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Optics, Sensors & Detectors Dictionary Terms

attenuation-limited power
In fiber optics, the limitation on performance imposed by the amplitude of a received signal rather than distortion.
half bandwidth
The term half bandwidth (HBW) generally refers to the width of a spectral band or frequency range at half of its maximum...
plastic optics
Plastic optics refers to optical components or systems that are made from transparent plastic materials, as opposed to...
Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor
The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is an optical device used for measuring the wavefront aberrations of an optical system....
magneto-optics
Magneto-optics refers to the study and manipulation of the interaction between magnetic fields and light (electromagnetic...
laser pointer
Handheld optical laser device containing a semiconductor or DPSS source. The output is corrected via internal collimating...
bubble chamber optics
Specially designed optics for the observation and photographing of hydrogen in a bubble chamber.
Dammann grating
A Dammann grating is a type of diffractive optical element (DOE) used to create an array of equally spaced,...
second-order nonlinear optical properties
Second-order nonlinear optical properties refer to a class of phenomena exhibited by certain materials in response to...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
nonlinear optics
Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics that studies the optical phenomena that occur when intense light interacts with a...
adapter
1. In optics, the housing, usually cylindrical, that contains the lenses and iris diaphragm of a camera. 2. In fiber optics,...
supercontinuum
Supercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the...
surface
1. In optics, one of the exterior faces of an optical element. 2. The process of grinding or generating the face of an...
meteorological optics
machine vision system
A machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...
x-ray optics
The study of the physics of x-rays, where the x-rays exhibit properties similar to those of lightwaves. Also called Roentgen...
binary optics
Optical elements, often created by micromachining, lithography or vacuum deposition, that rely on diffraction of the...
nano
An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other...
second-harmonic generation
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine...
Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering is a phenomenon in physics where an incident electromagnetic wave (usually light) interacts with...
cleaning equipment
In optics, degreasers or ultrasonic arrangements used for removing pitch, cement or polishing material from lenses during...
strain
In optics, the mechanical tension, compression or shear in optical glass due to internal stress caused by improper cooling...
dust extinction
In atmospheric optics, the almost total blocking of light transmission in the atmosphere due to the scattering and...
germanium crystal
Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor...
quantum well
A quantum well is a structure in quantum mechanics that confines particles, such as electrons or holes, in one spatial...
axial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the refractive index varies along the direction of light propagation,...
equivalent wavelength
In surface height measurement of optics with steep slopes, the use of two short visible wavelengths to synthesize a longer,...
anisotropy
Anisotropy refers to the property of exhibiting different values or characteristics when measured in different directions....
crystal optics
The study of the transmission of radiant energy through crystals, especially anisotropic crystals, and their effects on...
paraboloidal mirror
A concave mirror that has the form of a paraboloid of revolution. The paraboloidal mirror may have only a portion of a...
kinematic mount
A mount for an optic element or optics assembly, designed so that all six degrees of freedom are singly constrained. This...
active optics
Technology that corrects the shape of reflective optics; primarily applied in large telescope systems, in order to...
physical optics
The branch of science that treats light as a wave phenomenon wherein light propagation is studied by wavefronts rather than...
modulation
In general, changes in one oscillation signal caused by another, such as amplitude or frequency modulation in radio which...
incoherent
In optics, the term denoting the lack of a fixed phase relationship between two waves. If two incoherent waves are...
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
scanner
1. A device used to trace out an object and build up an image. One of the most common of these types is video scanning. The...
Geometrical optics
The area of optics in which the propagation of light is described by geometrical lines (or rays) governed by Fermat's...
Rydberg atom
The term "Rydberg atom" refers to an atom in a highly excited state where one or more of its electrons are in a Rydberg...
Fresnel reflection
Fresnel reflection refers to the reflection of light at the interface between two different media with different refractive...
Laurent polarimeter
A Laurent polarimeter is an instrument used in optics for measuring the rotation of plane-polarized light caused by...
tolerance field
In fiber optics, the annular region between two concentric circles; used to specify fiber cladding and core sizes.
space-division multiplex
In fiber optics, the condition in which each fiber of a bundle carries a separate channel.
isolator
In the context of electronics and optics, an isolator refers to a device that allows the transmission of signals in one...
optical grating
An optical grating, in the context of optics and physics, refers to a device with a periodic structure of closely spaced,...
fluence
Fluence is a term used in various scientific and technical disciplines to describe the amount of something per unit area....
lateral shearing interferometer
A lateral shearing interferometer is an optical device used in interferometry to measure phase differences between two beams...
image optics
Any form of lens, optical system (camera, telescope, microscope, etc.), or opto-electronics utilized for the purpose of...
bandwidth-limited operation
In fiber optics, the limitation on performance imposed by the system bandwidth rather than the amplitude of the signal.
mandrel
A shaft, spindle or any object generally passed through a workpiece to hold, support or shape a particular piece during its...
fresnel
A unit of frequency equivalent to 1012 cps. Named for Augustin Jean Fresnel, a French physicist known for his work in light...
concave grating
A reflecting grating ruled on a concave spherical surface that not only disperses the light but focuses the spectrum. The...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and...
optical gate
An optical gate typically refers to a device or system that controls the transmission of light, allowing it to pass through...
harmonic generation
Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
Kerr effect
The Kerr effect, named after the physicist John Kerr who first observed it in 1875, is a nonlinear optical phenomenon where...
image
In optics, an image is the reconstruction of light rays from a source or object when light from that source or object is...
micro-optic gyroscope
A thin-film device that integrates optics and electronics on a single chip to provide a passive-ring resonator gyroscope...
attenuation
Attenuation refers to the gradual loss or reduction of intensity, force, or magnitude of a particular property as it...
light sheet fluorescence microscopy
Also known as single plane illumination microscopy (SPIM), this process was designed for imaging of sensitive samples and...
collective lens
A convex or positive lens that serves to collect energy and direct it into subsequent system optics.
PIN photodiode
A PIN photodiode is a type of photodetector or semiconductor device used to convert light signals into electrical signals....
Schlieren optics
An optical system that records inhomogeneities within a medium by detecting the energy refracted by that portion of the...
high-density storage
Extensive data storage in the form of bits, with the use of high-resolution photographic materials and optics, and generally...
Ti:sapphire laser
A Ti:sapphire laser is a type of solid-state laser that utilizes a titanium-doped sapphire crystal as the gain medium. The...
grating beamsplitter
A grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...
edge-emitting LED
An edge-emitting light-emitting diode is a type of LED structure where light emission occurs primarily along the edge of the...
phase-modulated sensor
A phase-modulated sensor is a type of sensor that uses modulation of the phase of a signal to measure changes in a physical...
dissonance
In optics, the production of maxima and minima by the superimposition of two sets of interference fringes from light of two...
cladding glass
In fiber optics, the glass that is found around the glass core of the fiber, and that has a lower refractive index than the...
visually coupled airborne systems simulator
A visual system including a tiny television tube and imaging optics, all contained in a helmet to be worn by pilots in...
custom lapping and polishing services
Custom lapping and polishing services involve specialized processes used to improve the surface finish and dimensional...
laser diode module
A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...
Gaussian optics
1. That branch of optics that illustrates the theory in which q is substituted for sin q in Snell's law. Effective results...
autocollimator
An autocollimator is an optical instrument used for measuring small angular deviations with high precision. It operates on...
phase matching
Phase matching is a crucial concept in the field of optics, particularly in nonlinear optics and the generation of coherent...
GRIN lens
A GRIN (gradient index) lens is a type of optical lens that utilizes a gradient in refractive index across its volume rather...
diffractive optics
Optical elements that use diffraction to control wavefronts. Diffractive optical elements include diffraction gratings,...
optical testing instrument
An optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...
electro-optics
1. The branch of physics that deals with the use of electrical energy to create or manipulate light waves, generally by...
Mie scattering
Mie scattering, named after the German physicist Gustav Mie, refers to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation (such as...
nanopositioning
Nanopositioning refers to the precise and controlled movement or manipulation of objects or components at the nanometer...
transmission
In optics, the conduction of radiant energy through a medium. Often denotes the percentage of energy passing through an...
linear receive optics
Linear receive optics typically refers to the optical components and systems used in the reception (detection) of linearly...
infrared optic
Infrared optics refer to optical components and systems designed to manipulate and control infrared (IR) light, which lies...
magnitude
In astronomy, the relative brightness of a celestial body. Originally a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 represented the brightest...
radial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the index varies in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis....
divergence
1. In optics, the bending of rays away from each other. 2. In lasers, the spreading of a laser beam with increased distance...
electron optics
The control of free electron movement through the use of electrical or magnetic fields, and use of this electron movement in...
integration time
Integration time, in the context of optics, imaging systems, and sensor technology, refers to the duration over which a...
hygroscopic
In fiber optics, a material whose properties, usually of transmission, are distinctly affected by the absorption of water...
resonator
A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance, which is a phenomenon that occurs when an external force or...
fiberless optics
 heterostructures
A method used in integrated optics; formed by growing an epitaxial layer of active material, removing it from its base and...
ultrafast pulsed laser
An ultrafast pulsed laser is a type of laser that emits extremely short pulses of light with durations typically on the...
object
The figure seen through or imaged by an optical system. It may contain structures, natural or artificial, or it may be the...
nanoimprint lithography
Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a nanolithography technique used for fabricating nanoscale patterns on a substrate. It is a...
thin-film deposition equipment
Thin-film deposition equipment refers to machinery and tools used in the process of depositing thin layers of material onto...
Judas optics
A small defocused Galilean telescope mounted in a hole in a door. Viewed from inside through the positive lens, a wide-angle...
distributed feedback laser
A distributed feedback laser (DFB laser) is a type of semiconductor laser diode designed to emit coherent, narrow-bandwidth...
custom optic
A custom optic refers to an optical component that is designed, manufactured, and tailored to meet specific requirements or...
laser damage threshold
The laser damage threshold refers to the maximum level of laser intensity that a material can withstand without experiencing...
vortex phase plate
A vortex phase plate is an optical device designed to impart a phase singularity, commonly referred to as a vortex or phase...
mesoscope
In the field of optics and imaging, a mesoscope refers to an optical instrument that is designed to observe and capture...
magnetorheological finishing
Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...
geometric optics
A field of physics that deals with light as if it truly were composed of rays diverging in various directions from the...
volume Bragg gratings
Volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) are specialized optical elements that consist of periodic variations in refractive index...
static beam shaping
A technique for creating optimal performance in a system by producing a specific beam irradiance distribution, usually...
automatic profiling
In fiber optics, the use of a detector to study the range of refractive indices achieved at various wavelengths. This...
hard coating
Usually a dielectric coating on glass or plastic optics; a coating that is comparable in hardness to glass itself.
toric lens
A lens having one or more toric surfaces. A toric surface is one having a maximum power in one meridian and a minimum power...
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...
laser optics
Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...
molecular motor
A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
diffractive lens
Any optical device that utilizes diffraction in an image-forming capability. Familiar diffractive lenses are zone plates,...
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
soft coating
A term describing an antireflection coating that may be applied to optics that cannot tolerate the high temperatures usually...
sputtering equipment
Sputtering equipment is machinery used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
motion controller
In optics, a motion controller refers to a device or system that precisely controls the movement of optical components, such...
spherical gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the refractive index varies symmetrically about a point.
pyramid error
Pyramid error in optics refers to an aberration in the shape of an optical surface, particularly in the context of mirrors....
computer-generated hologram
A computer-generated hologram (CGH) is a holographic image produced using computational methods and algorithms, rather than...
quantum optics
The area of optics in which quantum theory is used to describe light in discrete units or "quanta" of energy known as...
scratch resistant coating
Thin layers intended to prevent damage to plastic optics.
reflective
The term reflective is an adjective that describes the ability of a surface or material to reflect light or other forms of...
linear positioning stage
A linear positioning stage, also known as a linear stage or translation stage, is a precision mechanical device used to...
concave and convex spherical mirror
Concave and convex spherical mirrors are types of curved mirrors that have surfaces shaped like segments of spheres. These...
metamaterial
Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These...
octave
In optics, an octave typically refers to a range of frequencies or wavelengths that spans a factor of 2. In other words,...
achromat
An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration....
chemical vapor deposition equipment
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment refers to a class of specialized apparatus used in the process of chemical vapor...
phase mask
In optics and photolithography, a phase mask refers to a device that modifies the phase of light waves passing through it....
polariton
A polariton is a quasiparticle resulting from the strong coupling between photons (light particles) and certain types of...
optical combiner
An optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...
thin-film coating
Thin-film coatings are layers of material applied to the surface of an object or substrate, typically to modify its optical,...
chalcogenide
Chalcogenide refers to a class of compounds containing elements from group 16 of the periodic table, which includes sulfur...
optical
Pertaining to optics and the phenomena of light.
cladding mode
A mode that is confined by virtue of a lower-index medium surrounding the cladding. Cladding modes, in the terminology of...
q-switched operation
Q-switched operation, or q-switching, is a technique used in lasers to produce short and intense pulses of light. The term...
adaptive optics
Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of...
meta-optics
Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
optical design and engineering services
Optical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and...
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
convergence
1. In optics, the bending of light rays toward each other, as by a convex or positive lens. 2. Turning in the eyes to view a...
high-performance parallel interface
A very high bandwidth communication line often used in fiber optics.
polishing jig
In fiber optics, a device used to polish a biconic plug to a specified length and surface finish. Also called a polishing...
integrated optics
A thin-film device containing miniature optical components connected via optical waveguides on a transparent dielectric...
nanophotonics
Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...
freeform optics
Freeform optics refers to the design and fabrication of optical surfaces that do not follow traditional symmetric shapes,...
single-photon avalanche diode
A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...
photon sieve
A photon sieve is an optical device used in the field of optics and imaging. It's designed to focus and shape light,...
ion-beam sputtering
Ion-beam sputtering (IBS) is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique used for depositing thin films onto substrates. It...
Fizeau fringes
Fizeau fringes are interference fringes observed in an interferometer, specifically in a Fizeau interferometer. The Fizeau...
diode laser
A diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate coherent light....
beam shaper
A beam shaper is an optical device or system designed to modify the spatial profile or intensity distribution of a laser or...
Ruticon
A ruticon is an opto-electronic device in which light going through it can be modulated by an electric field. The...
breakout cable
A breakout cable, also known as a fan-out cable or breakout assembly, is a type of cable that combines multiple individual...
slicing and cutting machines - for crystals, quartz, glass, etc.
A crystal, glass, or quartz slicing and cutting machine is a specialized piece of equipment used in the manufacturing...
diverging lens
A diverging lens is a type of lens that causes parallel rays of light to spread out or diverge. It is thinner in the center...
long-pass filter
A long-pass filter is an optical filter that allows longer wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking or...
near-field scanning
A measurement technique used to determine the spatial distribution profile of an electrical or optical quantity of interest...
dispersion
Dispersion refers to the phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light travel at different speeds when passing...
electro-optic modulator
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is a device used to modulate the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light waves using an...
rainbow hologram
Essentially, a hologram of a hologram, in which the first-generation hologram is masked with a narrow slit. During image...
resolution
1. In optics, the ability of a lens system to reproduce the points, lines and surfaces in an object as separate entities in...
geometric image
The position and shape of the image of a point source, as predicted by geometric optics alone. The geometric image is to be...
sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal refers to a transparent, single-crystal form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) known as corundum. It is one of the...
beam table
Laser light show effects equipment including optics and mechanical devices that reflect, position or distort the laser beam,...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The...
injection molding
A method of producing high-quality plastic optics in large volumes by injecting the heated, liquified plastic at high...
linear optics
Linear optics refers to the study and manipulation of light in a linear and deterministic manner, where the response of...
Mach-Zehnder interferometer
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer is an optical device used to measure the phase difference between two collimated beams of...
figure
In optics, the geometrical form of an optical surface.
diamond-turned optic
Diamond turning refers to a precision machining process used to produce complex optical components, particularly lenses and...
polarization
Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave, such as light waves, radio waves, or other...
phase
In optics and photonics, "phase" refers to a property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the position...
optics of material
The area of optics that deals with the interaction of light with a given material. The optical properties of material are...
momentum transfer
In physics, momentum transfer is the amount of momentum transferred from one particle to another during particle collision...
laser pen
Device consisting of a laser diode, beam-correcting optics and collimating optics in a single housing. Also called a...
dioptrics
The branch of optics that deals with the study of the refraction of light, particularly by the transmitting medium of the...
prism
A prism is a geometric optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. It is typically a solid, transparent...
masks for evaporation/deposition
In the context of thin film deposition processes such as evaporation or sputtering, masks are used to selectively deposit...
remote laser welding
A robotic process commonly employed by automakers that enables high-speed and flexible production throughput by using...
infrared scanner
An optical system used to collect infrared energy from a scene using scanning optics with a point or line detector, as...
flow cytometry
Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology and medicine for the quantitative analysis of the physical and...
optical table
An optical table, also known as an optical bench or an optical breadboard, is a specialized platform used in optics...
gradient-index profile
The term gradient-index profile refers to a specific type of refractive index distribution within an optical material. In...
bellows
In optics, a collapsible structure situated between the lens and film of a camera to allow variation of the distance between...
thermograph
The instrument used to collect thermal radiation information on an object by scanning. It consists basically of a detector,...
buffer
1. In fiber optics, a protective material applied as an optical fiber cover that has no optical function. 2. In image...
cold coating
A method of applying antireflection coatings to optics that avoids the elevated temperatures normally used. A cold coating...
beam optics
piezoelectric motion systems
Piezoelectric motion systems are mechanical systems that utilize piezoelectric materials to generate controlled motion or...
micro-ring resonator
A micro-ring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
lattice
In photonics, a lattice refers to a periodic arrangement of optical elements or structures, often on a microscopic or...
multi-axis alignment
Multi-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...
nonlinear polarization
Nonlinear polarization refers to the phenomenon where the polarization of a material responds nonlinearly to an applied...
Pockels
In optics, the Pockels effect refers to the phenomenon where the refractive index of a material changes in response to an...
paraxial
Characteristic of optical analyses that are limited to infinitesimally small apertures. Also called first-order or Gaussian...
retroreflection
Retroreflection is a phenomenon in optics where light is reflected back toward its source, typically in a direction nearly...
automated optical inspection
Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a technology used in manufacturing processes, particularly in electronics, to...
vapor-phase axial deposition
A process by which high-quality fiber optics are made. See axial vapor-phase deposition.
mode-locked lasers
Mode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...
atmospheric optics
The analysis of the properties of radiation, such as light, when acted upon by variations in the atmosphere. Blue and red...
optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is a branch of electronics that focuses on the study and application of devices and systems that use light...
microlens array
A microlens array is a grid-like structure composed of numerous small lenses, typically arranged in a regular pattern. Each...
plasmonics
Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
transposition
In optics, the changing of the relative curves of a lens without changing its refractive value.
coated optics
Optical elements that have been coated with one or more layers of dielectric, or metallic material. These coatings serve to...
transverse mode
In the context of optics and lasers, a transverse mode refers to a specific spatial pattern of the electric field within the...
refractive index contrast
A measure of the relative difference in refractive index between two optical materials. Most commonly used in fiber optics...
Gaussian beam optics
The area of optics that deals with the propagation of Gaussian laser beams in free space, or any general medium - i.e....
lensless microscopy
Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
optical phase distortion
Optical phase distortion refers to a phenomenon where the phase of an optical wavefront is altered as it propagates through...
delta error
The term delta error (delta-E) generally refers to the difference or change in error between two values or states. The word...
spatial light modulator
A spatial light modulator (SLM) is an optical device that modulates or manipulates the amplitude, phase, or polarization of...
Matrix optics
The linear relationship between input and output optical fields for a given optical system or application that allows the...
cutoff wavelength
1. In detector technology, the long wavelength at which detector response falls to a set percentage (usually 20 or 50...
covered groove
A technique used in integrated optics where a groove is cut on a substrate surface and covered by a thin film to facilitate...
pressurization
Injecting a gas (usually nitrogen) with a very low moisture content into the body of an optical instrument to create a...
intensified charge-coupled device camera
An intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera is an advanced imaging device that combines the capabilities of both an...
aplanatic points
Aplanatic points refer to specific points in an optical system where certain aberrations, such as spherical aberration or...
micro ion milling
Process developed for the production of high-resolution patterns in electro- and magneto-optics. These high-generation...
optogenetics
A discipline that combines optics and genetics to enable the use of light to stimulate and control cells in living tissue,...
fused quartz and silica
Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...
microdisplay
A microdisplay is a miniature electronic display technology that is designed to project visual information onto a small...
metasurfaces
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...
free-space optics
Free-space optics (FSO), also known as optical wireless communication or optical wireless networking, refers to the...
leaky ray
In an optical waveguide, a ray for which geometric optics would predict total internal reflection at the core boundary, but...
holography
Holography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and...
spatially offset Raman spectroscopy
Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) is a technique that extends traditional Raman spectroscopy by incorporating...
terahertz spectrometer
A terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz...
infrared searchlight
An infrared source combined with reflecting projection optics to illuminate a target making it visible when observed through...
topological photonics
Topological photonics is a branch of physics and optics that explores the application of topological concepts to the...
solid optics
Optical elements arranged with no spaces between, so that the light travels only through glass, not air.
optical Fourier transform
The optical Fourier transform is a mathematical operation applied to optical signals that involves transforming a spatial...
physiological optics
The study of visual perception by the sense of sight.
neutralization
In optics, the process of combining two lenses having equal and opposite powers to produce a result having no power.
whispering gallery mode
Whispering gallery mode (WGM) refers to a phenomenon in wave physics, particularly in optics, where waves, such as light or...
tissue optics
The study of the optical properties of living tissue. Increased understanding of the behavior of light in this varied,...
cold atom
Cold atoms refer to atoms that have been cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically in the microkelvin (µK) to...
photon jet
A photon jet is a narrow, highly collimated beam of light that is formed when light interacts with small dielectric...
minimum spot size
The smallest linear diameter to which a laser or other beam of radiant energy is capable of being focused, depending on the...
solar furnace
An optical system that is designed to produce a high temperature in a specified area by the optical direction and...
wave optics
Also referred to as physical optics - the area of optics in which the wave nature of light is essential when defining its...
collector
A positive lens located at or close to an intermediate image plane. The collector refracts off-axis light bundles, directing...
double-clad fiber
Double-clad fiber (DCF) is a specialized optical fiber that features two concentric cladding layers surrounding a core. The...
laser guide star
An artificial star used to aid in adaptive optics imaging of the sky. The guide star is provided from a telescope system on...
optics
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter...
Kerr soliton
A Kerr soliton refers to a specific type of soliton, a self-reinforcing wave packet, that arises in nonlinear optical...
optofluidics
Optofluidics is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles from optics and fluidics to create devices and systems...
emergent ray
In optics, the light ray leaving a medium in contrast to the entering or incident ray.
normalized frequency
Also referred to as the V number in fiber optics; the normalized frequency is a dimensionless quantity, denoted by the...
exposure
In optics, the total radiant energy incident on a surface-per-unit area. It is equal to the integral over time of the...
replicated optics
Optical components, usually reflectors, produced using proprietary techniques that transfer the precision of a master to a...
liquid crystal light valve
A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV), also known as a spatial light modulator (SLM), is an optical device that modulates the...
freeform mirrors
Freeform mirrors refer to reflective optical components that deviate from traditional symmetric or rotationally symmetric...
atom optics
The area of optics in which the wave nature of a particle is exploited to carry out very accurate interferometry and other...
integrated photonics
Integrated photonics is a field of study and technology that involves the integration of optical components, such as lasers,...
laser triangulation
A technique that uses a solid-state laser and a detector to determine an object's relative distance to the system. The laser...
optical encoder
A device designed to measure linear or rotary motion by detection of the movement of markings on a transparent medium past a...
silicon photodiode
A silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector...
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
matrix optics
light pattern
In optics, a pattern, such as the Buchmann-Meyer pattern, that may be viewed when the record surface is illuminated by a...
convex
Convex is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves outward, bulges, or has a rounded and outwardly...
microbubble resonator
A microbubble resonator is a device used in photonics and optical physics for the precise manipulation of light waves. It...
refracting sphere
A transparent sphere that has an index of refraction that is different from that of the medium surrounding it; used in...
mode beating
In optics, "mode beating" refers to an interference phenomenon that can occur in laser systems with multiple longitudinal...
first-order optics
concave
Concave is an adjective used to describe a surface or shape that curves inward or has a hollow or recessed appearance. In...
head-up display
An optical system that superimposes a synthetic display providing navigational or weapon-aiming information on a pilot's or...
lambertian source plane
In optics, a plane that emits a flux proportional to the cosine of the angle of the normal; dense opal glass is an example.
photon-rich
Photon-rich typically refers to an environment or situation where there is an abundance of photons present. In the context...
laser tube
The device, usually made of glass or a similar material, that contains the resonant cavity and optics of a gas laser.
APD detector
An APD detector, or avalanche photodiode detector, is a type of photodetector used to detect light or optical signals by...
spectroradiometer
A spectroradiometer is a device used to measure the intensity of light at different wavelengths across the electromagnetic...
nonlinear optical materials
Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
optical noise
Optical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...
frequency comb
A frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...
vacuum apparatus
Equipment dependent on the effects of a vacuum. The principal applications in optics are in the coating of lenses and...
phase screen
A phase screen, in the context of optics and wave optics, refers to a surface or medium that introduces a phase delay to an...
laser
A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
acousto-optics
Discipline within optical physics that addresses sound vibration, phonon effects and their influencing behavior within...
tangent ogive
In optics, a shape often given to the leading edge of a projectile. In any side view it appears as a pointed arc, while any...
intensified vidicon
A standard direct-readout vidicon tube linked by fiber optics to an intensifier for increased sensitivity.
liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...
photoelastic
In optics, the double refraction that is produced when stress is applied to a transparent material. Plastics, which are...
sputtering target
A sputtering target is a solid material used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
metalens
A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...
ultraviolet fiber optics
Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
image jump
In optics, the term image jump refers to a displacement or shift in the apparent position of an image when a change occurs...
dichroism
Dichroism refers to the property of certain materials to exhibit different colors or absorbance of light depending on the...
reactive evaporation
Reactive evaporation refers to a process in thin-film deposition where a material is deposited onto a substrate through...
stimulated Brillouin scattering
In Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), an incident photon (usually laser light) interacts with acoustic phonons in a...
focal length
The focal length of a lens is the distance between the lens's optical center (or principal point) and the image sensor or...
structural color
Structural color refers to coloration in materials that is not caused by pigments or dyes but is instead a result of the...
massive optics
Optical components exceeding 24 in. in diameter. The components are usually glass, acrylic or polystyrene and are used for...
fiber optics
The use of thin flexible glass or plastic fibers as wave guides — or "light pipes" — to channel light from one...
aspheric lens
An aspheric lens is a type of lens whose surface profiles deviate from the traditional spherical shape. Unlike spherical...

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