An astronomical telescope is a type of optical instrument designed to gather and magnify light from distant celestial objects for observation and analysis. It typically consists of two main optical components: an objective lens or mirror, and an...

Also known as single plane illumination microscopy (SPIM), this process was designed for imaging of sensitive samples and...

A telescope that is mounted on an equatorial mount.

Line scan refers to a method of capturing images or data by scanning a single line at a time, as opposed to capturing the...

A fiber for which the difference between the maximum and the minimum refractive index is small, usually less than 1 percent.

The emission of gas or de-aeration due to thermal variations and often occurring in a vacuum. In a cleanroom, contamination...

A circular lamp or bundles of optical fibers placed around the perimeter of an objective lens to illuminate the object field...

An input device for a computer that detects and reads the data, in the form of punched holes in cards, by light that is...

The inability to perceive visual images (visible radiant energy). In human beings, blindness is defined as a visual acuity...

A wedge in a rangefinder or heightfinder used to displace the image produced by one telescope so that it coincides with that...

A device that enables visual tracing of a fiber optic cable to check for breaks and defects by coupling visible light into...

An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other...

A cement used to reduce crosstalk in fiber optic bundles or plates.

An atmospheric nonlinear process unique to CO2 laser wavelengths, whereby CO2 absorbs 10.6-µm radiation and the CO2...

An instrumental technique that utilizes the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles as recorded from a mass spectrometer...

Eye blink or head movement in response to bright light. Aversion responses such as blinking are sufficient protection from...

A plane (through the focal point) at right angles to the principal axis of a lens or mirror; that surface on which the best...

A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...

The study and the interpretation of the infrared emittances of celestial bodies and phenomena.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the...

A type of fiber optic connector consisting of two cone-shaped ferrules aligned by a mating sleeve.

A glass rhomb that is used in photometry to compare two illuminated surfaces. This is accomplished by the rhomb's angles,...

A telescope with an ellipsoidal secondary concave mirror that reflects rays from a parabolic primary mirror through an...

Spatial resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in an image or a spatial dataset. It is a measure of the...

A telescope in which a mask occults the solar disk, generating an artificial eclipse and allowing observation and recording...

A diffraction grating is an optical component consisting of a surface with a periodic structure of equally spaced, parallel...

The generic term applied to all sources of visible radiation from burning matter to ionized vapors and lasers, regardless of...

Quantum confinement refers to the phenomenon in quantum mechanics where the motion of charge carriers, such as electrons or...

An interferometer constructed to be positioned on a telescope to measure the angular separation of the components of double...

In physics, momentum transfer is the amount of momentum transferred from one particle to another during particle collision...

A semiconductor material in which the dopants create holes as the majority charge carrier. It is formed by doping with...

Means of correcting laser postweld shift. The correction procedure is applied to optoelectronic systems such as laser diode...

The Mills Cross telescope is a two dimensional radio telescope in which the two antenna arrays are positioned perpendicular...

Fiber that emits luminescent radiation excited by ultraviolet, x-ray or high-energy particles.

A lensless photographic camera that uses a small sharp-edged hole as its aperture. The light passed by this aperture onto...

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is an advanced optical imaging technique used in microscopy to enhance the...

Celestial point sources that emit specific wavelengths of radiation that appear on spectral charts as narrow lines. The term...

In semiconductor physics and materials science, the term "III-V materials" refers to compounds composed of elements from...

The least angle of incidence at which total internal reflection takes place. The angle of incidence in a denser medium, at...

A flat, round micrometer that is placed in the focal plane of a telescope to measure difference in right ascension and...

The generic term describing the class of light particles having no strong interactions.

1. The process of aligning the optical axes of optical systems to the reference mechanical axes or surfaces of an...

An electrophoretic display, often referred to as an electronic paper display or e-paper display, is a type of electronic...

The principles and techniques involved in the use of telephotometers to measure atmospheric extinction.

A surface heat-treating process that produces a highly stressed surface. In case-hardening of glass, a plate of glass is...

A connection, typically made up of one or more cables, between a laser head and a separate power supply. Flexible pipes or...

A device consisting of a disc with a spiral arrangement of holes that is used to convert visible patterns into electrical...

Microscopy is a scientific technique that involves the use of microscopes to observe and study objects that are too small to...

A device that samples and quantizes a signal in digital form for storage in memory.

Spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) is an optical microscopy technique that belongs to the category of quantitative...

1. An instrument used to measure the opacity or density of dyes, pigments or dispersed particles that form an image in or on...

A device used to measure directional reflectance, with light collection restricted to a narrow range of angles of which the...

A digital camera is a device that captures and records still images or video in digital format. Unlike traditional film...

Two stars so close together that they cannot be resolved by telescopes. They are proved to be double stars by the doubling...

Calculation of the amount of energy extracted from a light beam regardless of its wide range resolution.

A noncontact sensor used in the remote measurement of position, speed or other variables of moving parts.

Photolithography is a key process in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and...

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine...

The area of optics in which the wave nature of a particle is exploited to carry out very accurate interferometry and other...

A technique for improving the structure density of thin-film coatings by bombarding the growing film with accelerated ions...

A prism invented by William Nicol in 1828 that is made of calcite, the end faces of which are ground to an angle of 68°...

The term photochemical pertains to chemical processes or reactions that are initiated or influenced by the absorption of...

A reticle, also known as a reticule or graticule, is a pattern or set of markings placed in the focal plane of an optical...

Positioning generally refers to the determination or identification of the location or placement of an object, person, or...

A frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...

Also known as amplification. 1. The increase in a signal that is transmitted from one point to another through an amplifier....

An aspheric mirror is an optical mirror surface that deviates from the shape of a perfect sphere, having a non-spherical...

A method that produces low-loss optical fibers. A glass tube rotates while reactants pass through the tube and heat is...

Pennwalt's trade name for polyvinylidene fluoride, a material used in the jacket of fiber optic cables where low smoke...

A laser with a gain medium consisting of an organic dye, which is carbon-based. The dye is mixed with a solvent, allowing...

An analytical technique used to determine the nature of extremely small samples by forming the x-ray spectrum of the samples...

An adhesive whose viscosity decreases as the temperature is increased to a limit. Canada balsam, resin and pitch are...

Hyperchromic shift refers to an increase in the absorption of light, leading to a higher absorbance, often observed in...

The position and shape of the image of a point source, as predicted by geometric optics alone. The geometric image is to be...

A PIN photodiode is a type of photodetector or semiconductor device used to convert light signals into electrical signals....

A study of the energies and wavelengths of radiation emitted by atoms and molecules when particular physical conditions are...

Phase contrast microscopy is an optical microscopy technique that enhances the contrast of transparent and colorless...

A telescopic light-sensing meter used to measure illumination levels of small regions at a distance of many feet; it is used...

An infrared device used in satellites and rockets to determine a heat horizon for the Earth at altitudes (above 200 miles)...

Best point of focus for an image in a beam of light at the smallest cross section of the beam.

Chirality is a property of certain molecules and objects in which they are non-superimposable on their mirror images. In...

The engraving of a surface by acid, acid fumes or a tool; a process extensively used in the manufacture of reticles.

An instrument designed to collect naturally formed extraterrestrial electromagnetic radiation within the radio frequency...

In a semiconductor, the state created by the addition of a dopant that creates excess holes.

Thin-film coatings are layers of material applied to the surface of an object or substrate, typically to modify its optical,...

A coupling unit that enables more than one transmitter to operate at the same time or separately on the same antenna.

A lens is a transparent optical device that focuses or diverges light, allowing it to pass through and form an image. Lenses...

E.I. duPont's trade name for a material used in the jacket of fiber optic cables. It is flame-retardant, thermally stable...

The photographic recording of gas bubbles produced when particles traverse liquid hydrogen in a bubble chamber.

An observed effect of the ability of certain atomic particles to pass through a barrier that they cannot pass over because...

The perpendicular orientation of the molecular axes of the nematic molecules in a nematic crystal, relative to the electrode...

An alexandrite laser is a solid-state laser that utilizes a synthetic crystal made from the rare earth element alexandrite...

Any form of lens, optical system (camera, telescope, microscope, etc.), or opto-electronics utilized for the purpose of...

A telescope lens is a primary optical component of a telescope system that gathers and focuses light to form an image. It is...

An approach to character recognition based on the structure of the character to be identified (number of straight lines,...

A small telescope mounted on a tripod and free to rotate about a vertical axis. A spirit level is mounted over the telescope...

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

Heatless light emissions from living organisms caused by the combination of oxygen and pigments such as luciferin.

Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...

A system that generally uses a photodetector to decode punched cards for information, or for input to a computer, by sensing...

An instrument that uses a photoelectric system to determine the size and volume of dust particles in a given unit of air.

The formation of microimages for microreduction. The technique is used, for example, in the production of precision reticles...

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is a nondestructive analytical technique used to investigate the optical properties...

A dichroic mirror, also known as a dichroic beamsplitter or interference filter beamsplitter, is an optical device that...

Process of synthesizing long molecular chain materials (polymers) by reaction of many small molecules (usually thousands)...

A photon sieve is an optical device used in the field of optics and imaging. It's designed to focus and shape light,...

A technique based on the principles of laser trapping and used to manipulate the position of small particles by gradually...

A device used in the sputtering of thin films, in which a magnet system on the back of the cathode deflects the electrons,...

Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a powerful technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhanced spatial...

A metabolite is any small molecule that is a product of metabolism, the chemical processes that occur within living...

High power laser ablation device that by pulsed operation produces holes of controllable dimension on the scale of microns....

An evacuated, double-walled container for storing liquids at low temperatures. Often made of glass, the vessel resembles a...

The analysis and measurement of celestial bodies, their motions and positions.

A coupling mechanism designed to quickly lock a connector into an adaptor or a lens into a lens mount. Typically coupling is...

A bench photometer that depends on the inability of the eye to distinguish color in brief flashes of light. Any difference...

Ultrasound used in the cleaning of metal and optical parts by virtue of its vibration rates. Large acoustic forces break off...

Remote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or...

A negative lens used to increase the effective focal length of a telescope objective.

Reflectance spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the reflective properties of materials across various wavelengths of...

Term applied to radiation composed of particles or photons that will not easily penetrate a material because of their low...

In an interlaced scanning electro-optical system such as television, the system resolution will be less than the number of...

An instrument used to detect radioactive materials: alpha particles or helium nuclei; beta particles or free electrons; and...

A precise telescope set on a pair of rotation axes, the horizontal and vertical axes equipped with two divided circles. One...

A two-mirror lens design used in astronomical telescopes, the primary being a parabola, the secondary a smaller hyperbola....

A device, also called a fluorescence lifetime instrument, that measures decay curves of fluorescing samples. It generally...

An accelerometer is a sensor or transducer that measures the rate of change of velocity of an object, or in simpler terms,...

Swept-source optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in...

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional objects...

A telescope that produces an erect image. Erection is achieved either by a lens (for a long instrument) or a prism (for a...

A technique developed to measure the molecular weight of macromolecules by analyzing the spontaneous fluctuations that occur...

Phototheranostics, a portmanteau of "photo" (light), "therapy," and "diagnostics," refers to an emerging field that combines...

A glass-ceramic material developed in Russia. Astrosital resembles Zerodur in terms of its ultralow thermal expansion. Other...

Terahertz (THz) refers to a unit of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum, denoting waves with frequencies between 0.1...

A blur circle refers to the out-of-focus region in an image captured by an optical system. When an object in a scene is not...

A system consisting of two or more Geiger-Müller counters, connected in coincidence with their centers on an axis. The only...

The use of atoms, molecules and molecular-scale structures to enhance existing technology and develop new materials and...

The method of acquiring characteristic x-ray spectra from microscopic samples by use of the combination of a scanning...

The term "embedded laser" typically refers to a laser device that is integrated or embedded into a larger system or...

Epitaxial deposition is a process used in semiconductor manufacturing and materials science to grow a thin crystalline...

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method of secure communication that utilizes principles from quantum mechanics to...

Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used molecular biology technique used to amplify a specific segment of DNA...

Also referred to as physical optics - the area of optics in which the wave nature of light is essential when defining its...

A finite version of Shannon's sampling theorem that states that a class of functions can be reconstructed exactly by a...

With respect to a crystal, having three unequal axes intersecting at angles, only two of which can be equal and only one of...

Radioactivity formed by the bombardment of stable elements by either neutrons or high-energy, charged particles under...

Technology that corrects the shape of reflective optics; primarily applied in large telescope systems, in order to...

A machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard. UAVs are remotely...

A microbubble resonator is a device used in photonics and optical physics for the precise manipulation of light waves. It...

A disc composed of a series of holographic optical elements that diffract light at various angles. When spinning, a raster...

A mid-infrared camera is a type of imaging device designed to capture images in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral range,...

A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV), also known as a spatial light modulator (SLM), is an optical device that modulates the...

A reflection grating is an optical component that consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel reflecting surfaces or...

Quantum sensing refers to a class of sensing technologies that leverage principles from quantum mechanics to enhance the...

Convex is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves outward, bulges, or has a rounded and outwardly...

A plasma accelerator is a type of particle accelerator that uses electric fields and magnetic fields to accelerate charged...

Transparent matter that usually is drawn into a cylindrical, pyramidical or conical shape through which light is channeled...

A fluorescent screen refers to a phosphorescent or fluorescent-coated surface that emits visible light when exposed to other...

The smallest angle through which light is bent by an optical element or system. In a prism, the angle of deviation is a...

A multiple-beam interferometer, usually consisting of two flat plates, with high reflective ability. The plates are set...

A pair of telescopes with prismatically erected images, mounted side by side with the eyepieces at the interocular distance...

A near-infrared (NIR) camera is an imaging device designed to capture images in the near-infrared region of the...

A quantum well is a structure in quantum mechanics that confines particles, such as electrons or holes, in one spatial...

An eyepiece having a rotating index or cross wire linked to an external 360° scale to allow measuring of angles in an...

A piece of glass, pyrex or quartz having one or both surfaces carefully ground and polished plano, generally flat to less...

Transparencies that represent progressive steps in the amount of transmitted radiation for administering predetermined...

An imaging technique used in radiology that is based on the principles of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to produce...

An old name for the rotating arm moving about an axis of rotation over a divided circle used to measure angles. Now the term...

In optics, a motion controller refers to a device or system that precisely controls the movement of optical components, such...

A mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) is a type of electronic test instrument that combines the capabilities of both a...

In a birefringent material, the index of refraction varies with the direction of vibration of a lightwave. That direction...

Radiation that does not produce free electrons and ions, or electrically charged particles.

The unit generally used to express distances within the solar system, and sometimes to measure interstellar distances....

A two-phase system consisting of dispersed liquid or solid particles in a gas; examples include dust, smoke and clouds.

A calcium indicator is a molecule that is sensitive to changes in calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations in biological systems....

Directed energy refers to a type of energy that is emitted and transferred in a controlled direction. The term is often...

The difference in base up or down prism power at corresponding points located on the two lenses of a pair of spectacles.

The base used to hold an astronomical telescope. It may be either altazimuth, with horizontal and vertical axes of rotation,...

Crystal growth method that resembles static freeze, but that induces growth by removing the ampoule from the furnace so that...

Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...

A Dammann grating is a type of diffractive optical element (DOE) used to create an array of equally spaced,...

Magnification that is above the level of maximum useful magnification and does not contribute useful resolving power. In a...

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) refers to a set of safety features and technologies designed to assist drivers in...

An optical instrument used to track and image a test vehicle (target) throughout its flight. The cinesextant frequently...

In the context of optical materials, the term "impurity level" refers to the presence of foreign atoms or molecules within...

Lithography is a key process used in microfabrication and semiconductor manufacturing to create intricate patterns on the...

The indistinct, less luminous portion lying immediately outside an electric arc whose spectrum often differs from that of...

A method of depositing crystalline films one molecular layer at a time, by dipping the substrate into water containing a...

An absorption peak refers to a sharp increase or spike in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a particular...

A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...

The interaction of superimposed light from two separate sources that results in a combined intensity that is less than the...

The transport of molecules in a cell which requires the use of a cell's internal energy. The energy used in the cell may be...

The light formed by visible radiation that, in traveling from light source to object, undergoes one or more reflections. In...

A light therapy that utilizes nonionizing light sources, including lasers, LEDs, and broadband light, in the visible and...

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment or experience that can be...

The magnitude, expressed in cycles per second, of the alteration of the wave frequency observed as a result of the Doppler...

A fiber optic connector or splice that mates two multifiber cables, optically aligning all of the individual fibers...

An optical assembly refers to a collection of optical components that are carefully arranged and aligned to perform a...

A type of adsorption in which the adsorbed layer is attached to the adsorbent surface by an attractive force between the...

Characterized by having the same center. Concentric circles differ in radius but have a common center point.

A gyroscope is a mechanical device consisting of a spinning disk or wheel mounted on a spinning axis in such a way that its...

In the field of optics and imaging, a mesoscope refers to an optical instrument that is designed to observe and capture...

Histochemical staining is a laboratory technique used in biology and medicine to visualize specific chemical components...

A type of mirage that creates a distorted vertical image of relatively flat objects so that they appear as mountains,...

The process of perforating a silicon or ceramic substrate with a series of tiny holes along which it will break. Nd:YAG or...

Lens testing equipment refers to a range of specialized tools and instruments used to evaluate the optical performance,...

An optical element having plane-inclined surfaces. Usually the faces are inclined toward one another at very small angles....

Structural color refers to coloration in materials that is not caused by pigments or dyes but is instead a result of the...

A shower of cosmic rays whereby a high-energy electron produces one or more photons that convert into electron pairs, the...

An isotope of cesium that emits negative beta particles and has a half-life of 2.19 years; its applications include...

A polariton is a quasiparticle resulting from the strong coupling between photons (light particles) and certain types of...

The study of the celestial bodies, relative to x-ray emission. Satellites launched to study x-ray sources have revealed many...

Photonic crystals are artificial structures or materials designed to manipulate and control the flow of light in a manner...

MTF analysis/measurement equipment refers to instruments and tools used to measure and analyze the modulation transfer...

Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...

A microscope that has been modified to permit the quantitative analysis of dust samples.

Family of deterministic models of plant canopy reflectance that provides deterministic formulation for each necessary...

Functional materials refer to materials that possess specific properties or functionalities that make them suitable for...

One of the types of change in the energy levels of molecules or atoms in a laser that can result in lasing action. Because...

An astronomical mirror, also known as a telescope mirror or primary mirror, is a key component of a reflecting telescope. It...

A family of specialized instruments used by ophthalmologists and optometrists to study a patient's eyes and prescribe...

Parallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather...

Two oppositely charged particles.

A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...

Plasmon ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) is a technique used in thin-film deposition processes, particularly in the production...

Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor...

A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...

A lumen is a unit of measurement used to quantify the amount of luminous flux, which is the perceived power of light. In...

Equipment that supports microscopic live-cell imaging by managing the gas, media perfusion, temperature and other factors to...

The element that resembles a lightweight metal, but when very pure, has a very high electrical resistance and is transparent...

Metrology is the science and practice of measurement. It encompasses the theoretical and practical aspects of measurement,...

A method of studying the chemical and physical properties of atoms and molecules (typically living tissue and chemical...

Medical lasers are devices that produce intense beams of light with specific characteristics and properties, which are used...

Photovoltaic (PV) refers to a technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductors. The term...

A vibrational transition refers to a change in the vibrational energy of a molecule. Molecules consist of atoms that are...

Freeform mirrors refer to reflective optical components that deviate from traditional symmetric or rotationally symmetric...

An optical wedge of very small angles that admits light while sealing out moisture and dirt and that may be rotated to...

In cosmology, a star that exhibits a rapid increase in the magnitude of light, which is followed by a slow decrease in...

A modulator is a device or component that modifies a carrier signal in order to encode information for transmission over a...

A scintillation detector is a radiation detection device that utilizes scintillation crystals to detect and measure ionizing...

Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of...

A neuromorphic vision sensor is a type of imaging device designed to mimic the structure and functioning of the human visual...

A type of receiver that uses a local oscillator at a frequency deliberately offset from that of the incoming signal. It is...

The smallest linear diameter to which a laser or other beam of radiant energy is capable of being focused, depending on the...

The optical phenomenon that causes relative motion between two objects when the eyepoint is moved laterally. When parallax...

Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) is a technique used in photon counting applications, particularly in the...

An antireflection coating (AR coating) is a thin film or coating applied to optical surfaces, such as lenses or windows, to...

A type of comparator with a telescope equipped with a cross wire mounted on a vertical sliding column. It is used to measure...

A positive lens located at or close to an intermediate image plane. The collector refracts off-axis light bundles, directing...

Thermal emission caused by the unity in absorption bands that must be discriminated when calculating radiation intensity of...

The emission of radiant energy in which the energy emitted originates in the thermal motion of the atoms or molecules of the...

Photobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently...

With reference to electromagnetic radiation, the number of crests of waves that pass a fixed point in a given unit of time,...

A tabulation of predicted positions that have been calculated for one or more celestial bodies or orbiting satellites.

Nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy is a microscopy technique that combines the principles of photonic...

Multi-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...

A fiber optic sensor is a device that uses optical fibers to detect and measure physical, chemical, biological, or...

A biomarker, short for biological marker, refers to a measurable and quantifiable indicator of a biological condition,...

A probe card is a testing device used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry to evaluate and test the electrical...

A system of modular mechanical components for building precision optical systems. The basic equipment includes a variety of...

A handheld navigational instrument used to measure the elevation angle of celestial bodies such as the sun. An image of the...

A term used to describe a nondirectionally diffusing surface that, when illuminated, appears equally bright from all angles....

The bending of x-rays by the regular layers of molecules in a crystal acting like a very small diffraction grating. The...

Laser ablation is a process that involves the removal or erosion of material from a target surface using laser energy. This...

RTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is...

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that enhances the Raman scattering signal of...

A refracting telescope that yields an erect image by the use of a positive lens for its objective and a negative lens for...

A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...

An optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...

A microchannel plate (MCP) is a specialized electron multiplier device used in various applications such as particle...

Sputtering equipment is machinery used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....

Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...

Electric polarization characterized by homogeneous polar dielectrics and ascribed to the position of the permanent molecular...

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a powerful imaging instrument used in scientific research, materials...

A recorder that plots, on a chart, the interaction between two variables, not directly representing time.

A chemical detection technique used to measure molecules that have a magnetic dipole moment. The analysis is directed to...

A broadband filter is an electronic or electromagnetic device designed to pass a range of frequencies or signals within a...

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is an international standard for medical imaging created by both the...

A spectrum that displays the distribution in mass or in mass-to-charge ratio of ionized atoms, molecules or molecular parts....

A fiber optic communications system that works on the principles of homodyning or heterodyning. The transmitting laser...

Phase matching is a crucial concept in the field of optics, particularly in nonlinear optics and the generation of coherent...

A scientific CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera is a type of digital camera specifically designed for...

The broadening of spectral lines due to the collision of radiating particles with one another and the resulting interruption...

A direct method of measuring refractive index that works best with flat-surfaced samples (i.e., those that are not dependent...

In a reflecting telescope, the obstruction of the primary mirror by a secondary mirror which blocks a small amount of the...

High harmonic generation (HHG) refers to a nonlinear optical process in which intense laser light interacts with a gaseous...

The adjustment of a binocular instrument so that the lines of sight of both telescopes are parallel.

A colorimeter is a device used to measure and quantify the color characteristics of an object or a light source. It provides...

The transform defining that, if a reference beam is a divergent spherical wavefront, then the reconstructed image will be...

The positive ion current created in an electron tube as a result of the collisions between electrons and residual gas...

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to obtain high-resolution,...

In the context of thin film deposition processes such as evaporation or sputtering, masks are used to selectively deposit...

A fiber optic imaging bundle is a specialized optical device composed of multiple optical fibers bundled together. Each...

A small region within a single crystal where the molecules form a perfect lattice.

Embedded vision refers to the integration of computer vision technologies into various embedded systems, devices, or...

With respect to microscopy, also called dispersive staining, optical staining the projection of colors through areas of a...

Radiation emitted from vibrating charged particles. A combination of oscillating electrical and magnetic fields that...

A camera capable of making successive exposures on a continuous film driven by accurately spaced sprocket holes (a motion...

An exciton is a quasiparticle that represents the bound state of an electron and a hole in a solid-state material, typically...

The scattering of charged particles, moving through matter, by the electrostatic force exerted by other charged particles.

Concave and convex spherical mirrors are types of curved mirrors that have surfaces shaped like segments of spheres. These...

An image processing device that displays pseudocolor images by assigning colors to the gray scales according to look-up...

A measure of image quality produced by an optical system. May be specified in terms of cycles per millimeter, referencing a...

STED microscopy, or stimulated emission depletion microscopy, is a superresolution imaging technique in fluorescence...

Hyperspectral resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in the spectral information captured by a...

Backscatter refers to the phenomenon in which radiation or waves are scattered backward, opposite to the direction of the...

A flowmeter is a device used to measure the flow rate or quantity of a fluid passing through a particular point in a system....

The ratio of reflected flux to incident flux. Unless otherwise specified, the total reflectance is meant; it is sometimes...

An analytical technique used to determine, identify and localize impending malfunctions. It is based upon quantitative and...

A class of optical phenomena that can be viewed only with nearly monochromatic, directional beams of light, such as those...

Photometry is the branch of science that deals with the measurement of light, particularly in terms of its intensity and the...

A narrow channel created by cleaving a crystal made of alternating layers of gallium arsenide and aluminum gallium arsenide,...

A homogeneous solid solution with crystal lattice sites occupied, at random, by the molecules or ions of two or more...

An electron system using the effect of a constant magnetic field on electron paths to differentiate electrons that have...

Particle acceleration refers to the process by which charged particles, such as electrons or protons, gain kinetic energy...

Attenuation refers to the gradual loss or reduction of intensity, force, or magnitude of a particular property as it...

A high-power riflescope specifically intended for sighting and shooting distant targets.

A package for electronic components that is suited for automated assembly into printed circuit boards. The DIP is...

Laser sintering is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that involves using a laser to selectively fuse...

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a compact and integrated device that incorporates multiple photonic components and...

Any of the constants that relate the tendency of the director to remain parallel to restoring torques throughout the media....

A mold for glass or plastics often made of stainless steel to prevent pitting or oxidation in service. It is polished to the...

Also referred to as the V number in fiber optics; the normalized frequency is a dimensionless quantity, denoted by the...

Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and...

A unit of energy or work that is equal to 1000 (103) joules. Abbreviated kJ.

A photovoltaic cell, commonly known as a solar cell, is a semiconductor device that directly converts light energy into...

A substrate refers to a material or surface upon which another material or process is applied or deposited. In various...

The movement of particles or ions in a solution toward the electrode having the opposite sign because of the application of...

A type of glass used in telescope mirrors, formed by adding a nucleating agent to standard glass and then heating it until...

Quantum-enhanced metrology refers to the use of quantum mechanics principles and techniques to enhance the precision and...

A type of high-speed photographic shutter that uses Faraday rotation to produce exposure times as fast as 1 microsecond. It...

A corrective lens system that is placed near the focal plane of a Newtonian telescope to increase its effective field of...

Referring to compound semiconductor materials combining one element that has three valence electrons with one or more that...

Any known value derived from standard analysis that serves as a reference to the accuracy of an instrument or process in...

A corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light...

A spheric lens, also known as a spherical lens, is a type of optical lens with at least one surface that is part of a...

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a mechanism describing the transfer of energy between two closely spaced...

A passive infrared system that uses two line-of-sight telescopes to generate both narrow and wide field-of-view images of...

Computer vision enables computers to interpret and make decisions based on visual data, such as images and videos. It...

Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...

A robotic process commonly employed by automakers that enables high-speed and flexible production throughput by using...

Phototoxicity refers to the harmful effects caused by exposure to light, particularly intense or ultraviolet (UV) light, on...

Having three unequal angles perpendicular to each other.

A corner reflector that provides an increase in the range of angles over which it may be used.

A gas laser in which the energy-state transitions between vibrational and rotational states of CO2 molecules give emission...

The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is an optical device used for measuring the wavefront aberrations of an optical system....

A low-power telescope placed at the eyepiece of an optical system to increase overall magnification. Most often used to...

An optical illusion in which distant objects are lighter in tone and less distinct in outline than those closer to the...

In the context of materials science and semiconductor physics, doping refers to the intentional introduction of impurities...

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a type of light-emitting diode (LED) technology that utilizes organic compounds to...

A material used in the jacket of fiber optic cables.

A blackbody source, often simply referred to as a blackbody, is a theoretical or practical physical object that absorbs all...

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...

An optical grating, in the context of optics and physics, refers to a device with a periodic structure of closely spaced,...

A nonradiative transition refers to a process in which an electron or an atom undergoes a change in its energy state without...

An electron-gun system is an assembly used to generate and control a focused beam of electrons. Electron guns find...

A CMOS image sensor, short for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor, is a type of semiconductor device used...

A contraction of "excited dimer." The term refers to an excited species made by combination of two identical atoms...

1. The ring patterns of light that seem to encircle particles in the field of a microscope. 2. See Newton's rings.

An optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) is a specialized instrument used in optical fiber communications to characterize...

The application of reversible writing with a laser beam on particular storage materials. In one method, an amorphous film is...

Frame rate refers to the frequency at which consecutive images, or frames, are displayed in a video sequence. It is...

A telescope objective with excellent spherochromatic correction, consisting of a meniscus crown and a meniscus flint, both...

A type of thermoset rubber used to jacket fiber optic cables, including those used in outdoor military installations.

A colorless, crystalline compound whose low refractive index (n = 1.38) makes it effective as a lens antireflection coating...

A technique used to measure the mode-field diameter of an optical fiber by scanning one fiber past another at a distance of...

That property of certain optical devices, e.g., a penta prism, that maintains the angular relationship between the entering...

A diagram used to represent the trichromatic variables of the components in a three-color combination.

First stated by Abbe, condition states that the ratio of input and output angles, from object point to image point, for two...

An arranged series of coils, magnets or electromagnets disposed in such a way that the resulting magnetic fields generate a...

An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging and measurement instrument used in nanotechnology, materials...

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...

A thin, stretched plastic membrane cemented to a rigid supporting ring. It may be coated to act as a beamsplitter, for...

A pair of stars (double star) that can be seen separately with a telescope, generally by setting a filar micrometer for the...

A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...

LiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...

A type of photometer calibrated in luminance units (candles per square unit, or lamberts). In photography an exposure meter...

The image of the aperture stop, usually the objective lens, that is produced by the eye lens. When the exit pupil of the...

Fluence is a term used in various scientific and technical disciplines to describe the amount of something per unit area....

Photochromic refers to a property exhibited by certain materials, typically organic compounds or dyes, which undergo...

The distribution of electromagnetic fields in a given area. The units are volts per meter, watts per meter squared and...

The selective absorption of electromagnetic waves by a liquid made up of molecules with permanent dipole movement.

Ratiometry is a technique used in various scientific fields, particularly in analytical chemistry and biochemistry, to...

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive imaging technique that allows for high-resolution, in vivo imaging...

Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology and medicine for the quantitative analysis of the physical and...

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique that combines the principles of Raman spectroscopy...

The time domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to describe signals in terms of their behavior over...

Microfluidics is a multidisciplinary field that involves the manipulation and control of very small fluid volumes, typically...

Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry to obtain IR spectra of samples....

A detector array refers to a collection of individual detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional grid or matrix format....

Three-photon microscopy is an advanced imaging technique that belongs to the family of multi-photon microscopy methods. It...

A plate containing a uniform pattern of transparent holes in an opaque background, the clear area being nearly equal to the...

A spectrum band that is usually found in the visible or the ultraviolet because of the electron transitions taking place...

A linear positioning stage, also known as a linear stage or translation stage, is a precision mechanical device used to...

The term "excimer," strictly used, refers to excited species made by combination of two identical moieties, atoms...

A handheld binocular telescope that is commonly of the Galilean type.

Instruments used for measuring angles and occasionally lengths on the ground. The principal surveying instruments are the...

The interaction of charged particles and electromagnetic fields.

An incandescent or fluorescent lamp whose emittance spectrum resembles that of daylight.

The simplest, most inexpensive type of camera, which is shaped as an oblong or square box, containing the simplest lens,...

Diamond turning refers to a precision machining process used to produce complex optical components, particularly lenses and...

In fiber optics, the annular region between two concentric circles; used to specify fiber cladding and core sizes.

Thermography is a technique that involves the use of an infrared imaging device, called a thermal camera or infrared camera,...

An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical...

A device consisting of an airtight quartz tube that holds the material to be analyzed. When a high-frequency electrostatic...

An aspheric lens is a type of lens whose surface profiles deviate from the traditional spherical shape. Unlike spherical...

In multifocal spectacles, a term used to denote glass with a high refractive index that has been fused to the blank and...

Neuromorphic refers to the design and development of computing systems or devices that are inspired by the structure and...

Optical glass that possesses a refractive index equal to or less than 1.5, and an Abbe number that ranges from 62 to about...

GigE, short for gigabit Ethernet, refers to a standard for high-speed Ethernet communication, capable of transmitting data...

The ability to see over large angles of view.

An instrument for detecting and analyzing repetitive signals. Using a fixed time delay or "gate," the input signal...

A GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic...

Circular dichroism (CD) is a spectroscopic technique used to study the structural characteristics of chiral (asymmetric)...

Phenomenon caused by an ultrashort and ultra-intense light pulse propagating in a Kerr medium, such as air or water. When...

Resonance can be defined in various contexts, including physics, chemistry, and music. Here are definitions for resonance in...

The number of molecules in one gram mole of a substance, numerically approximated by 6.02 x 1023.

The distance between the center of the two concentric circles of an optical fiber that designate the diameter of the...

In digital data transmission, the representation of a bit by change in amplitude of the outgoing signal. Amplitude shift...

An image intensifier, also known as an image intensification tube or image intensification device, is a specialized...

A fiber optic cable assembly refers to a complete unit consisting of optical fibers, connectors, protective jackets, and...

A form of liquid crystal with an appearance of moving, threadlike structures, particularly visible when observed in thick...

A photomultiplier tube (PMT) is a highly sensitive vacuum tube that detects and amplifies low levels of light. It is widely...

The line of vision; the optical axis of a telescope or other observation system. The straight line connecting the object and...

A device that uses four electrodes set in an alternating positive-negative polarity series to focus the beams of charged...

The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the...

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a type of additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that uses a high-power...

Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) is a technique that extends traditional Raman spectroscopy by incorporating...

Multispectral imaging is a technique that involves capturing and analyzing images at multiple discrete spectral bands within...

An instrument for measuring the vertical angle of an object. It usually contains an accurately made protractor, a sensitive...

Liquid marble refers to a unique form of microscale liquid encapsulation, where small droplets of liquid are coated with a...

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of seventeen chemical elements found in the Earth's crust, characterized by their...

Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that involves the use of artificial neural networks to model and solve complex...

A phonon is a quantum of vibrational energy associated with the periodic motion of atoms or molecules in a crystalline...

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a therapeutic approach that utilizes the combination of light, a photosensitizer, and...

A zone plate produced by a computer and having a binary structure that can be etched into a chromium or quartz layer. It...

Photogrammetry is a technique used to obtain accurate three-dimensional measurements of objects and environments through the...

A spectroscopic process that detects and analyzes the discharge from an extrinsic surface with less than bandgap light. This...

A measure of the optical path length for light traveling from the sun or other celestial source through Earth's atmosphere...

A quantum dot is a nanoscale semiconductor structure, typically composed of materials like cadmium selenide or indium...

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by the presence of suspended particles. These...

Micro-robotics refers to the field of robotics that involves the design, development, and application of miniature robotic...

A method of producing high-quality plastic optics in large volumes by injecting the heated, liquified plastic at high...

Broadening of a laser's spectral linewidth when the resonance frequencies of the atoms (or molecules) of the medium are not...

The laser output refers to the generated and emitted light produced by a laser system. This output is characterized by...

A spatial light modulator (SLM) is an optical device that modulates or manipulates the amplitude, phase, or polarization of...

A spectrophotometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the intensity of light at various wavelengths in the...

FMCW lidar stands for frequency-modulated continuous wave lidar. It is a type of lidar (light detection and ranging)...

In optical communications, the translation of optical signals into radio signals, lowering their frequency in detection from...

A device utilizing an electron beam for the observation and recording of submicroscopic samples with the aid of photographic...

The effect by which sufficiently small particles will scatter blue light at right angles to the incident beam. This...

A high-resolution spectroscopic device commonly used in the early 20th century as a component of double-beam...

Any crystalline material whose length is much less than its measured diameter.

A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection...

An event-based image sensor, also known as a dynamic vision sensor (DVS), is a type of digital imaging device designed to...

Also known as corner-cube reflector or retrodirective reflector. Three reflecting surfaces, perpendicular to each other,...

A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...

A camera equipped with a lens and a long length of perforated film, the latter being moved intermittently between exposures...

A breakout cable, also known as a fan-out cable or breakout assembly, is a type of cable that combines multiple individual...

Label-free refers to a technique or method that does not require the use of additional labels, tags, or markers to detect or...

A tool made by imbedding small particles of diamond in the working edge. In the optical field, the most commonly used...

Coating carried out in a sealed chamber evacuated by a mechanical pump in series with an oil diffusion pump to a pressure...

A simple form of astronomical telescope that uses a fixed objective and a focusable eyepiece. The objective forms an...

A small defocused Galilean telescope mounted in a hole in a door. Viewed from inside through the positive lens, a wide-angle...

An excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet laser that emits short pulses of light in the ultraviolet spectrum. The term...

Calculation of the probability of an interaction between two types of particles, such as light absorption, excitation or...

A measure of the ability of a photographic system to record fine detail. Usually stated in terms of cycles per millimeter on...

The length of the small space within which the atmosphere exhibits coherence, particularly in relation to an observer on...

Mie scattering, named after the German physicist Gustav Mie, refers to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation (such as...

A waveguide is a physical structure or device that is designed to confine and guide electromagnetic waves, such as radio...

Instruments used by ophthalmologists and optometrists to study the eye. There are, for instance, the ophthalmoscope to...

A telescope that transmits, enlarges and converts infrared images.

Also called sine wave response and contrast transfer function. The modulation transfer function is the ratio of the...

State typically studied in liquid crystals in which the dielectric coefficient parallel to the director is less than the...

The angular width of a radiation beam. With respect to a conical beam of light, it is the vertex angle of the cone. The...

A Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that forms at temperatures close to absolute zero. It is named after...

A form of prism invented by H.W. Dove. It resembles half of a common right-angle prism in which a ray entering parallel to...

Chip-on-board (COB) lights refer to a type of LED lighting technology where multiple LED chips are directly mounted onto a...

Also known as UV-VIS spectrometer, a device that measures the absorbance, reflectance or transmittance of light in the...

Optical phase distortion refers to a phenomenon where the phase of an optical wavefront is altered as it propagates through...

An afocal optical device made up of lenses or mirrors, usually with a magnification greater than unity, that renders distant...

Time-lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) refers to a medical imaging technique that captures a series of sequential OCT...

An instrument that serves to produce an enlarged electron image on a fluorescent screen by focusing an infrared image of a...

Carrier injection refers to the process of introducing charge carriers (either electrons or holes) into a semiconductor...

A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and/or direction of a magnetic field. It can detect...

An image with variations in density due to the differential scattering ability of microscopic bubbles in a transparent layer.

A reference sphere used to represent all possible states of polarization. All linear polarizations will lie on the equator...

A diffraction pattern sampling unit composed of a 32-element monolithic silicon photodiode array and a readout unit. The...

A double-plate device used to transmit polarized light and form interference fringes of the light, thus indicating its...

A telescopic eyepiece comprising five or six simple lenses in the form of three doublets or two doublets and a singlet.

An intermolecular substance that serves to hold materials together. Two types are used in the optical industry: one, which...

A transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields,...

A noncrystalline, inorganic mixture of various metallic oxides fused by heating with glassifiers such as silica, or boric or...

The process of creating a large, panoramic image by aligning and joining a set of smaller images. Image processing is used...

1. The faintly hued ring that is seen to surround a light source viewed through fog or light clouds. The size of scattering...

A femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds,...

Also referred to as differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy; Nomarski microscopy is a unique form of microscopy...

Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a technology used in manufacturing processes, particularly in electronics, to...

Calorimetry is a branch of science that involves the measurement of heat flow in physical or chemical processes. It...

A process for the production of optical fibers. A glass bait is rotated in a traversing flame of a reaction burner....

A far-field pattern holographically reproduced image that is categorically considered with three-dimensional lensless...

A telescopic eyepiece that produces a field of view between 40° and 50°. The eyepiece consists of a single element...

The measurement of heat energy as determined from absolute zero as the zero point on the scale. Increments are identical to...

Translucent collector developed to compensate for the partial blocking of a flat surface's collection angle that normally...

A form of liquid crystal widely used in displays, achieved by sandwiching a liquid crystal material between two substrates...

Hyperspectral imaging is an advanced imaging technique that captures and processes information from across the...

The figure of merit of a resonator, defined as (2p) x (average energy stored in the resonator)/(energy dissipated per...

Elastic scattering that occurs when inelastic processes eliminate particles from the beam.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin...

A hydrogel is a three-dimensional network of polymer chains that are hydrophilic, meaning they have a strong affinity for...

Generally, a rotatable table with scales marked in degrees. The fiducial marking also may be a vernier scale. The same...

Fluorescent proteins are proteins that exhibit the property of fluorescence, which is the ability to absorb light at a...

A pixel, short for "picture element," is the smallest controllable element of a digital image or display. It is a...

An optical table, also known as an optical bench or an optical breadboard, is a specialized platform used in optics...

Van der Waals forces refer to the attractive or repulsive forces between molecules (or parts of molecules) that arise from...

Optical cements and adhesives are specialized materials used in the assembly and bonding of optical components in optical...

With respect to a crystal, a monoclinic crystal consists of three unequal axes, two of which intersect each other obliquely...

A small low-power microscope or magnifier with a scale that is used to measure the exit pupil diameter and eye relief on...

Characteristic of an acousto-optic modulator, defined by the overlap integral of the incident light and sound field...

Referred to as SWCNTs, these cylindrical nanostructures composed of a folded sheet of graphene can be used as near-infrared...

Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that is used to convert printed or handwritten text into...

Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, also known as Nomarski interference contrast microscopy, is an optical...

1. A stereoscope that has adjustable scales to allow the determination of distances and dimensions from stereoscopic...

A device that obliterates the polarization of a polarized beam by reflecting the beam in all directions at right angles to...

A factor derived by equating the incident light on the subject to the required incident light for suitable photography. The...

The smallest object that may be seen, measured in terms of the angle subtended by the object measured at the eye. Also...

An interference filter in which a very thin metal foil with a periodic array of square holes (inductive mesh) or a thin...

The value of the expanse of b-particles in an absorber, evaluated by visual examination of breaks in the absorption curve.

The approximately concentric waves that form on a surface that has been polished without an oscillation of the polishing lap.

The bands found by Vegard in the spectrum of the aurora borealis and by Kaplan in the nitrogen afterglow. They are formed by...

The radio waves of the electromagnetic spectrum that have frequencies of up to 10,000 megacycles per second.

The optical element that receives light from the object and forms the first or primary image in telescopes and microscopes....

A semiconductor laser that operates in the infrared and that is pumped with strong pulses of radiation from a second laser....

The grinding and polishing of rock samples, to a thickness of less than 0.05 mm, for study with petrographic microscopes....

A hemispherical covering that is rotatable about a central axis. There is a slit opening along one side wide enough to allow...

Holography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and...

An area in which airborne particulates can be monitored and controlled so that given size particles do not exceed a...

Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from...

A telescope stand equipped with a polar axis that can be set parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation and a declination axis...

A type of telescope mount that permits direct azimuth and elevation adjustments.

The use of a tightly focused beam of electrons to drill minute holes in substances. The drilling is accomplished by the...

The field of view (FOV) refers to the extent of the observable world or the visible area that can be seen at any given...

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to measure and analyze the optical...

Optical surface damage due to abrasive rubbing. Abrasion damage affects are less than the thickness of the optical coating...

In chemistry, a halide refers to a chemical compound containing one or more halogen atoms bonded to another element. The...

The production of an image on a magnetic film that is exposed to infrared radiation and heated to a point above Curie...

A spectroscopic technique that combines the high chemical specificity of Raman scattering and signal sensitivity provided by...

A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a miniaturized device that integrates various laboratory functions and capabilities onto a single,...

An optical system having two sets of components separated by an air space, while successive lenses in each set are cemented...

A molded lens is an optical lens manufactured using a molding process, typically involving the shaping of a material, such...

A laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of...

A scanning laser radar system applied to transmission and concentration analysis in three dimensions of clouds as well as...

An accurate metal prism or plane parallel plate that is cemented to an optical element and remains with it during a series...

The face of a cathode-ray tube (CRT) that has a fiber optic sheet attached to its surface. The sheet's fibers are at right...

Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of...

A telescope with a concave paraboloidal objective mirror and a small plane (diagonal) mirror that reflects rays from the...

A refracting telescope that uses a prism to bend the line of sight 90°.

A uniaxial, birefringent crystal such as calcite or ruby in which the velocity of the extraordinary ray surpasses that of...

Retroreflection is a phenomenon in optics where light is reflected back toward its source, typically in a direction nearly...

A technique for measuring the energy spectrum of electrons emitted during the absorption of ultraviolet radiation. This...

A specific method for measuring the diameter of irregular shaped particles, Martin's diameter is the measured distance...

Optical coatings are thin layers of materials applied to optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, filters, and prisms,...

Ferroelectric materials are a type of dielectric materials that exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, meaning they...

The transmission of light by a condenser to observe either very small particles or very fine lines with a microscope.

A cathode-ray tube, driven by a computer, that receives impulses of information from the computer and displays it in a...

The Weissenberg method, named after the German physicist Karl Weissenberg, is a technique used in x-ray crystallography for...

Plastic optics refers to optical components or systems that are made from transparent plastic materials, as opposed to...

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a laboratory technique used to detect and measure the presence of specific...

A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite characterized by its standardized size and modular design. CubeSats are...

Micro-optical coherence tomography (micro-OCT) is an imaging technique that is an adaptation of optical coherence tomography...

An array of active optical devices (modulators, laser diodes and/or detectors), each of whose electrical inputs or outputs...

Extremely small organic and inorganic systems of molecules within a substance. In general, systems are colloidal size in...

The incident ray, the normal to the refracting surface at the point of incidence of the ray at the surface, and the...

Spectroscopy used to study the concentration, diffusion and Brownian motion of small particles suspended in a fluid by...

Colorless crystals used in photoelectric cells and for photosensitive material in cathodes.

An optical tooling instrument consisting of an objective lens, a focusing lens, an optical micrometer, a reticle and an...

Machine vision lighting refers to the use of specific lighting techniques and equipment in the field of machine vision,...

Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a technique used in additive manufacturing, specifically in the field of 3D printing. It...

A sensing or image-forming detector that serves to convert infrared rays into visible signals for communication purposes....

A material consisting of very small colorless particles imbedded in a clear glass matrix. It is available in two forms:...

A set of mirrors along a telescope's polar axis designed to redirect light to a fixed position without being affected by the...

Abbreviated PAI. An imaging modality with a hybrid technique based on the acoustic detection of optical absorption from...

The phenomenon observed by A.H. Compton in 1923 -- that some scattered radiation possesses a longer wavelength and...

An astronomical scanning technique for capturing images of stars without moving the sensor. To perform a drift scan, a CCD...

A process used in document copying and printing that involves the visible rendering of an invisible electrostatic image on a...

In biology, particularly genetics and evolutionary biology, the phenotype refers to the observable characteristics or traits...

The gas of charged particles that begins approximately 50 km above the surface of the Earth and contains a sufficient...

A telescope similar to the customary Cassegrain telescope, but having a primary mirror that is ellipsoidal and a secondary...

Spectrum analysis concerned with the spectra formed by transitions in molecules.

An advanced technique that allows the detection of one molecule within a crystal or a cell through optical excitation....

1. The variation in intensity of a light beam as it travels through the atmosphere. 2. In radiation physics, a light flash...

A qubit, short for quantum bit, is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing and quantum information...

An electronic device consisting of a semiconductor material, generally germanium or silicon, and used for rectification,...

A vacuum pump in which heated oil or another substance is forced through jets as a vapor that collides with gas molecules...

An optical diffuser is an optical component or material designed to scatter or diffuse light that passes through it. It is...

Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...

A pathogen is a biological agent, such as a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or parasite, that causes disease in its...

A plate of glass in which a face has been frosted by grinding or etching. It diffuses light by scattering in directions...

In the context of imaging, particularly digital imaging and printing, "orange peel" refers to a texture or visual distortion...

A group of related lines that represent transitions between two spectroscopic terms, each of which may be complex. Also in...

Optical fiber is a thin, flexible, transparent strand or filament made of glass or plastic used for transmitting light...

Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...

Voltage that produces current flow in the direction of lesser resistance to the steady-state direct current, i.e., from the...

Holographic tomography is an advanced imaging technique that combines holography and tomography to provide three-dimensional...

A method of growing single crystals in which atoms and molecules from gaseous organic compounds interact and form a layer on...

Also known as the Bragg spectrometer. A system used for the x-ray analysis of crystal structure. In the instrument, a...

A collection of color samples arranged in charts according to equal visually spaced steps in Munsell hue, value and chroma.

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in...

The attraction of particles suspended in a solution to a cathode, as a result of an electric field.

An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration....

In a laser, the voltage necessary to sustain a constant operating current, somewhat less than that needed for start-up.

Rockwell hardness (Rc) refers to a method for measuring the hardness of a material, primarily metals, using an indentation...

Two 30° prisms that are used to produce constant deviation when rotated by equal and opposite angles.

A grazing incidence mirror telescope with concentric conic surfaces having a single common point: a paraboloid-hyperboloid...

A photodetector composed of a semiconductor material whose responsive properties can be altered by the addition of...

A highly flame-retardant material used to jacket fiber optic cables, especially on shipboard applications.

A source that emits radiant energy when its molecules or atoms are thermally excited.

Fluorescence is a type of luminescence, which is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other...

Dewetting is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where a thin film or coating spontaneously undergoes a process of...

A CCD sensor that provides feedback to the motion control system for a telescope, allowing the telescope to follow a...

A countermeasure used against heat seeking missiles to reduce their effectiveness. Normally it involves the emittance of...

A semiconductor is a type of material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. In...

Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter...

An instrument that detects high-energy charged particles by analysis of the Cerenkov radiation that they emit.

An optical instrument containing a gimballed sighting telescope, used to measure angular relationships in horizontal and...

Also cellulose acetate film. The emulsion layer applied to the substrate of a photographic surface. The emulsion layer is...

Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) refers to a specific range of UV radiation that has disinfectant properties capable of killing...

A system that determines whether an image is in or out of focus by means of a source of illumination at the conjugate focal...

The fusion frequency of flicker that is needed just to produce complete fusion and to assure the visual sensation of...

The point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...

Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a specialized technique in biophysics and molecular...

A variation of tomography in which several photographs of a patient are taken at different angles, and back-projection of...

An electron-beam lithography (EBL) system is a sophisticated nanofabrication tool used in the semiconductor industry and...

Direct conversion of a photon from one wavelength to a lower energy photon of another wavelength(s) due to inelastic...

A vapor-phase oxidation process for fabricating graded-index optical fibers. It differs from outside vapor phase deposition...

A hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide...

A phage, short for bacteriophage, is a type of virus that infects and replicates within bacteria. Phages are composed of...

Acronym for profile resolution obtained by excitation. In its simplest form, probe involves the overlap of two...

A high-speed motion camera, also known as a high-speed camera or slow-motion camera, is a specialized imaging device...

A polarizing prism formed from calcite that is like the Nicol prism but has the two parts divided by a thin air-film and cut...

A mirror blank refers to the initial piece of material from which a mirror is made. It is typically a flat or slightly...

Optical tweezers refer to a scientific instrument that uses the pressure of laser light to trap and manipulate microscopic...

A method of measuring flow velocity by seeding the flow with neutrally buoyant particles and using a pulsed laser to...

Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where two or more particles become correlated to such an extent...

The frequency domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to represent signals and data in terms of their...

A cloud chamber designed to maintain the gas within it at a high pressure as a means of reducing the range of the...

A photon jet is a narrow, highly collimated beam of light that is formed when light interacts with small dielectric...

A method of predicting the nonlinear optical effects exhibited by different molecules without synthesizing the molecules...

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are substances or compounds used to enhance the thermal conductivity between two surfaces...

The line or lines emitted by an element when its radiation particles travel from one energy level to another.

Optical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...

Cold atoms refer to atoms that have been cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically in the microkelvin (µK) to...

Interruption in the normal flow of a plasma or fluid characterized by sharp rises in velocity, temperature and pressure. As...

A holographic camera, also known as a holographic imaging system or holographic recorder, is a specialized device used to...

A method for obtaining the optical absorption spectra of solids, semisolids, liquids and gases. PAS is inherently...

Superresolution refers to the enhancement or improvement of the spatial resolution beyond the conventional limits imposed by...

An alphanumeric display formed by a layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched between two sheets of glass; a transparent...

A volumetric electrical charge resulting from a flow of charged particles across a gap.

A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...

A photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical...

Luminescence produced by the bombardment of radiant energy such as x-rays, radioactive waves or alpha particles.

A filter that passes a series of wavelength regions that are at equal distances from one another, such that its output...

A factor, F, indicating the increase in shot noise in an avalanche photodiode as compared with the ideal multiplier, which...

Referring to compound semiconductor materials combining one element with two valence electrons and one or more with six....

Diffuse light emitted by the atmosphere due to the excitation of particles of atmospheric gas. These excited particles...

A device used for coding messages and having a fiber bundle that is aligned at both ends and scrambled in the middle, potted...

A thermal source that emits less radiation than a blackbody under identical temperature conditions.

A coherent fiber bundle (CFB), also known as a coherent fiber optic bundle, is an assembly of multiple optical fibers...

Autofluorescence refers to the natural emission of fluorescence exhibited by certain biological structures or molecules when...

The simplest method of transmission on a local area network. The entire bandwidth of the cable is used to transmit a single...

A whole-flow-field technique providing instantaneous velocity vector measurements in a cross-section of a flow that is...

A type of tubing used to protect optical fiber cables, consisting of a wire spiral of aluminum, galvanized steel or...

A large tank filled with liquid hydrogen, with a flat window at one end and complex optical devices for observing and...

Hydrophobic is a term used to describe substances or materials that repel or do not readily interact with water. The word...

A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode is a type of photodetector that consists of metal electrodes on a semiconductor...

Polymers are large molecules composed of repeating structural units called monomers. These monomers are chemically bonded...

A liquid crystal display using the material in its supertwisted nematic phase; the birefringence of the liquid crystal...

A phase-modulated sensor is a type of sensor that uses modulation of the phase of a signal to measure changes in a physical...

An amorphous film in which cylindrical bubbles of reverse magnetization can be formed to follow circuit paths usually made...

A grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...

An approximated measure of the smallest change in color temperature detectable by the human eye, defined as the reciprocal...

A thermosetting material used in the jacket of fiber optic cables.

A fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) is a type of gyroscope that uses the interference of light waves to detect changes in...

Equipment for testing an observer's color vision. Some tests require the identification or ordering of colored samples. The...

Ultrasonic refers to sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing, typically above...

The process whereby a quantum mechanical system alters from one energy level to another. During this process, energy is...

Consists of a pair of radio telescopes concentrated on a single celestial object. This technique creates a single radio...

A process and method by which manipulation and orientation of a given number of directed laser beams decreases the motion of...

A technique for observing the decay of light emissions from sources following their pulsed excitations, based on recording...

Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These...

In visual perception, the smallest difference in illumination perceived on the average.

Infrared optics refer to optical components and systems designed to manipulate and control infrared (IR) light, which lies...

A process of forming ions within a given molecular species by incident laser light. The molecular species may remain intact,...

Rolling shutter artifacts are distortions or visual anomalies that can occur in images or videos captured by cameras with...

A photometer that uses a wedge, marked to show its reduction of flux density, to make two light sources equal in intensity...

The Lorentz oscillator model is a theoretical model used in physics to describe the response of a charged particle (such as...

An electric discharge in a low-pressure gas having a low-current density and a space potential near the cathode that is much...

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is a spectroscopic technique that involves using a laser to excite molecules or atoms,...

In atmospheric optics, the almost total blocking of light transmission in the atmosphere due to the scattering and...

Optical design software refers to specialized computer programs used by optical engineers, physicists, and designers to...

Histology is the branch of biology and medicine that involves the study of the microscopic structure of tissues and organs...

Dichroism refers to the property of certain materials to exhibit different colors or absorbance of light depending on the...

A device used to measure the masses and relative concentrations of atoms and molecules. It utilizes the Lorentz force...

An LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...

A laser skin-resurfacing method that creates microscopic thermal wounds referred to as microscopic treatment zones (MTZs),...

A lamp that uses the transmission of an electric current through a gas or vapor to produce illumination. Neon, mercury and...

A perfectly diffusing surface; the intensity of the light emanating in a given direction from any small surface component is...

Metabolic imaging refers to the visualization and quantification of metabolic processes within living organisms, tissues, or...

A fiber optic transceiver, often simply referred to as an "optical transceiver," is a device used in fiber optic...

Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...

Nanopositioning refers to the precise and controlled movement or manipulation of objects or components at the nanometer...

A device employed to identify toxic agents lingering on the ground or in the air from up to three miles away, by using laser...

An optical experiment carried out conclusively in 1887 that demonstrated that the ether, a hypothetical medium postulated by...

Anisotropy refers to the property of exhibiting different values or characteristics when measured in different directions....

Concave is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves inward or has a hollow or recessed appearance. In...

A technique for polishing silicon in which an alkaline suspension containing silicon dioxide particles creates a soft layer...

The numerical definition of the ability of an observer to perceive fine detail. The average value may be taken as one...

The process of using a spectrograph with a telescope to acquire information on an astronomical object's speed and physical...

A device for the internal inspection of hard-to-get-at mechanical parts, such as rifle barrels, sewer pipes, oil wells, or...

Optimization method used in optical design computer programs that employs a variable-by-variable approach to construct new...

A microspectroscope equipped with a sensing and recording device, such as a camera, to measure the spectrum formed by...

An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...

Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon that occurs when light waves interact with particles or molecules that are much smaller...

A telescope that is fixed or has a limited degree of movement in a vertical plane; primarily used to determine the position...

A linear image sensor is a type of solid-state electronic device used to capture and convert light into electrical signals....

A type of camera that has scales or other arrangements by which successive exposures can be lined up and equally spaced on a...

A Cassegrain telescope having a parabolic primary mirror, a spherical secondary mirror and a zero-power doublet in the...

A lidar (light detection and ranging) technique used in pollution monitoring. Two light beams are emitted simultaneously,...

Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a molecular biology technique used to rapidly amplify specific DNA or RNA...

A lateral shearing interferometer is an optical device used in interferometry to measure phase differences between two beams...

Broadband dielectric mirrors, also known as broadband mirrors, are optical coatings designed to efficiently reflect or...

The method of determining the energy distribution of high-speed charged particles by the luminous effect formed when the...

The use of a krypton laser system for the measurement of small molecules aligned by an electric field, by analyzing the...

A camera equipped with angular scales in altitude and azimuth. The scale readings are imprinted on the film when an exposure...

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) refers to a technology that converts heat energy into electricity using the principles of...

A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses magnetic fields to steer charged particles, typically electrons or...

An antigen is any substance that is capable of triggering an immune response in an organism. Antigens are typically proteins...

An image-forming system that uses mirrors rather than lenses. Such objectives are frequently used for astronomical...

A fluid having three components: a carrier fluid, magnetite particles suspended by Brownian motion and a stabilizer to...

Computer numerically controlled (CNC) grinding is a manufacturing process that utilizes computerized controls and precision...

An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light...

Off-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirrors are specialized optical components used in various optical systems, particularly...

Spectral flow cytometry is an advanced flow cytometry technique that expands the capabilities of traditional flow cytometry...

Scalar diffraction theory is a simplified approach used to describe the propagation of electromagnetic waves, particularly...

The luminosity that remains in a rarefied gas after an electrodeless discharge has traversed the gas.

A powerful method, referred to as FCS, for determining the average diffusion coefficients of fluorescent molecules in...

FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectrometer is a powerful analytical instrument used to obtain an infrared spectrum of...

1. A bundle of light rays that may be parallel, converging or diverging. 2. A concentrated, unidirectional stream of...

The process whereby white light is separated into its component wavelengths. Light beams of different wavelengths are...

CID, or charge injection device, camera refers to a type of imaging device that utilizes a specific kind of solid-state...

An assembly of optical fibers that will not transmit coherent images or information because the relationship of the fibers...

A short focal length (less than five inches) positive lens used to produce a magnified image of the object being viewed....

A telescopic system having an eyepiece, a reticle and an objective. The instrument measures wavefront power in diopters.

Whole slide imaging (WSI), also known as virtual slide microscopy or digital pathology, is a technology that involves the...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, single-stranded RNA molecules, typically consisting of about 19 to 24 nucleotides,...

Fluorescence lifetime refers to the average time it takes for a fluorophore, a molecule that absorbs light at one wavelength...

A micro-ring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...

The graphed curve illustrating the directional reflectance of a sample for different angles of collection.

A Risley prism, also known as a Risley prism pair or Risley rotating prism, is an optical device used for controlling the...

Spectroscopy characterized by the Mossbauer effect - recoilless emission and absorption of nuclear gamma radiation- which...

1. A prism used in some instruments to bend light 90° before it enters the objective. 2. A dispersing prism located in...

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....

A defect of a binocular instrument causing two images to be seen separately instead of being fused. It is caused when the...

Hydrophilic is a term used to describe substances or materials that have an affinity for water. The word hydrophilic comes...

The use of a surgical laser instead of sutures or staples to close a wound or rejoin severed blood vessels.

The scientific observation of celestial radiation that has reached the vicinity of Earth, and the interpretation of these...

One of the first lasers to find practical application. Generally, the pumping mechanism is an electric discharge, although...

Fusion ignition refers to the point in a controlled nuclear fusion reaction where the energy released by the fusion...

A telescope so manufactured that the image remains erect and the position of the eyepiece is unchanged as the line of sight...

The positioning of two Nicol prisms so that their axes are at right angles to each other. With this arrangement, light...

A term referring to an optical force field used to trap and stabilize particles acted upon by a force such as laser light.

In fiber optics, the use of a detector to study the range of refractive indices achieved at various wavelengths. This...

A device used to measure power loss in fiber optic connectors, cables or systems.

A photocathode having a P-type semiconductor with a work function less than its bandgap. The photocathode can release a...

A device having a pair of decentered lenses, one for each eye, that focuses on a single object as a magnifier. It is often...

A technique for confining atoms, molecules or small particles within one or more laser beams. This can be accomplished...

An optical scanning system found in most computer scanners that can read documents, often in many type styles, and convert...

Camera Link HS (high speed) is a standard developed for high-speed digital data transmission in machine vision and...

The holographic recording of a microscopic specimen whereby magnification is achieved by alteration in a wavelength or...

A laser device used to establish a location or target usually for detection by an impact source e.g. missiles and guided...

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used in medical and scientific fields to capture...

Dispersion refers to the phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light travel at different speeds when passing...

A phase screen, in the context of optics and wave optics, refers to a surface or medium that introduces a phase delay to an...

In semiconductor physics, the term bandgap refers to the energy range in a material where no electronic states are allowed....

The conduction of electricity in a gas as a result of the ions generated by collisions between electrons and gas molecules.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is an advanced imaging technique that provides information about the lifetime of...

An instrument that is used to detect high-energy particles by the pulse of the current formed when a particle passes through...

A fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It...

Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) is a superresolution microscopy technique that enables imaging of...

A free-electron laser (FEL) is a type of laser that generates coherent, high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by using a...

A method of fabricating an optical waveguide by melting the core and clad glasses in two suitably joined concentric...

A polarizer that consists of dichroic polarizing material embedded in a plastic sheet, and that transmits light that is...

The radiation emitted in semiconductors when electrons in the conduction band recombine with holes in the valence band. If...

Custom lapping and polishing services involve specialized processes used to improve the surface finish and dimensional...

1. A framelike structure that serves to restrict the viewing area of the screen when placed before a television picture...

A technique for obtaining improved resolution of images produced by large telescopes and distorted by the effects of...

A solar simulator is a device used to replicate the spectrum and intensity of sunlight in a controlled environment for...

A telescope that corrects dispersion and spherical aberration through the use of one or more lenses, usually smaller than...

A material used to jacket fiber optic cables. It is chemical- and moisture-resistant, but not fire-resistant.

The splitting or shifting of spectral lines or energy levels caused by the application of a strong transverse electrical...

Mode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...

In astronomy, the relative brightness of a celestial body. Originally a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 represented the brightest...

An instrument designed to measure angles in azimuth; used in general topographic work and military gunnery.

The radiation emitted from a group of charged particles that does not depend on the temperature of the source in which those...

An instrument that uses electromagnetic fields to sort out the relative masses of atoms and molecules.The same way an...

A small erect-image telescope for use as a sighting device on a rifle. The chief requirement is a long eye relief to avoid...

A fiber optic device that uses a HeNe laser, beamsplitter, monochromator and photomultiplier to detect trace levels of...

The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...

CoaXPress (CoaXPress or CXP) is a standardized digital interface and communication protocol used primarily in machine vision...

A wireless stereo imaging device used in conjunction with a monitor to produce a virtual interactive environment. Liquid...

A prism produced by severing a Nicol prism and reconstructing the polarization angles of the two halves so that they are...

An instrument for the detection of the energy distribution of b-particles and secondary electrons.

An ultrafast pulsed laser is a type of laser that emits extremely short pulses of light with durations typically on the...

An electromagnon is a quasiparticle excitation that combines aspects of both magnetism and electric polarization in a...

A device that uses electromagnetic fields to separate electrically charged particles according to their masses. As a beam of...

A scattering photometer using scattered light in the solid angle 4.51+0 19° with respect to the forward direction, and...

A molecule that has the ability to chemically combine with other molecules to form a polymer, hence being capable of being...

Luminescence is the emission of light that occurs without the involved substance undergoing a significant increase in...

A specialized form of diffraction grating consisting of assembled glass plates of equal thickness that resemble a flight of...

Optical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and...

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...

Also known as gas focusing. The introduction of an inert gas into a cathode-ray tube for the concentration of the electron...

Machine learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on the development of algorithms and...

The simplest lens in which all primary aberrations may be corrected. It consists of two positive crown elements on either...

Biometrics refers to the automated recognition of individuals based on their physiological or behavioral characteristics....

A statistical analysis of facts obtained when the intensity of x-ray diffraction is calculated at different angles. In this...

Flow chemistry, also known as continuous-flow chemistry, is a chemical manufacturing process where reactions take place in a...

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...

The smallest amount of photon energy to pass a detector window and be counted.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that belongs to the powder bed...

A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....

Streaks of dense seeds with accompanying small bubbles.

A form of Cassegrain telescope having a concave hyperbolic primary and a convex hyperbolic secondary. This form permits the...

A graphic representation of a distribution function such as frequency by means of rectangles whose widths represent the...

A compound lens so constructed that its overall length is equal to or less than its effective focal length.

A tool used in cutting circular holes around a center. Also, a laser cutter in which the beam moves in relation to the cut...

An artificial star used to aid in adaptive optics imaging of the sky. The guide star is provided from a telescope system on...

A test for spherical aberration, coma or astigmatism in which incident rays from a point source are isolated by small holes...

A mirror mount is a mechanical device used to secure and precisely position mirrors in optical systems. Mirrors are...

Also known as all-glass fiber. A fiber with both a silica core and a silica cladding, regardless of the presence of a...

An Er:YAG laser is a type of solid-state laser that uses a crystal made of erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet...

The parallel orientation of the molecular axes of the nematic molecules in a nematic crystal, relative to the electrode...

Piezoresistance is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where the electrical resistance of a material changes in...

A pollution-measuring device used to detect the presence of nitric oxide regardless of other gases present. It utilizes the...

A satellite-borne remote sensing device capable of transmitting images at 10 and 20 m resolution from an altitude of 830 km,...

An assembly of prototype instruments, equipment and/or software designed to perform all the functions of a concept or idea...

Fluorescence microscopy is a specialized optical imaging technique used in biology, chemistry, and materials science to...

A controlled motion system that may use a telescope, camera or antenna to follow accurately a satellite, missile, vehicle or...

In colorimetry, the phenomenon in which spectrally different radiations produce the same color sensation for a given...

A defect in the cleaved end face of an optical fiber, defined as multiple surface irregularities across the fiber surface. A...

A lenticular screen having the lenticules tipped about 20° to compensate for off-normal projection.

A method of storing digital data using techniques that consume less memory space than basic methods do. See differential...

A two-mirror corrector for a parabolic primary mirror that provides anastigmatic performance for large astronomical...

A device composed of dissimilar metals that, when welded together, develop a small voltage dependent upon the relative...

Liquid crystals are a state of matter that exhibits properties intermediate between those of conventional liquids and solid...

(SALI) A type of spectroscopy in which neutral atoms or molecules are ionized by an excimer laser beam and then measured by...

A spectrometer or autocollimator used to measure prism angles.

A well controlled thin films technique for growing films with good crystal structure in ultra high vacuum environments at...

Intense scattering in the region of the liquid-gas critical point. At this point the gas will strongly scatter all light to...

A lens with aberrations corrected to the point that residual wavefront errors are substantially less than one-quarter the...

Fluorescence imaging technique in which the excitation light from the objective is directed into the sample producing...

A crystal, glass, or quartz slicing and cutting machine is a specialized piece of equipment used in the manufacturing...

Optical manufacturing tools and machinery encompass a wide range of equipment, instruments, and systems used in the...

Spectroscopy is a technique used in the study of interactions between matter and electromagnetic radiation. It involves...

An instrument for measuring the brightness (luminance) of a scene. It may be a spot meter, covering an area of a degree or...

The ability of an optical system to make an object appear larger. An optical element or optical system causing an object to...

The Casimir force is a quantum phenomenon that results in an attractive force between two closely spaced uncharged...

Raman spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry and physics to study vibrational, rotational, and other...

A temperature radiator whose spectral emissivity at all wavelengths is in constant ratio (less than unity) to that of a...

Sapphire optical fiber is a type of optical fiber made from single-crystal sapphire, which is a form of aluminum oxide...

Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...

Laser marking is a process in which a laser beam is used to mark or engrave a surface by altering its properties or...

An organizational method used in optical design computer programs. The technique produces one number (merit function) to...

A sputtering target is a solid material used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....

Scattering caused by the interaction between ingoing and outgoing particles of the same type, with no loss of kinetic energy.

Molecules composed entirely of carbon, in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid or tube. Also called buckyballs....

Integrated photonics is a field of study and technology that involves the integration of optical components, such as lasers,...

Short-lived molecular or atomic particles, with an unpaired electron, that play an important part in many photochemical...

A coarse diffraction grating that is used to form a scale of intensities to determine the relative magnitudes of stars. The...

A well plate, also known as a microplate or microtiter plate, is a flat plate with multiple small wells or depressions...

Free-space optics (FSO), also known as optical wireless communication or optical wireless networking, refers to the...

Sometimes referred to as the surface normal or 'surface norm'; the normal is an axis that forms right angles with a surface...

Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is an advanced imaging technique that combines holography and digital image processing...

The broadening of a laser's line width in a way that affects every atom (or molecule), and thus the whole system, in the...

Optoelectronics is a branch of electronics that focuses on the study and application of devices and systems that use light...

A type of change in the energy levels of molecules in a laser that results in lasing action. Vibronic transitions are those...

Very small phosphor particles present on the screen of a picture tube.

The process by which a substance, usually a solid, attracts and retains on its surface the molecules of another substance.

An electrowetting display (EWD) is a type of electronic display technology that utilizes the principles of electrowetting to...

An accurately produced hole of any size and shape that is used as a masking device in an optical system. Pinhole apertures...

A spectrum that originates from molecules and that is composed of bands which, in turn, consist of many closely spaced...

An endoscope is a medical device used for visualizing and examining the interior of hollow organs, body cavities, or...

The state of a liquid crystal in which the molecules are arranged in layers with their long axes in the plane of each layer....

In a thermal imaging system, the smallest change in blackbody equivalent temperature that can be detected clearly by the...

Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon that occurs when different wavelengths (colors) of light are refracted by a...

A beam instability, induced by index of refraction inhomogeneities and component damage of dirt and dust particles, that...

A technique used in astronomy that requires a radio telescope to be directed at a point in the sky west of the object under...

Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...

A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...

A frame taken with a CCD camera of a surface that is evenly illuminated by diffuse light. This frame shows irregularities in...

The deviation from the ideal case where a circular variable filter is located at a given wavelength along a radial line (or...

A low-power telescope with a wide field of view, typically attached to a higher power telescope with a narrower field of...

That characteristic which makes a weapon system less visible to radar, optical, acousto-optic, infrared and other military...

A computer-generated hologram (CGH) is a holographic image produced using computational methods and algorithms, rather than...

1. The focal point. 2. To adjust the eyepiece or objective of a telescope so that the image is clearly seen by the observer....

A plane that lies at right angles to the tube axis that has the deflection center.

A support for optical parts comprising a solid bed that permits precise longitudinal movement of one component relative to...

Attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAP) is an advanced technique in ultrafast spectroscopy that allows...

The internet of things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other objects...

A type of spectroscopy used extensively in the analysis of biological samples. Because most biologically synthesized...

Optofluidics is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles from optics and fluidics to create devices and systems...

Device in which contact ionization of atomic particles and thermionic electron emission are used to produce magnetically...

A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen, quartz-halogen, or quartz iodine lamp, is an incandescent lamp that uses a...

In vitro is a Latin term that translates to "in glass." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and medicine, it...

A photodetector composed of a photoconductive material that, when exposed to radiation, conducts without the aid of added...

A molecule that is the mirror image of another molecule. The two mirror-image molecules have the same chemical properties;...

A fluorophore is a molecule or a portion of a molecule that has the ability to emit light upon excitation by an external...

A retroreflector is an optical device or structure that reflects incident light or electromagnetic waves back to their...

In a pulsed laser, the pulse energy in joules times the repetition rate in hertz.

Housing that resembles a small metal can for a semiconductor component, photodetector or similar device.

A ring laser gyroscope (RLG) is a type of gyroscope that uses laser light to detect and measure changes in orientation. It...

Refers to the variety of techniques that use the interference pattern produced by laser light diffusely reflected by an...

A time-to-amplitude converter (TAC) is an electronic circuit that converts a time interval between two events into an...

With respect to a lens, the reciprocal of its focal length. The term power, as applied to a telescope or microscope, often...

Any systemic process that ultimately reassembles all the system's components into their initial alignment, or an arrangement...

The action of a biological system responding to a single or multiple coherent particles of light produced from a laser...

The term "metaverse" refers to a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical...

Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...

A scanning probe microscope that analyzes the surface of a specimen by recording the intensity of light as it is focused...

The displacement of spectrum lines, as determined by the increasing distance between, and the relative velocity of, the...

Long-wave infrared (LWIR) refers to a specific range of the infrared spectrum. Infrared radiation is divided into three main...

Controlled beam technology that introduces beams of sunlight through holes in a roof that are relayed throughout the...

Brightfield refers to a type of microscopy and imaging technique in which the specimen is illuminated with a white light...

Area scan, in the context of imaging and cameras, refers to a method of capturing an entire two-dimensional image in a...

Laser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...

Magneto-optics refers to the study and manipulation of the interaction between magnetic fields and light (electromagnetic...

Data communications network in a clearly defined geographical location, and extending no more than a few miles in length. It...

A network interface card (NIC), also known as a network adapter or LAN adapter, is a hardware component that allows...

A hologram formed without lenses and with the object and reference points sharing the same plane. In the initial recording,...

Remote sensing is a method of data collection and observation where information about objects, areas, or phenomena on...

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates digital information, typically in the form of computer-generated...

Freeform optics refers to the design and fabrication of optical surfaces that do not follow traditional symmetric shapes,...

A two-fiber optical cable containing two single-fiber cables that are connected by a strip of jacket and that can easily be...

A device attached to the end of an alignment telescope that detects and calculates a plane mirror's rotation axis that is...

A large telescope mirror fabricated from several smaller sections.

System of information coding in which the signal is sampled 8000 times per second and the samples quantized by referring...

Abbreviated TEA CO2 laser. A gas laser that provides shorter pulses and higher peak powers than conventional CO2 lasers. The...

The behavior of microscopic solid particles suspended in a fluid, first observed by botanist Robert Brown in 1827 as a...

An angstrom, symbolized by the Ångström or Å, is a unit of length used to express atomic and molecular...

An APD detector, or avalanche photodiode detector, is a type of photodetector used to detect light or optical signals by...

One surface of a nonconducting plate that is coated with many minute particles of photoemissive material that are insulated...

Plastic optical fiber (POF) is a type of optical fiber made from transparent plastic, typically polymethylmethacrylate...

Intravital microscopy is an imaging technique used to visualize biological processes within living organisms, typically in...

An optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...

An instrument used to measure the luminance (brightness) of a distant object. The object is viewed through a small...

Solar regions characterized by low density and open magnetic fields where high-speed solar wind streams originate....

The spreading of potentially equal radiation frequencies that results in broadening of the spectral line. This effect is...

A scintillation crystal, also known simply as a scintillator, is a material that emits light when it interacts with ionizing...

A Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater...

A device that couples a light source to an optical fiber by projecting an image of the source and the fiber core onto a...

An airspaced achromatic doublet telescope objective.

A relationship between two variables so that when plotted on a graph they yield a straight line.

An aptamer is a short, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecule that can bind to a specific target molecule with high affinity...

Single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is a group of super-resolution microscopy techniques that surpass the...

A two-dimensional scanning process, in which a slow sector scan, propagated in one direction, is superimposed at right...

The angular subtense of the field of view in the image space of a telescope, as differentiated from that in the object space...

A Peltier cooler, also known as a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) or thermoelectric module, is a solid-state device that uses...

A set of samples used in the analysis of multielement thin films.

Machine vision, also known as computer vision or computer sight, refers to the technology that enables machines, typically...

A transmission electron microscope (TEM) is a powerful microscopy technique that uses a beam of electrons to create...

With a repetitive object such as a series of equispaced lines, the reciprocal of the line spacing in object or image,...

Quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) is a display technology that utilizes quantum dots, which are semiconductor...

A variation of tomography, which is a means of visualizing any one of a large set of parallel planes in the patient. A...

Also known as roof prism. A type of prism designed by G.B. Amici. It consists of a roof edge produced upon the long...

The deposition of a metallic coating, usually nickel, on a component by chemical means rather than by electroplating; the...

A type of modulation spectroscopy that measures spectral reflectance or transmittance changes induced by applying a...

An aplanatic surface is an optical surface that is specifically designed or shaped to minimize spherical aberration and...

Spontaneous changes to the visual system making it more or less sensitive to light.

A solution containing colloidal silica particles.

The smallest area of uniform brightness that can be seen by the eye. It is measured in terms of the solid angle subtended by...

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...

Low Earth orbit (LEO) refers to a region in space that is relatively close to Earth's surface, typically characterized by...

A telescope that uses a reflecting objective to focus an image of a distant object at a focal point.

The process of reducing the size of an image by removing a certain proportion of the samples produced from the original...

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...