parallel and...
second-order nonlinear optical properties
Second-order nonlinear optical properties refer to a class of phenomena exhibited by certain materials in response to...
histology
Histology is the branch of biology and medicine that involves the study of the microscopic structure of tissues and organs...
endoscope
An endoscope is a medical device used for visualizing and examining the interior of hollow organs, body cavities, or...
micro-optical coherence tomography
Micro-optical coherence tomography (micro-OCT) is an imaging technique that is an adaptation of optical coherence tomography...
digital optical processing
The scanning of photographs or transparencies of images, either by a vidicon camera or flying spot scanner, for the...
chirped-pulse amplification
Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) is a technique used in laser physics to amplify ultrashort laser pulses to high energies...
retroreflector
A retroreflector is an optical device or structure that reflects incident light or electromagnetic waves back to their...
ultraviolet-visible spectrometer
Also known as UV-VIS spectrometer, a device that measures the absorbance, reflectance or transmittance of light in the...
absorption line
The wavelength or frequency corresponding to an absorption resonance with a given molecular or atomic species. The line...
dichroic coating
A dichroic coating, also known as a dichroic filter or dichroic mirror, is an optical coating designed to selectively...
Einstein shift
A shift in the direction of the red in the spectral lines of light which, defined by the relativity theory, will have...
laser ablation
Laser ablation is a process that involves the removal or erosion of material from a target surface using laser energy. This...
aliasing
In image processing, the result of a sampling frequency that is too slow to preserve the spatial frequencies of the image....
photogrammetry
Photogrammetry is a technique used to obtain accurate three-dimensional measurements of objects and environments through the...
microwave phototube
A device designed to detect microwave modulation and to mix modulated and unmodulated laser beams. It consists of a...
cell
1. A single unit in a device for changing radiant energy to electrical energy or for controlling current flow in a circuit....
absorption peak
An absorption peak refers to a sharp increase or spike in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a particular...
goniophotometer
A device used to measure directional reflectance, with light collection restricted to a narrow range of angles of which the...
functional material
Functional materials refer to materials that possess specific properties or functionalities that make them suitable for...
transverse mode
In the context of optics and lasers, a transverse mode refers to a specific spatial pattern of the electric field within the...
depletion region
The region at the PN junction in a semiconductor radiation detector where the potential energies of the two materials create...
gallium nitride
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a compound made up of gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N). It is a wide-bandgap semiconductor material...
colorimeter
A colorimeter is a device used to measure and quantify the color characteristics of an object or a light source. It provides...
correlated double sampling
A technique for removing thermal noise and drift from focal plane assemblies by sampling the system output between views of...
secondary x-rays
X-rays emitted by a substance that formerly has been exposed to x-rays. The properties of the substance determine the...
motion controller
In optics, a motion controller refers to a device or system that precisely controls the movement of optical components, such...
tellurium
The material favored for study of interaction of high-acoustic intensities with free carriers. Tellurium is the...
step-and-repeat printer
A projection printer that is capable of reproducing a multiplicity of images from a master transparency on a single support...
grating beamsplitter
A grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...
convex
Convex is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves outward, bulges, or has a rounded and outwardly...
extrinsic photoconductivity
Photoconductivity due to the addition of impurities or external causes.
optogenetics
A discipline that combines optics and genetics to enable the use of light to stimulate and control cells in living tissue,...
qubit
A qubit, short for quantum bit, is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing and quantum information...
optics
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter...
broadband filter
A broadband filter is an electronic or electromagnetic device designed to pass a range of frequencies or signals within a...
Laurent polarimeter
A Laurent polarimeter is an instrument used in optics for measuring the rotation of plane-polarized light caused by...
deep learning
Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that involves the use of artificial neural networks to model and solve complex...
microring resonator
A microring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
indium phosphide
Indium phosphide (InP) is a compound semiconductor material composed of indium (In) and phosphorus (P). It belongs to the...
mode hopping
Mode hopping in the context of lasers refers to a phenomenon where a laser system abruptly switches from one longitudinal...
birefringent filter
A filter that transmits light in a series of sharp, widely spaced wavelength bands by its sandwich construction of...
mode beating
In optics, "mode beating" refers to an interference phenomenon that can occur in laser systems with multiple longitudinal...
hot spot
Term applied to laser technology to denote an area of above-average intensity often attributable to atmospheric...
scattered light filter
A specific type of filter designed to reduce the amount of light scattered by reflections from the edges of optical...
electron temperature
Approximation of a system of thermal equilibrium formed by the distribution of the kinetic energies of electrons in a gas...
excimer
A contraction of "excited dimer." The term refers to an excited species made by combination of two identical atoms...
digital twin
A digital twin refers to a virtual representation or digital counterpart of a physical object, system, or process. This...
linear positioning stage
A linear positioning stage, also known as a linear stage or translation stage, is a precision mechanical device used to...
modified chemical vapor deposition
Modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) is a technique used in the fabrication of optical fibers. It is a specialized form...
polycrystal
A substance that transmits the infrared, but which is too delicate or fragile to be used in the form of a single crystal....
semiconductor
A semiconductor is a type of material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. In...
high-frequency distortion
Distortion of the high frequencies of a signal. In television, the term generally applies to frequencies above the 15.7 kHz...
detector array
A detector array refers to a collection of individual detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional grid or matrix format....
infrared
Infrared (IR) refers to the region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, but...
polarization
Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave, such as light waves, radio waves, or other...
astronomical telescope
An astronomical telescope is a type of optical instrument designed to gather and magnify light from distant celestial...
neodymium glass
Glass containing small quantities of neodymium oxide that is used as a filter plate in color television or as a lasing...
cathode-ray tube
A vacuum tube with an electron gun at one end and a fluorescent screen at the other. Electrons emitted from a heated...
kinescope
A cathode-ray tube that serves as a picture tube in a television receiver. The signal representing the picture intensity is...
allogyric birefringence
Left- and right-hand circularly polarized beams that are produced at different velocities by passing plane-polarized light...
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...
Lovibond tintometer
A subtractive colorimeter that expresses a liquid's or object's color as a combination of three colors. These colors are...
infrared detector
An infrared detector is a device that is used to detect and measure infrared radiation, which lies beyond the visible...
optics of material
The area of optics that deals with the interaction of light with a given material. The optical properties of material are...
optoelectronic
Pertaining to a device that responds to optical power, emits or modifies optical radiation, or utilizes optical radiation...
rare-earth elements
The series of elements having atomic numbers between 57 and 71 inclusive.
advanced driver assistance systems
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) refers to a set of safety features and technologies designed to assist drivers in...
flow cytometry
Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology and medicine for the quantitative analysis of the physical and...
infrared thermal detector
Used to detect radiation from the infrared region. The functional process includes absorption of infrared radiation, which...
color photographic film
Film that produces color negatives or transparencies by the use of three emulsions, one coated over the other, that are each...
laser-mediated gene transfer
Laser-mediated gene transfer refers to a technique in molecular biology and genetic engineering that utilizes lasers to...
marcuse loss theory
A theoretical analysis of radiation loss from planar optical waveguides due to scattering by surface irregularities/surface...
compression molding
A method of producing large volumes of plastic optical components in which powdered or sheet plastic is pressed between...
carrier injection
Carrier injection refers to the process of introducing charge carriers (either electrons or holes) into a semiconductor...
quasi-optical
Having properties resembling those of light- waves; e.g., the propagation of waves in the television spectrum.
x-ray diffractometer
An instrument that uses a crystal to diffract x-rays for the measurement of the intensities of the diffracted rays.
inertial confinement fusion
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a method of achieving nuclear fusion, a process where two atomic nuclei combine to...
phluometry
The term applied to the geometrical structure of radiometry or of the propagation of any quantity that is conversed and that...
ospin
Opsins are a group of light-sensitive proteins found primarily in the retinas of vertebrate and invertebrate eyes, as well...
bandpass
The range of frequencies that will pass through a filter or other device. Synonymous with passband.
Joule-Thomson cooler
A detector cooling device in which a gas under high pressure escapes through an expansion valve in the tank; as the escaped...
near-infrared spectrometer
A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection...
free-electron laser
A free-electron laser (FEL) is a type of laser that generates coherent, high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by using a...
distributed feedback laser
A distributed feedback laser (DFB laser) is a type of semiconductor laser diode designed to emit coherent, narrow-bandwidth...
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...
monolithic device
A device that is fabricated in a single piece; A device (i.e. circuit) that is operated at a single frequency or a single...
thermocouple
A device composed of dissimilar metals that, when welded together, develop a small voltage dependent upon the relative...
crystal filter
A bandpass filter with piezoelectric crystal components for the passage or impedance of electrical signals of various...
color facsimile transmission
The transmission of a color photograph by separating the colors into varying intensities of red, blue and green, and then...
reflective spectroscopy
Reflectance spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the reflective properties of materials across various wavelengths of...
liquid coating
A self-healing, index-matching, nonporous coating for optical components that can eliminate production difficulties and...
arc light source
In present usage, especially for spectroscopic identification, an arc between electrodes that serves as a radiation source....
metrology
Metrology is the science and practice of measurement. It encompasses the theoretical and practical aspects of measurement,...
fiber optic sensor
A fiber optic sensor is a device that uses optical fibers to detect and measure physical, chemical, biological, or...
low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit (LEO) refers to a region in space that is relatively close to Earth's surface, typically characterized by...
digital signal processing
Digital signal processing (DSP) refers to the manipulation and analysis of signals, which are representations of physical...
wedge photometer
A photometer that uses a wedge, marked to show its reduction of flux density, to make two light sources equal in intensity...
chemical laser
A laser that relies on chemical activity instead of electrical energy to produce the pumping action necessary to form pulses...
Gram negative
Gram-negative bacteria are a group of bacteria that possess a cell envelope composed of a thin layer of peptidoglycan...
atomic force microscope
An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging and measurement instrument used in nanotechnology, materials...
diffuser
An optical diffuser is an optical component or material designed to scatter or diffuse light that passes through it. It is...
nonperiodic radiation
Irregular waves; e.g., light waves, having little coherence and a broad spectrum of frequencies.
digital filter
A linear computation or algorithm performed on a selected series in the form of an input signal that produces a new series...
3D laser line profile sensor
A 3D profile sensor, also known as a 3D profiling sensor or 3D depth sensor, is a technology that is used to capture and...
ring-laser gyroscope
A solid block of glass-ceramic material with holes drilled the length of all four sides, and mirrors attached to the corners...
densitometry
The detection and analysis of the transmission and reflection properties of objects and photographic images.
lens
A lens is a transparent optical device that focuses or diverges light, allowing it to pass through and form an image. Lenses...
camera reduction
The use of the photographic process to produce precision copies of an original image that are many times smaller in size....
Fourier analysis
The representation of arbitrary functions as the superposition of sinusoidal functions whereby the representations...
photorefractive material
A material in which the refractive index varies according to changes in the light to which it is exposed. Lithium niobate is...
PLZT
A transparent lead-lanthanum zirconate titanate ceramic with optical qualities that can be controlled by applying voltages...
microprojector
A miniature projecting device designed to enhance and reproduce the image generated by a smaller image-forming instrument....
polymerase chain reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used molecular biology technique used to amplify a specific segment of DNA...
interferometry
The study and utilization of interference phenomena, based on the wave properties of light.
chromaticity
The qualities of color associated with hue and saturation, but not brightness or lightness.
selective laser melting
Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that belongs to the powder bed...
medical lasers
Medical lasers are devices that produce intense beams of light with specific characteristics and properties, which are used...
transparency illuminator
A metal box with an opal glass front enclosing a lamp, used for viewing color transparencies or x-ray films.
attosecond photonics sources
Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of...
ion-beam sputtering
Ion-beam sputtering (IBS) is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique used for depositing thin films onto substrates. It...
homojunction
A junction between semiconductors that differ in their doping level conductivities but not in their atomic or alloy...
spatial filtering
In image processing, the enhancement of an image by increasing or decreasing its spatial frequencies.
de Broglie wavelength
The concept of the de Broglie wavelength exploits the wave-particle duality of quantum physics by associating all matter (of...
short wavelength infrared
Short wavelength infrared (SWIR) refers to the portion of the infrared spectrum that encompasses wavelengths roughly between...
beat
The signal formed when two signals, such as light waves, of different frequencies are present simultaneously in a nonlinear...
hololens
A series of permanent holograms in dichromated gelatin formed by opening total page-composer apertures and setting a point...
gain
Also known as amplification. 1. The increase in a signal that is transmitted from one point to another through an amplifier....
correspondence theory
Bohr's formulation that every new theoretical principle must correspond to the salient classical predecessor. The principle...
optical materials
Optical materials refer to substances or compounds specifically chosen for their optical properties and used in the...
Ultraviolet-C
Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet radiation with shorter wavelengths than those of visible...
Zerodur
Schott Glass Technologies' trade name for a glass-ceramic material with a very low coefficient of thermal expansion.
thermography
Thermography is a technique that involves the use of an infrared imaging device, called a thermal camera or infrared camera,...
ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy
A technique for measuring the energy spectrum of electrons emitted during the absorption of ultraviolet radiation. This...
constant variant enhancement
Technique that uses high-pass filtering to reduce the local average to zero for all regions of the picture and then applies...
phase
In optics and photonics, "phase" refers to a property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the position...
display primaries
lensless microscopy
Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
interferometric modulator display
Interferometric modulator display (IMOD) is a type of display technology used in electronic devices, known for its energy...
heterojunction
A junction between semiconductors that differ in their doping level conductivities, and also in their atomic or alloy...
Polarization Imaging
A subsurface imaging technique based upon the polarization of light reflected off an object. The polarization of reflected...
directed energy
Directed energy refers to a type of energy that is emitted and transferred in a controlled direction. The term is often...
ray tracing
Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene....
infrared camera
An infrared camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera or IR camera, is a device that captures and visualizes the...
silicon photodiode
A silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector...
epitaxial deposition
Epitaxial deposition is a process used in semiconductor manufacturing and materials science to grow a thin crystalline...
spectral
Pertaining to or as a function of wavelength. Spectral quantities are evaluated at a single wavelength.
edge-defined film-fed growth
Process for growth of solar cells that results in rectangular shapes consisting of many interconnected cells in a series or...
machine learning
Machine learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on the development of algorithms and...
linear image sensor
A linear image sensor is a type of solid-state electronic device used to capture and convert light into electrical signals....
mode-locked lasers
Mode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...
gray scales
Transparencies that represent progressive steps in the amount of transmitted radiation for administering predetermined...
photomask
A photomask, also known simply as a mask or reticle, is a key component in the photolithography process used in...
Mach-Zehnder interferometer
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer is an optical device used to measure the phase difference between two collimated beams of...
Auger effect
The radiation-free transition that takes place within an ion, in which inner-shell vacancies in neutral atoms are filled by...
remote sensing
Remote sensing is a method of data collection and observation where information about objects, areas, or phenomena on...
proof-of-concept system
An assembly of prototype instruments, equipment and/or software designed to perform all the functions of a concept or idea...
fiber Bragg grating
A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is a type of optical filter that is inscribed or "written" into the core of an optical fiber. It...
frequency comb
A frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...
oscillography
The graphic recording of physical changes vs. time, in electrical quantities, using an oscilloscope.
Talbot's bands
The series of interference bands that appear in the spectrum when a specified glass plate is inserted into a spectroscope,...
fiber optic preform
A fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It...
infrared light-emitting diode
An infrared light-emitting diode (IR LED) is a semiconductor device that emits infrared light when an electric current...
guided wave
A wave in which energy is focused near a boundary separating materials having different properties. Propagation of the wave...
single-walled carbon nanotubes
Referred to as SWCNTs, these cylindrical nanostructures composed of a folded sheet of graphene can be used as near-infrared...
laser powder bed fusion
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a type of additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that uses a high-power...
film recorder
An instrument designed to place nongraphic information, usually generated by a computer, onto photographic film. The...
mirage
The distortion of an object's true image as the result of abnormal atmospheric disturbances along the path traveled by the...
zone plate
A plate of glass, usually a photograph, on which there is a central spot surrounded by concentric annular zones, alternately...
surface profile
A representation of the shape of a surface, including any roughness or other irregularities. The profile can be generated by...
laser fusion
Optical confinement of matter with high field energies intended to induce a stable nuclear fusion interaction.
electrophotography
The photographic recording of an image formed by the alteration in electrical properties of the sensitive materials and...
cascade image tube
An image tube that functions in low-light-level conditions by virtue of its series of stacked sections wherein the output of...
metal component
An accurate metal prism or plane parallel plate that is cemented to an optical element and remains with it during a series...
microphotonics
The technology of manipulating light on a micro scale. In optical communications, this is usually accomplished using two or...
machine vision system
A machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...
waveguide dispersion
For each mode in an optical waveguide, the term used to describe the process by which an electromagnetic signal is distorted...
otoscope
An otoscope is a medical device used by healthcare professionals, particularly ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists,...
dispersive power
A measure of the dispersive properties of a glass. The relative dispersion is defined as: where C, D, and F refer to the...
CID camera
CID, or charge injection device, camera refers to a type of imaging device that utilizes a specific kind of solid-state...
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...
embedded vision
Embedded vision refers to the integration of computer vision technologies into various embedded systems, devices, or...
hyperspectral imaging
Hyperspectral imaging is an advanced imaging technique that captures and processes information from across the...
Deslandres diagram
A diagram in which the variable frequencies of a spectral band system are plotted corresponding to ascending values of the...
point cloud
A point cloud is a set of data points in a three-dimensional coordinate system, where each point represents a specific...
laser texturing
Laser texturing is a manufacturing process that involves using a laser beam to selectively modify the surface of a material,...
nanotube
A nanotube, also known as a nanotubule or simply a tube-like structure, is a nanoscale cylindrical structure composed of...
light diffusion
Light diffusion refers to the process by which light is scattered or spread out in various directions as it interacts with a...
phonon
A phonon is a quantum of vibrational energy associated with the periodic motion of atoms or molecules in a crystalline...
two-photon fluorescence
This results from the simultaneous absorption of two photons, each having half the energy needed for excitation and...
diascope
1. An optical device used for projection of enlarged images of transparencies or lantern slides on a screen. 2. A device...
subtractive colors
Cyan, magenta and yellow. They are called subtractive because they each subtract one color by absorbtion and reflect the two...
optical barcode reader
An optical barcode reader, commonly known as a barcode scanner, is a device that uses optical technology to capture and...
CCD image sensor
A CCD image sensor, or charge-coupled device image sensor, is a type of electronic device used to convert optical images...
probe
Acronym for profile resolution obtained by excitation. In its simplest form, probe involves the overlap of two...
doping
In the context of materials science and semiconductor physics, doping refers to the intentional introduction of impurities...
terahertz
Terahertz (THz) refers to a unit of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum, denoting waves with frequencies between 0.1...
halogen lamp
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen, quartz-halogen, or quartz iodine lamp, is an incandescent lamp that uses a...
repetitively pulsed laser
A pulsed laser that emits a recurring pulsed output. Frequency of the pulses emitted is known as pulsed recurrence frequency...
charge-injection device
A charge-injection device (CID) refers to a class of devices that manipulate and detect electrical charge within a...
laser damage threshold
The laser damage threshold refers to the maximum level of laser intensity that a material can withstand without experiencing...
excimer laser coronary angioplasty
Excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) refers to a medical procedure used in the treatment of coronary artery disease....
dichroism
Dichroism refers to the property of certain materials to exhibit different colors or absorbance of light depending on the...
retroreflecting multipass cell
Two lenses, separated by a distance equal to the sum of their focal lengths, and retroreflecting mirror assemblies, one of...
infrared optic
Infrared optics refer to optical components and systems designed to manipulate and control infrared (IR) light, which lies...
frequency domain
The frequency domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to represent signals and data in terms of their...
panoramic camera
A camera designed to form a continuous record of an expansive section of the horizon. The typical panoramic camera is...
normalized frequency
Also referred to as the V number in fiber optics; the normalized frequency is a dimensionless quantity, denoted by the...
field emission display
An X-Y electrically addressable series of arrays with individual electron emitters bombarding a phosphor-coated transparent...
Kerr cell
A cell filled with a transparent material that, when placed in a strong electrical field, exhibits double refraction. Since...
algorithm
A precisely defined series of steps that describes how a computer performs a task.
sun-tracking concentrator
Controlled beam technology that introduces beams of sunlight through holes in a roof that are relayed throughout the...
spectral signature
A spectral signature, in the context of remote sensing and spectroscopy, refers to the unique pattern or characteristic...
self-phase modulation
Self-phase modulation (SPM) is a nonlinear optical phenomenon that occurs when an intense laser beam passes through a...
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...
mixed signal oscilloscope
A mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) is a type of electronic test instrument that combines the capabilities of both a...
enantiomer
A molecule that is the mirror image of another molecule. The two mirror-image molecules have the same chemical properties;...
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates digital information, typically in the form of computer-generated...
phototherapy
Phototherapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of light to treat various conditions, particularly those related...
logic circuit
A computer circuit that supplies the action of problem-solving functions or operations.
quantum entanglement
Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where two or more particles become correlated to such an extent...
electromagnon
An electromagnon is a quasiparticle excitation that combines aspects of both magnetism and electric polarization in a...
red, green, blue
RGB stands for red, green, blue, which are the primary colors of light used in additive color mixing. The RGB color model is...
Lissajous pattern
The pattern, formed by a character generation cathode-ray tube system, in which the characters are made up of wave shapes...
serioscopy
A variation of tomography, which is a means of visualizing any one of a large set of parallel planes in the patient. A...
absorption band
A group of frequencies or wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum which exhibits resonance or energy contributions near...
intermediate image
In an optical system with a series of lenses, images formed prior to the final focal plane.

(945 results found)

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