ULT Dictionary Terms
nitrogen vacancyA nitrogen vacancy (NV) refers to a specific type of defect or impurity in a crystal lattice where a nitrogen atom replaces...
electromagnetic radiationRadiation emitted from vibrating charged particles. A combination of oscillating electrical and magnetic fields that...
photomultiplier tubeA photomultiplier tube (PMT) is a highly sensitive vacuum tube that detects and amplifies low levels of light. It is widely...
multiple lens blockA block that can hold more than one lens or blank.
optoacousticOptoacoustic, or photoacoustic, refers to a phenomenon and related techniques that involve the generation of acoustic waves...
Fizeau interferometerA type of interferometer noted for producing narrow multiple-beam interference fringes. As a result, when compared with the...
red, green, blueRGB stands for red, green, blue, which are the primary colors of light used in additive color mixing. The RGB color model is...
multiplexingThe combination of two or more signals for transmission along a single wire, path or carrier. In most optical communication...
spectral line shiftA slight displacement in the position of a spectral line because of an alteration in frequency, as a result, in turn, of a...
actinic glassGlass designed to absorb most infrared and ultraviolet radiation while transmitting most of the visible region.
ultraviolet spectrometerA spectrophotometer designed for use in the 200- to 380-nm range of the electromagnetic spectrum and equipped with a...
Nd:YAG laserNd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain...
optical filterAn optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...
positron emission tomographyA medical imaging device that uses a ring of crystal/photomultiplier tube assemblies encircling the patient to detect gamma...
plasma-coupled deviceMonolithic self-scanning linear image sensor array for multichannel spectroscopy with a spectral range of from 200 to 1000...
positroniumBasically, a hydrogen atom with two alterations, positronium is the lightest atom in the universe and has an extremely light...
short wavelength infraredShort wavelength infrared (SWIR) refers to the portion of the infrared spectrum that encompasses wavelengths roughly between...
laser interferometerAn interferometer that uses a laser as its light source. The purely monochromatic nature of the laser results in improved...
Marx generatorHigh-voltage, fast-discharge circuit named after its inventor, Erwin Marx. Its capacitors are charged in parallel and...
halo1. The faintly hued ring that is seen to surround a light source viewed through fog or light clouds. The size of scattering...
mandrelA shaft, spindle or any object generally passed through a workpiece to hold, support or shape a particular piece during its...
multispectral scannerAn instrument used to record the emittance or reflectance of an object by scanning with discrete spectral resolution over a...
in vivoIn vivo is a Latin term that translates to "within the living." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and...
optical time-domain reflectometerAn optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) is a specialized instrument used in optical fiber communications to characterize...
Stark broadeningSpectrum broadening that results from the influence of an electric field.
superradianceDirectional and coherent radiation pulses that result from an ensemble of coherently prepared states in an optical medium.
cesium-antimonide photocathodeA photocathode that exhibits maximum sensitivity in the blue and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. The sensitivity is...
laser shock adhesion testA nondestructive test, also referred to as LASAT, that uses a high-energy laser pulse that is targeted on an adhesively...
silicon carbide light-emitting diodesSilicon carbide (SiC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric current is...
detector arrayA detector array refers to a collection of individual detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional grid or matrix format....
time-lapse cameraA cine camera that exposes a series of individual frames to record the changes in a subject that slowly alters with time....
sonoluminescenceThe luminescence of a substance resulting from its exposure to ultrasonic waves.
multiple invarianceCharacteristic of optical correlators in which invariance to more than one distortion parameter per axis of the processor is...
pushbroom scanningPushbroom scanning is a technique used in remote sensing and imaging systems, particularly in satellite and aerial sensors,...
passive-matrix OLED displayAn OLED display formed by creating an array of OLED pixels connected by intersecting anode and cathode conductors arranged...
structural colorStructural color refers to coloration in materials that is not caused by pigments or dyes but is instead a result of the...
injection seedingThe use of a small ultrastable master oscillator (a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser) to achieve single-frequency operation of a...
fluorescent proteinFluorescent proteins are proteins that exhibit the property of fluorescence, which is the ability to absorb light at a...
modulator crystalA nonlinear crystal used to modulate a polarized beam of light by means of the Pockels effect. A Pockels cell is used as a...
diffraction angleThe angle that lies between the direction of an incident light beam and any resulting diffracted beam.
ultrasonic grating constantThe space between diffracting centers of an ultrasonic wave that is forming certain light diffraction spectra.
hyperspectral resolutionHyperspectral resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in the spectral information captured by a...
organic dyeAny organic substance, that when dissolved in appropriate liquid based solvents will absorb and emit electromagnetic...
spectroscopySpectroscopy is a technique used in the study of interactions between matter and electromagnetic radiation. It involves...
dynamic spectroscopyA spectroscopic technique used to display the intensity of an optical pulse as functions of time and frequency...
cosmic ray telescopeA system consisting of two or more Geiger-Müller counters, connected in coincidence with their centers on an axis. The only...
multimeter
space-division multiplexIn fiber optics, the condition in which each fiber of a bundle carries a separate channel.
transport theory approximationsMultiple scattering method used in biological analysis in which approximations yield simple, explicit solutions, at least...
electron-beam film scanningThe method by which photographic film is scanned by an electron beam. One technique uses the uniform light of a television...
design and engineering consulting servicesDesign and engineering consulting services refer to professional services provided by specialized firms or individuals to...
mixed reflectionThe simultaneous occurrence of specular and diffuse reflection.
superior mirageAn image of an object that appears above the object's true position as the result of abnormal refraction of the image rays...
spike filterA multilayer filter that passes only a narrow band of wavelengths.
aspheric mirrorAn aspheric mirror is an optical mirror surface that deviates from the shape of a perfect sphere, having a non-spherical...
quantitative phase imagingQuantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to measure and analyze the optical...
spatterOf evaporative coatings, a condition resulting when small chunks of material fly from the hot crucible onto the substrate...
liquid coatingA self-healing, index-matching, nonporous coating for optical components that can eliminate production difficulties and...
modulation bandwidthThe highest frequency at which a laser diode can be driven and still be modulated acceptably that further results in the...
multiplex advantage
crystal fieldThe electrostatic field acting locally within a crystal as a result of the microscopic arrangement of atoms and ions in the...
aliasingIn image processing, the result of a sampling frequency that is too slow to preserve the spatial frequencies of the image....
machine vision systemA machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...
optical headIn compact disc and CD-ROM technology, the portion of the drive that projects the laser light onto the surface of the media...
avalanche photodiodeA device that utilizes avalanche multiplication of photocurrent by means of hole-electrons created by absorbed photons. When...
double-clad fiberDouble-clad fiber (DCF) is a specialized optical fiber that features two concentric cladding layers surrounding a core. The...
internet of thingsThe internet of things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other objects...
liquid core optical fiberMultimode straight fiber capable of transporting linearly polarized light with any incident polarization angle, and in which...
self-heatingHeating that results from the dissipation of energy.
phototherapyPhototherapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of light to treat various conditions, particularly those related...
polingThe process of aligning the crystallites in a piezoelectric material by placing a large DC field across the element at an...
fan-inThe simultaneous collection of two or more signals at a single location. In a digital computer, it refers to the number of...
circular dichroismCircular dichroism (CD) is a spectroscopic technique used to study the structural characteristics of chiral (asymmetric)...
Nernst glowerA Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater...
fluorescent microscopeA type of optical microscope that allows the specimen being viewed to be irradiated by ultraviolet, violet and occasionally...
extinction1. The near total absorption of plane-polarized light by a polarizer that has an axis perpendicular to the plane of...
metaverseThe term "metaverse" refers to a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical...
photopolymerA polymer produced as a result of photochemical processes.
optical coherence tomography imaging systemOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics and biomedical research to obtain...
photodetectorA photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical...
microfluidicsMicrofluidics is a multidisciplinary field that involves the manipulation and control of very small fluid volumes, typically...
frame1. To center an image or place it in any part of the television screen desired. Also applies to stills. 2. A single image of...
soft coatingA term describing an antireflection coating that may be applied to optics that cannot tolerate the high temperatures usually...
tip-enhanced Raman scatteringTip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a powerful technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhanced spatial...
ultrasonic light diffractionThe optical diffraction spectra formed, or the method that produces them, when a light beam is transmitted through a...
coherent fiber bundleA coherent fiber bundle (CFB), also known as a coherent fiber optic bundle, is an assembly of multiple optical fibers...
sondeA ruggedized scintillation counter used in oil well logging. The cylindrical housing contains a gamma ray source, a...
multispectral imagingMultispectral imaging is a technique that involves capturing and analyzing images at multiple discrete spectral bands within...
magnetic lensAn arranged series of coils, magnets or electromagnets disposed in such a way that the resulting magnetic fields generate a...
beam shuttleA set of mirrors mounted on solenoids to move them into and out of the path of a laser beam, making it possible for multiple...
phototoxicityPhototoxicity refers to the harmful effects caused by exposure to light, particularly intense or ultraviolet (UV) light, on...
retarder cellA device that uses nematic liquid crystals sandwiched between fused silica substrates to change the phase of polarized...
ultramicrophotographyThe process of microphotography that involves the reduction of the original at a ratio greater than 100 to 1. The process is...
ultramicroscopeA dark-field microscope used to view extremely small objects. These objects are suspended in a gas or liquid in an enclosure...
toric surfaceA surface that is swept out by revolving a circle about an axis that lies in the plane of the circle but that does not...
infrared detectorAn infrared detector is a device that is used to detect and measure infrared radiation, which lies beyond the visible...
Fabry-Perot interferometerA multiple-beam interferometer, usually consisting of two flat plates, with high reflective ability. The plates are set...
single molecule localization microscopySingle molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is a group of super-resolution microscopy techniques that surpass the...
supercontinuumSupercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the...
germicidal UVGermicidal ultraviolet (GUV) refers to a specific range of UV radiation that has disinfectant properties capable of killing...
white-light continuumAn extremely wide emission spectrum generated by the nonlinear effects created when a high peak power from a short-pulse...
gain-bandwidth productIn an avalanche photodiode, the gain multiplied by the signal frequency in MHz.
Doppler-Fizeau principleThe principle stating that the displacement of spectrum lines is determined by the distance between, and relative velocity...
ondoscopeA glow discharge tube placed on an insulating rod to detect the presence of high-frequency radiation in the vicinity of a...
transversely excited atmosphere carbon dioxide laserAbbreviated TEA CO2 laser. A gas laser that provides shorter pulses and higher peak powers than conventional CO2 lasers. The...
proof stressingA means of testing the strength of optical fibers to ensure reliability, by applying stress to the fiber so that any flaws...
x-ray image spectrographyIrradiation of a cylindrical crystal with an x-ray beam resulting in Bragg diffraction that produces a slightly enlarged...
mask proximity correctionA technique used in photolithography of computer chips to compensate for errors caused by the proximity effect, which...
veiling glareDiffuse stray light at the image plane of an optical system that results in reduced contrast and resolution.
Gaussian optics1. That branch of optics that illustrates the theory in which q is substituted for sin q in Snell's law. Effective results...
tomosynthesisA variation of tomography in which several photographs of a patient are taken at different angles, and back-projection of...
multimode optical waveguideAn optical waveguide that will allow more than one bound mode to propagate.
spectrophotometerA spectrophotometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the intensity of light at various wavelengths in the...
vignettingIn an optical system, the gradual reduction of image illuminance as the off-axis angle increases, resulting from limitations...
biostimulationThe action of a biological system responding to a single or multiple coherent particles of light produced from a laser...
phase contrast microscopyPhase contrast microscopy is an optical microscopy technique that enhances the contrast of transparent and colorless...
night-vision deviceA device that uses low-level visible radiation or infrared radiation to produce a visual image of a night scene. These...
chirped-pulse amplificationChirped pulse amplification (CPA) is a technique used in laser physics to amplify ultrashort laser pulses to high energies...
diffuserAn optical diffuser is an optical component or material designed to scatter or diffuse light that passes through it. It is...
laser active elementsLaser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...
ring dye laserA laser using a dye solution as the active medium whose resonator is formed into a ring (or a triangle or another shape) by...
beam matrix1. A geometrical arrangement of two or more light beams for use in laser shows, object detection or other applications...
diffuse reflectance spectroscopyDiffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is a nondestructive analytical technique used to investigate the optical properties...
electrophoretic displayAn electrophoretic display, often referred to as an electronic paper display or e-paper display, is a type of electronic...
gain-switchingGain-switching is a technique used in lasers to generate short pulses of light by modulating the gain of the laser medium....
fiber optic transceiverA fiber optic transceiver, often simply referred to as an "optical transceiver," is a device used in fiber optic...
simple magnifierA short focal length (less than five inches) positive lens used to produce a magnified image of the object being viewed....
multistripe arrayA monolithic laser diode incorporating multiple coupled emitters.
optical multichannel analyzer
phosphorA chemical substance that exhibits fluorescence when excited by ultraviolet radiation, x-rays or an electron beam. The...
lenticularAn array or mosaic of optical surfaces. May be a number of lenses closely packed to form multiple images or many parallel...
ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopyA technique for measuring the energy spectrum of electrons emitted during the absorption of ultraviolet radiation. This...
split lensA close-up lens, semicircular in shape, that is mounted in front of a conventional lens focused at infinity. The result is...
otoscopeAn otoscope is a medical device used by healthcare professionals, particularly ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists,...
Seidel aberrationsSeidel aberrations refer to a set of monochromatic aberrations in optical systems, named after the German mathematician and...
Foucault knife-edge testThe Foucault test is performed by moving a knife edge laterally into the image of a small point source. The eye, or a...
Casimir forceThe Casimir force is a quantum phenomenon that results in an attractive force between two closely spaced uncharged...
antiresonanceLiterally the opposite of resonance, antiresonance occurs when any variation in excitation frequency results in an increased...
modulatorA modulator is a device or component that modifies a carrier signal in order to encode information for transmission over a...
optical noiseOptical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...
confocal resonatorA confocal resonator, also known as a confocal cavity or confocal laser resonator, is a type of optical resonator...
near ultravioletThe longest wavelengths of the ultraviolet region, nominally 300 to 400 nm.
photoglow tubeA particular type of phototube having increased sensitivity as a result of the glow initiated by light incident to the...
ultrasonic detectorA mechanical, electrical, thermal or optical detector designed to identify and measure ultrasonic radiation.
Brillouin scatteringBrillouin scattering is a phenomenon in physics where an incident electromagnetic wave (usually light) interacts with...
Fabry-Perot etalonA nonabsorbing, multireflecting device, similar in design to the Fabry-Perot interferometer, that serves as a multilayer,...
solid-state laserA solid-state laser is a type of laser that uses a solid gain medium (as opposed to a liquid or gas) to produce coherent...
blackbody sourceA blackbody source, often simply referred to as a blackbody, is a theoretical or practical physical object that absorbs all...
random access multiphoton microscopyAlso known as RAMP microscopy, random access multiphoton microscopy is a microscopic technique that uses multiple...
absorption peakAn absorption peak refers to a sharp increase or spike in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a particular...
quantum-ehanced metrologyQuantum-enhanced metrology refers to the use of quantum mechanics principles and techniques to enhance the precision and...
two-photon polymerizationTwo-photon polymerization (TPP) is a technique used in additive manufacturing, specifically in the field of 3D printing. It...
remote inspectionRemote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or...
variable-focus lensA lens assembly containing several movable elements to permit changing of the effective focal length (EFL). Unlike a zoom...
scintillation detectorA scintillation detector is a radiation detection device that utilizes scintillation crystals to detect and measure ionizing...
antireflection coatingAn antireflection coating (AR coating) is a thin film or coating applied to optical surfaces, such as lenses or windows, to...
ultraviolet densitometryA technique, involving spectrophotometry in the ultraviolet, that is designed to determine the colors of thin-layer...
helical scanningA method used in facsimile scanning that sweeps the elemental area across the copy in a spiral motion as the result of the...
Fresnel lensA Fresnel lens is a type of optical lens that consists of a series of concentric grooves or steps carved into a flat, thin...
laser velocimeter signal detectionThe variation of the electronically detected signal with respect to the scaled version of the classical optical signal...
fiber optic imaging bundleA fiber optic imaging bundle is a specialized optical device composed of multiple optical fibers bundled together. Each...
optical cements and adhesiveOptical cements and adhesives are specialized materials used in the assembly and bonding of optical components in optical...
attosecond photonics sourcesAttosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of...
demultiplexingSeparating two or more signals that have been combined into one signal.
proof-of-concept systemAn assembly of prototype instruments, equipment and/or software designed to perform all the functions of a concept or idea...
blackbody simulatorA source that attempts to create the characteristics of an ideal blackbody. It consists of a cavity, generally spherical,...
broadband dielectric mirrorsBroadband dielectric mirrors, also known as broadband mirrors, are optical coatings designed to efficiently reflect or...
photoelectric fluorometerA filter fluorometer that uses a photomultiplier tube to detect the fluorescence of a sample.
mode sweepingA form of laser output noise that is caused by thermal, mechanical, or acoustical disturbances of the cavity length. Mode...
fractional photothermolysisA laser skin-resurfacing method that creates microscopic thermal wounds referred to as microscopic treatment zones (MTZs),...
ultrashort-pulse laserA laser capable of generating light pulses that last only a few femtoseconds. This can be achieved by nonlinear filtering to...
luminescenceLuminescence is the emission of light that occurs without the involved substance undergoing a significant increase in...
wavelength division multiplexingA system that allows the transmission of more than one signal over a common path, by assigning each signal a different...
photobleachingPhotobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently...
gas magnificationThe increase in current of a phototube as a result of the gas in the tube becoming ionized.
erythemaLocalized redness of skin due to congestion of capillaries; a common result of overexposure to laser radiation.
multimode group delay
ultraviolet lampA type of lamp that emits a high quantity of ultraviolet radiation. This may be an arc lamp encased in a bulb of a glass...
Voigt effectThe induced birefringence in isotropic gases that results when the gases are placed in strong fields.
type standardsA set of samples used in the analysis of multielement thin films.
annihilation radiationGamma ray radiation released when matter and antimatter, such as electron and positron, unite and eliminate each other,...
drift curveA technique used in astronomy that requires a radio telescope to be directed at a point in the sky west of the object under...
electromagnonAn electromagnon is a quasiparticle excitation that combines aspects of both magnetism and electric polarization in a...
perspective distortionThe distortion that is the result of viewing a print from a point other than the center of perspective. The center of...
ultraviolet-visible spectrometerAlso known as UV-VIS spectrometer, a device that measures the absorbance, reflectance or transmittance of light in the...
dispersion-flattened single-mode fiberA type of glass optical fiber that provides low pulse dispersion over a broad portion of the light spectrum and as a result...
hackleA defect in the cleaved end face of an optical fiber, defined as multiple surface irregularities across the fiber surface. A...
spectral pyrheliometerAny pyrheliometer that has a filter placed over its sensor to limit the range of solar radiation it will detect; used to...
mode filterA device used in measuring the attenuation of multimode optical fibers. A short reference length of fiber when combined with...
voltage multiplierA device that converts alternating voltage to direct voltage, while at the same time increasing its amplitude.
transducerA transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields,...
quantum efficiencyQuantum efficiency (QE) is a measure of the effectiveness with which a device or system, typically in the context of...
sandwich holographyThe simultaneous exposure of two holographic plates with emulsions facing the object. After deformation, a second pair of...
machine vision lensA machine vision lens is a specialized optical lens designed for use in machine vision systems, which are used for automated...
fringes of superpositionThe multiple beam form of Brewster's fringes formed when the two plane-parallel plates have high-reflecting surfaces.
light-emitting diodeAn LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
laser-induced fluorescenceLaser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is a spectroscopic technique that involves using a laser to excite molecules or atoms,...
fluorophoreA fluorophore is a molecule or a portion of a molecule that has the ability to emit light upon excitation by an external...
multiphoton processA process involving the interaction (absorption, emission or both) of two or more photons with a molecular entity.
fluorescence decay systemA device, also called a fluorescence lifetime instrument, that measures decay curves of fluorescing samples. It generally...
optical modulatorA multilayered thin-film device used to modulate transmitted light in integrated photonic circuits.
remote sensingRemote sensing is a method of data collection and observation where information about objects, areas, or phenomena on...
selective reflectionThe reflection in different amounts as a function of wavelength, as a result of absorption and scattering, leading to color...
area scanArea scan, in the context of imaging and cameras, refers to a method of capturing an entire two-dimensional image in a...
ferroelectric materialsFerroelectric materials are a type of dielectric materials that exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, meaning they...
integrated services digital networkA set of international standards by which a single telecommunications channel is used to transmit voice and data...
mode dispersionSynonym (regarded by some as erroneous) for multimode distortion, which see.
quantum wireA narrow channel created by cleaving a crystal made of alternating layers of gallium arsenide and aluminum gallium arsenide,...
lensless microscopyLensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
focusing anodeOne of the electrodes used to focus the electron beam of a cathode-ray tube. As the electrode's voltage is changed, its...
inferior mirageA mirage that consists of an image of an object appearing below its true position as the result of abnormal refraction by...
soliton laserA color center laser whose output is coupled to an external control laser cavity and then fed back to the main laser cavity...
biophotonicsThe technology that deals with the interaction of organic materials with light and other forms of radiant energy whose...
uviol glassA type of glass contrived by Schott that is highly transparent to ultraviolet radiation.
parallel transmissionA mode of data transmission whereby bits of information are carried simultaneously at different frequencies over a single...
absorbanceThe natural log of the ratio of absorbed intensity over the total intensity which gives a constant value assuming a stable...
Fabry-Perot spectroscopyThe spectroscopic analysis of interference patterns using a monochannel spectrometer, spectrograph or multichannel...
cross-coupling1. A defect inherent in a multiple-axis positioning system whereby an adjustment of one axis causes an undesired change in...
fatigueThe decrease of a component's efficiency, or a reduction in a material's light sensitivity, as the result of accumulated...
visual fault locatorA device that enables visual tracing of a fiber optic cable to check for breaks and defects by coupling visible light into...
legacy fiberOlder fiber optic cable that may not be suitable for state-of-the-art applications and that is difficult for suppliers to...
whispering gallery modeWhispering gallery mode (WGM) refers to a phenomenon in wave physics, particularly in optics, where waves, such as light or...
lattice constantA length that denotes the size of the unit cell in a crystal lattice. With respect to the cubic crystal, this is the length...
adiabatic laser colorimetryMethod for studying absorption coefficients of low-loss materials, in which a sample is allowed to come to thermal...
ultraviolet BThe region of the electromagnetic spectrum from 280 to 320 nm.
near-infrared spectroscopyNear-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the...
off-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirrorOff-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirrors are specialized optical components used in various optical systems, particularly...
mode-locked lasersMode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...
turbidityTurbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by the presence of suspended particles. These...
polycrystalA substance that transmits the infrared, but which is too delicate or fragile to be used in the form of a single crystal....
laser trappingA technique for confining atoms, molecules or small particles within one or more laser beams. This can be accomplished...
phase distrortionPhase distortion refers to a change in the phase relationships between different frequency components of a signal. In the...
mixed-signal oscilloscopeA mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) is a type of electronic test instrument that combines the capabilities of both a...
open-dish methodA measurement method for reflectance by gas ionization in which light passes through a vapor before and after reflection....
Kerr effectThe Kerr effect, named after the physicist John Kerr who first observed it in 1875, is a nonlinear optical phenomenon where...
vacuum ultraviolet detectorA device that serves to detect the presence of vacuum ultraviolet radiation. It may be photographic film, a thermopile, ion...
ultrasonic cross gratingA two- or three-dimensional space grating formed when ultrasonic beams with varied paths of propagation intersect.
equidensities1. A contour map of a photographic deposit consisting of lines and curves that join points of equal density. 2. The...
stereo cameraA camera with two taking lenses and synchronized shutters. Two images are recorded simultaneously on separate frames,...
Doppler shiftThe magnitude, expressed in cycles per second, of the alteration of the wave frequency observed as a result of the Doppler...
3D laser triangulation3D Laser Triangulation - A technology that allows sensors to probe the surroundings. Laser triangulation systems have an...
second-harmonic generation microscopyA nonlinear label-free imaging technique commonly used during surgical procedures for the visualization of collagen fibers...
micro-opticsMicro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
sonosensitive plateDevice that uses a coherent reference wave to record the interference patterns produced by incident ultrasonic waves on an...
radial astigmatismThe astigmatism in a lens system that results when light enters the system at an oblique angle.
laser rangefinderA laser rangefinder is a device that uses laser technology to measure the distance between the device and a target. It...
simultaneous dual field of viewA passive infrared system that uses two line-of-sight telescopes to generate both narrow and wide field-of-view images of...
contact microradiographyThe radiography of small objects having detail too fine to be seen by the unaided eye. The resulting negative, when...
destructive interferenceThe interaction of superimposed light from two separate sources that results in a combined intensity that is less than the...
continuous dynode electron multiplier
dynodeThe auxiliary electrode in a photomultiplier that gives rise to secondary emission and amplification when bombarded by...
computer numerically controlled grindingComputer numerically controlled (CNC) grinding is a manufacturing process that utilizes computerized controls and precision...
numerical apertureThe sine of the vertex angle of the largest cone of meridional rays that can enter or leave an optical system or element,...
optical channel monitorAn optical channel monitor (OCM) is a device used in optical communication systems to monitor and analyze the performance of...
deep learningDeep learning is a subset of machine learning that involves the use of artificial neural networks to model and solve complex...
whole slide imagingWhole slide imaging (WSI), also known as virtual slide microscopy or digital pathology, is a technology that involves the...
solitonAny isolated wave that propagates without dispersion of energy. Specifically to photonics, an ultrashort pulse of laser...
umbilicalA connection, typically made up of one or more cables, between a laser head and a separate power supply. Flexible pipes or...
ultrasonicUltrasonic refers to sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing, typically above...
recrystallizationThe growth of particular grain fragments in a metal or alloy, at the expense of others, that occurs when the metal or alloy...
fluorescent screenA fluorescent screen refers to a phosphorescent or fluorescent-coated surface that emits visible light when exposed to other...
ring topologyA system of local area networking in which each node or station is connected to two others, ultimately forming a loop. Data...
etalonAn etalon is an optical device that consists of two parallel reflecting surfaces separated by a precise and known distance....
FMCW lidarFMCW lidar stands for frequency-modulated continuous wave lidar. It is a type of lidar (light detection and ranging)...
null lensA lens used in the optical testing of an aspheric surface. It converts a spherical wavefront into one that precisely matches...
multiphase pinned operationA method of reducing dark current in charge-coupled devices by holding all the clocks at negative voltage during the...
attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopyAttosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAP) is an advanced technique in ultrafast spectroscopy that allows...
hyperchromic shiftHyperchromic shift refers to an increase in the absorption of light, leading to a higher absorbance, often observed in...
impedanceQualitatively, the inverse of the amount of velocity produced by the application of a sinusoidal force to a system;...
holographic gratingA holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
beam shaperA beam shaper is an optical device or system designed to modify the spatial profile or intensity distribution of a laser or...
thermocoupleA device composed of dissimilar metals that, when welded together, develop a small voltage dependent upon the relative...
scintillation counterAn instrument designed to measure radiation indirectly through the use of several phosphors and a photomultiplier tube. The...
in vitroIn vitro is a Latin term that translates to "in glass." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and medicine, it...
Hertz effectThe ionization and spark emission due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
indium gallium arsenide cameraAn InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide) camera is a type of imaging device that utilizes InGaAs sensors to capture images in the...
free-electron laserA free-electron laser (FEL) is a type of laser that generates coherent, high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by using a...
light filamentPhenomenon caused by an ultrashort and ultra-intense light pulse propagating in a Kerr medium, such as air or water. When...
stochastic optical reconstruction microscopyStochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) is a superresolution microscopy technique that enables imaging of...
Doppler broadeningThe spreading of potentially equal radiation frequencies that results in broadening of the spectral line. This effect is...
superresolutionSuperresolution refers to the enhancement or improvement of the spatial resolution beyond the conventional limits imposed by...
Ronchi testMore efficient than the Foucault knife-edge test, this test examines curved mirrors by using a transmission grating with 40...
single instruction/multiple dataA computer architecture used in parallel processing whereby the processing elements are directed by a single, central...
multipletA group of related lines that represent transitions between two spectroscopic terms, each of which may be complex. Also in...
Schumann plateA specific type of photographic plate designed with only a small amount of gelatin to function in the extreme ultraviolet...
Fabry-Perot methodA means of determining a prism's index of refraction by placing the prism so that its emergent face is perpendicular to the...
magentaThe reddish/purple color that results when equal amounts of blue and red are combined so that no one wavelength dominates.
trapezium distortionThe distortion of an image formed by a cathode-ray tube, caused by unbalanced deflection voltages or deflection voltages...
hyperopiaA vision defect commonly referred to as farsightedness. Results when the image of a distant object is focused beyond the...
Glan-Foucault prismA type of birefringent polarizing prism that transmits the extraordinary ray and removes the ordinary ray through total...
lightElectromagnetic radiation detectable by the eye, ranging in wavelength from about 400 to 750 nm. In photonic applications...
split-crown triplet lensA lens derived from the Cooke triplet anastigmat, but with one of the crown elements split in two, resulting in improved...
hyperfine splittingThe splitting of an element's spectral line as the result of the interactions between the electron spin and the spins of...
ultrasonic cleaning equipmentUltrasound used in the cleaning of metal and optical parts by virtue of its vibration rates. Large acoustic forces break off...
frequency division multiplexing
embedded visionEmbedded vision refers to the integration of computer vision technologies into various embedded systems, devices, or...
bias buildupDegradation factor in coherent light systems where the amplitude of the recorded signal is decreased as the number of object...
high harmonic generationHigh harmonic generation (HHG) refers to a nonlinear optical process in which intense laser light interacts with a gaseous...
Langmuir-Blodgett techniqueA method of depositing crystalline films one molecular layer at a time, by dipping the substrate into water containing a...
color perception test equipmentEquipment for testing an observer's color vision. Some tests require the identification or ordering of colored samples. The...
chip-on-board lightsChip-on-board (COB) lights refer to a type of LED lighting technology where multiple LED chips are directly mounted onto a...
spherical aberrationSpherical aberration is an optical aberration that occurs when light rays passing through a lens or curved optical surface...
partial coherence theoryTotally coherent radiation is produced by a purely monochromatic point source. In the real world the energy will have a...
multijunction deviceA photovoltaic device that consists of multiple p-n junctions to produce a greater efficiency when in use than that of...
quasi-monochromatic lightSingle wavelength source with a larger linewidth often containing multiple longitudinal modes.
coloring mediaTransparent media which, when placed in front of a light source, change their color as a result of the selective absorption...
acoustical holographyThe optical reconstruction of image information contained in a sound field. First the diffraction pattern, formed by an...
spectral flow cytometrySpectral flow cytometry is an advanced flow cytometry technique that expands the capabilities of traditional flow cytometry...
multifocal lensA lens with internally adjustable elements to produce a range of focal lengths. Unlike a true zoom lens, a multifocal lens...
image jumpIn optics, the term image jump refers to a displacement or shift in the apparent position of an image when a change occurs...
optical testing instrumentAn optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...
Weibull distributionA statistical means of characterizing the failure of a fiber or device as related to strain or time. Results are plotted on...
flash photographic density filterA filter, partially opaque to near-ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation, that may be made by exposing and processing...
mode partitioningThe pulse-to-pulse fluctuations in power distribution among modes of a Fabry-Perot laser, which can result in...
laser ablationLaser ablation is a process that involves the removal or erosion of material from a target surface using laser energy. This...
idiochromaticPertaining to the possession of photoelectric characteristics as a result of the properties of the true crystal and not of...
light fieldThe term light field refers to the spatial distribution of light rays traveling in all directions through a given space. It...
inverse piezoelectric effectThe resulting contraction or expansion of a piezoelectric crystal along an electric axis when the crystal is under the...
spectroheliographAn instrument in which an image of the sun is scanned by the entrance slit of a monochromator, the exit slit simultaneously...
black lightRadiation from the invisible (usually ultraviolet) region of the spectrum.
flareNonimage-forming light, concentrated or diffuse, that is transmitted through the lens to the image. It is frequently the...
multiple lens cameraA camera that uses a rotating mirror to project sequential images onto lenses that are arranged in an arc. The reflected...
stimulated Brillouin scatteringIn Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), an incident photon (usually laser light) interacts with acoustic phonons in a...
stereoscopic visionVision in depth of three dimensions as a result of the spacing of the eyes. This spacing allows the eyes to see objects from...
epitaxyA well controlled thin films technique for growing films with good crystal structure in ultra high vacuum environments at...
neuromorphicNeuromorphic refers to the design and development of computing systems or devices that are inspired by the structure and...
light fidelityLiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...
microspectroscopeA system composed of a prism spectroscope and compound microscope to provide the visual comparison of two spectra...
diffuse densityThe logarithm of the reciprocal of diffuse transmittance. Diffuse density results when a sample is diffusely illuminated.
telecentric lensThere are three types of telecentric lenses:
-Image-space telecentric lenses are those in which the aperture stop is...
channel electron multiplierA photoelectric detector consisting of a glass tube internally coated with a low conductance material. Voltage applied along...
scanning spectroradiometerA spectroradiometer having a means to scan different regions of the light spectrum, providing simultaneous representations...
xerographyA printing process of electrostatic electrophotography that uses a photoconductive insulating medium, in conjunction with...
multiple slitsThe series of equally spaced parallel slits that make up a scanning aperture in place of a single slit, in the scanning of a...
nonradiative transitionA nonradiative transition refers to a process in which an electron or an atom undergoes a change in its energy state without...
Bose-Einstein condensateA Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that forms at temperatures close to absolute zero. It is named after...
cathode radiant sensitivityCathode radiant sensitivity refers to the ability of a photocathode to convert incident radiant energy, typically in the...
harmonic generationHarmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
evaporagraphA sensor generally used for infrared imaging. It consists of two chambers separated by a thin, blackened membrane. An...
optical coherence tomographyOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used in medical and scientific fields to capture...
photon burst detection of fluorescenceA type of laser spectroscopy used to measure short-lived isotopes by observing sudden bursts of fluorescence resulting from...
hyperspectral imagingHyperspectral imaging is an advanced imaging technique that captures and processes information from across the...
two-photon fluorescenceThis results from the simultaneous absorption of two photons, each having half the energy needed for excitation and...
Fizeau fringesFizeau fringes are interference fringes observed in an interferometer, specifically in a Fizeau interferometer. The Fizeau...
ring-laser gyroscopeA ring laser gyroscope (RLG) is a type of gyroscope that uses laser light to detect and measure changes in orientation. It...
BCS theoryBardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, based on the notion that electrons with opposite momentum and spin...
cassetteA container designed to hold recording material (film, video- and audiotape) so that when it is loaded into a recording...
terahertz spectrometerA terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz...
piezoelectric transducers and ceramic materialsPiezoelectric transducers are devices that utilize the piezoelectric effect to convert electrical energy into mechanical...
oscillographAn instrument used to record rapidly varying currents or voltages. An oscillograph may consist of a cathode-ray tube...
scintillation crystalA scintillation crystal, also known simply as a scintillator, is a material that emits light when it interacts with ionizing...
fluorescence photographyThe photographic recording of a subject that exhibits luminescence only for an extremely short time (10-8 s) after the...
band-to-band photoluminescenceThe emission of a photon by the return of an excited carrier from the conduction band to the valence band of a semiconductor...
motion controllerIn optics, a motion controller refers to a device or system that precisely controls the movement of optical components, such...
GaN-based LEDsGallium nitride-based light-emitting diodes (GaN-based LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric...
high dynamic rangeHigh dynamic range (HDR) refers to a technology that allows for a broader and more dynamic range of luminosity in visual...
augmented realityAugmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates digital information, typically in the form of computer-generated...
APD detectorAn APD detector, or avalanche photodiode detector, is a type of photodetector used to detect light or optical signals by...
meta-opticsMeta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
qubitA qubit, short for quantum bit, is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing and quantum information...
ballistic cameraA camera that uses multiple exposures to record the trajectory of an ordnance from a ground-level position.
CubeSatA CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite characterized by its standardized size and modular design. CubeSats are...
transparent electrophotographic filmsImaging materials that generally consist of a polyester base, a transparent electrically conductive layer and an organic...
ultrasonic cameraA device that uses a piezoelectric crystal to convert ultrasonic sound waves, transmitted through a subject, into a voltage...
Cotton-Mouton constantRelative to the Cotton-Mouton effect, the magnetic birefringence constant that, when multiplied by pathlength and the square...
multispectral photographyThe use of narrow bandpass filters and special photographic emulsions to discern features of a surface that would not be...
modal dispersionSynonym for multimode distortion. Also called mode dispersion.
integration timeIntegration time, in the context of optics, imaging systems, and sensor technology, refers to the duration over which a...
mode selectivityA multimode laser characteristic defined as the ratio of power loss for the second mode to that of the lowest mode.
Ronchi gratingA transparent plate ruled with black lines and equal, clear spaces. It is used as a multiple knife-edge for testing a...
diode laserA diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate coherent light....
arc flashAn arc flash is a sudden release of electrical energy due to an electric arc — a continuous, high-current discharge of...
gas dischargeThe conduction of electricity in a gas as a result of the ions generated by collisions between electrons and gas molecules.
regenerative amplifierA type of multiple-pass amplifier in which no optical leakage is allowed until a finite number of passes has occurred; at...
single-walled carbon nanotubesReferred to as SWCNTs, these cylindrical nanostructures composed of a folded sheet of graphene can be used as near-infrared...
oblique errorThe image error that results from astigmatism, coma, oblique spherical aberration, lateral color and distortion.
point spread functionThe point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...
nondestructive testingAny testing method for materials and components that does not damage or destroy the test sample. Some of the methods used...
laser oscillatorContains the light or beam path within a laser device. The oscillator uses reflective optical components that are oriented...
zonal constantA factor that, when multiplied by the average candlepower emitted by a light source in a specified angular zone, reveals the...
fluoriteThe optical form of the crystal fluorspar, calcium fluoride, that is utilized for its low optical dispersion, its low...
revolving lens fiber optic scannerA sequential scanning device, utilizing a revolving lens, in which the cathode-ray tube image is transformed into a circle...
frequency multiplication
blur circleA 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...
transverse modeIn the context of optics and lasers, a transverse mode refers to a specific spatial pattern of the electric field within the...
Kerr solitonA Kerr soliton refers to a specific type of soliton, a self-reinforcing wave packet, that arises in nonlinear optical...
Foucault rotating mirrorA rotating mirror coupled with a distant mirror and used in a system by Foucault to compute the velocity of light. Light...
photoacoustic imagingAbbreviated PAI. An imaging modality with a hybrid technique based on the acoustic detection of optical absorption from...
ultraficheA form of microfiche that has an information reduction ratio that is greater than 100 to 1.
ribbon cableA cable that incorporates multiple fibers, jacketed side by side in a ribbonlike form.
photographic radiometryThe use of photographic recording equipment to measure radiant energy. With this procedure, many measurements of radiant...
GRIN lensA GRIN (gradient index) lens is a type of optical lens that utilizes a gradient in refractive index across its volume rather...
v-coatA multilayer antireflective thin-film coating, so called because its reflectance rises steeply at wavelengths above and...
cylindrical lensA cylindrical lens is an optical component that has different curvatures along its two orthogonal axes, resulting in a shape...
total internal reflection fluorescenceTotal internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is an advanced fluorescence microscopy technique that leverages the...
space chargeA volumetric electrical charge resulting from a flow of charged particles across a gap.
molded lensA molded lens is an optical lens manufactured using a molding process, typically involving the shaping of a material, such...
flow chemistryFlow chemistry, also known as continuous-flow chemistry, is a chemical manufacturing process where reactions take place in a...
curingThe use of chemicals or radiation to induce a desired change in a substance; e.g., some optical adhesives are set by...
synchrotronA synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses magnetic fields to steer charged particles, typically electrons or...
infrared cameraAn infrared camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera or IR camera, is a device that captures and visualizes the...
mass spectrographA device that uses electromagnetic fields to separate electrically charged particles according to their masses. As a beam of...
PN-junction luminescenceDischarge that results when a doped semiconductor crystal with a PN junction is charged with a low-voltage direct current....
minimum object distanceMinimum object distance, often abbreviated as MOD, refers to the closest distance at which a camera lens or optical system...
ultraviolet photomicrographyThe photographic recording that uses ultraviolet radiation to irradiate the microscope sample being examined and to form an...
retroreflectionRetroreflection is a phenomenon in optics where light is reflected back toward its source, typically in a direction nearly...
ray tracingRay tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene....
optical character recognitionOptical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that is used to convert printed or handwritten text into...
serioscopyA variation of tomography, which is a means of visualizing any one of a large set of parallel planes in the patient. A...
laser-mediated gene transferLaser-mediated gene transfer refers to a technique in molecular biology and genetic engineering that utilizes lasers to...
ionAn atom that has gained or lost one or more electrons and, as a result, carries a negative or positive charge.
CD/IA technical specification for a consumer product drawn up by Sony and Philips. CD/I combines audio, video and text recorded...
electron multiplication charge-coupled device cameraAn EMCCD (electron-multiplying charge-coupled device) camera is a type of scientific camera specifically designed for...
joint transform correlatorA device consisting of two optical systems in which two signals are simultaneously transformed to produce their spectra, and...
modulation transfer function analysis/measurement equipmentMTF analysis/measurement equipment refers to instruments and tools used to measure and analyze the modulation transfer...
ultraviolet reflectanceUltraviolet reflectance refers to the ability of a material or surface to reflect UV light. Ultraviolet light is...
Foucault prismA polarizing prism formed from calcite that is like the Nicol prism but has the two parts divided by a thin air-film and cut...
cesium vapor lampA lamp that emits light as the result of the passage of an electrical current through ionized cesium vapor.
Gudden-Pohl effectThe light flash that occurs when an electrical field is applied to a phosphor already excited by ultraviolet radiation.
long-wave infraredLong-wave infrared (LWIR) refers to a specific range of the infrared spectrum. Infrared radiation is divided into three main...
electron-beam evaporationA method of thin-film deposition in which electrons boiled off a heated cathode are used to melt the coating material. If a...
frame rateFrame rate refers to the frequency at which consecutive images, or frames, are displayed in a video sequence. It is...
Manufacturing Automation ProtocolA computerized token-passing local area network (LAN) configuration adopted by General Motors for real time control over the...
optical path differenceThe relative path difference (or phase shift) traveled between two rays that pass through different mediums from the same...
line-scan cameraA line-scan camera, also known as a line-scan image sensor or linear array camera, is a type of digital camera designed to...
overexposureThe improper exposure of a radiation-sensitive medium that results when there is too much radiation exposing the medium, or...
fiber laserA fiber laser is a type of laser in which the active gain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth ions such as...
pixel pitchPixel pitch refers to the distance between the centers of two adjacent pixels on a display screen or imaging sensor. It is...
well plateA well plate, also known as a microplate or microtiter plate, is a flat plate with multiple small wells or depressions...
nanotubeA nanotube, also known as a nanotubule or simply a tube-like structure, is a nanoscale cylindrical structure composed of...
lineamentA mappable surface feature arranged in straight or curved lines that is distinguished from surrounding surfaces and is...
nonlinear optical phase conjugationThe coupling of laser or light beams via nonlinear optical techniques such as four-wave mixing to achieve spatial variation...
antialiasingIn image processing, methods of reducing image defects that result from false data. Techniques include sampling, linear...
AstrositalA glass-ceramic material developed in Russia. Astrosital resembles Zerodur in terms of its ultralow thermal expansion. Other...
femtosecond laserA femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds,...
dispersionDispersion refers to the phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light travel at different speeds when passing...
shearImage distortion that occurs when the axes of the original image are not perpendicular in the resulting image, making the...
cold atomCold atoms refer to atoms that have been cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically in the microkelvin (µK) to...
wide-angle distortionA common aberration in lenses covering large fields of view; it results in images of objects near the edge of the field...
sapphireSapphire refers to a crystalline form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) that is used in various optical and photonic applications...
lithium fluorideA crystal often used for windows and refracting components in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared. Characteristically,...
Touschek effectEffect whereby two electrons lose synchronism with the accelerating field and are lost during synchronous radiation. The...
high-gain screenA screen with a reflected or transmitted light beam that is confined to a much smaller bundle than was received by the...
fire cracksSmall clefts or fissures that penetrate the glass surface in the form of short-hooked crescents. Fire cracks result from a...
single-photon avalanche diodeA single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...
laser absorption spectroscopyAn experimental research technique by which absorbed or unabsorbed radiation is analyzed in order to characterize and...
vacuum apparatusEquipment dependent on the effects of a vacuum. The principal applications in optics are in the coating of lenses and...
quartz spectrographA spectrograph used to detect radiation in the range of the ultraviolet in the electromagnetic spectrum. It is made up of...
dichroic mirrorA dichroic mirror, also known as a dichroic beamsplitter or interference filter beamsplitter, is an optical device that...
laser outputThe laser output refers to the generated and emitted light produced by a laser system. This output is characterized by...
honeycomb tableAn optical test table made up of two outer layers or "skins'' bonded to either side of a honeycomblike core, usually of...
atomic absorption spectrometerAn atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical...
mirageThe distortion of an object's true image as the result of abnormal atmospheric disturbances along the path traveled by the...
lateral colorLens aberration resulting in image size variation as a function of wavelength. See also chromatic aberration.
supertwisted nematic phaseA form of liquid crystal in which the 90° twist of the twisted nematic phase has been increased to 180° or more,...
fiber optic preformA fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It...
quantumThe term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the...
ultraphotic raysThe rays (such as ultraviolet rays) lying past the visible region of the spectrum.
multilineDescribing a laser that emits simultaneously at more than one wavelength.
soft-focus filterA filter that creates spherical aberration resulting in an image with a soft outline.
polygonal mirrorA polygonal mirror, also known as a multifaceted mirror or facet mirror, is a type of optical component used in various...
cleaning equipmentIn optics, degreasers or ultrasonic arrangements used for removing pitch, cement or polishing material from lenses during...
halogen lampA halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen, quartz-halogen, or quartz iodine lamp, is an incandescent lamp that uses a...
colliding pulse modelocked ring laserA ring dye laser that uses prisms and a saturable absorber within the laser cavity to shape and shorten the pulses...
stepper motorA positioning drive that rotates a fraction of a 360° turn when the motor coils are activated, resulting in linear or...
scanning microdensitometerA microdensitometer that contains a scanning stage to provide simultaneous representations of position vs. density.
quantum sensingQuantum sensing refers to a class of sensing technologies that leverage principles from quantum mechanics to enhance the...
annealingThe process of heating and slowly cooling a solid material, like glass or metal, to stabilize its thermal, electrical or...
2D profile sensorA 2D profile sensor is a type of sensor used in various industrial and technological applications to measure and capture...
multifiber jointA fiber optic connector or splice that mates two multifiber cables, optically aligning all of the individual fibers...
splice closureA container which secures multiple splice trays and protects the trays and their contents from damage.
aberrationA departure from ideal paraxial imaging behavior. The distortion of an optical field wavefront as it is propagated through...
MEMS fiber optic switchA MEMS fiber optic switch is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device designed to selectively route optical signals...
fiber fuseA phenomenon in which high optical power, encountering an imperfection in an optical fiber, destroys the fiber's core and...
Paschen-Runge mountingA mounting used for large concave gratings, whereby the slit, grating and plate holder lie in the Rowland circle, and the...
lab-on-a-chipA lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a miniaturized device that integrates various laboratory functions and capabilities onto a single,...
cobalt glassGlass that transmits near-ultraviolet radiation but is opaque in the visible region. Also known as woods glass.
optical transform image modulationA technique for detecting and measuring atmospheric pollution, in which an oscillating mirror directs half the incoming...
dark decayThe decay of an electrostatic charge image resulting from long exposure to the dark.
waferIn the context of electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, a wafer refers to a thin, flat disk or substrate made of a...
trolandThat level of retinal illuminance resulting when a surface with a luminance of 1 candela/m2 is viewed through a pupil with...
interference colorColor resulting from the interference between two light beams.
photopolymer hologramA holographic plate coated by photopolymeric mixtures that are composed of one or more monomers and a photoredox catalyst...
vibronic transitionA type of change in the energy levels of molecules in a laser that results in lasing action. Vibronic transitions are those...
optical fiber optic switchesOptical fiber optic switches are devices used in optical fiber communication systems to selectively route optical signals...
Ritchey-Chretien telescopeA form of Cassegrain telescope having a concave hyperbolic primary and a convex hyperbolic secondary. This form permits the...
optical time-domain reflectometryA method for characterizing a fiber wherein an optical pulse is transmitted through the fiber, and the resulting light...
double-exposure holographyThe formation of an interferogram by means of two holograms on the same recording medium, often used for determining small...
structured lightThe projection of a plane or grid pattern of light onto an object. It can be used for the determination of three-dimensional...
phaseIn optics and photonics, "phase" refers to a property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the position...
Rydberg atomThe term "Rydberg atom" refers to an atom in a highly excited state where one or more of its electrons are in a Rydberg...
solar radiationRadiation from the sun that is made up of a very wide range of wavelengths, from the long infrared to the short ultraviolet...
wood effectThe phenomenon in which alkali metals are transparent to ultraviolet radiation.
integramA reflection hologram using multiple color lasers that integrates various graphical techniques to allow the display of...
total insertThe lateral distance between a vertical line drawn through the geometrical center of the distance portion of a multifocal,...
time division multiplexThe process or device by which more than one signal can be sent over a single channel by using different time intervals for...
myopiaA vision defect commonly referred to as nearsightedness. The defective condition results when the image of a distant object...
homogeneous multilayer coatingA thin film of absorbing or nonabsorbing layers in which the absorption of radiation at any point is directly proportional...
reflecting microscopeA microscope that uses a reflecting objective; often used with ultraviolet or infrared radiation.
flying spot microscopeA microscope that uses a flying spot scanner, directed through the eyepiece, as a light source to determine the features of...
carbonizationCarbonization is a process in which organic materials are heated in the absence of air, leading to the decomposition of the...
multiple-beam laserA laser having a Q-switching method that allows separate parallel volumes of the lasing material to act independently of...
dichroic coatingA dichroic coating, also known as a dichroic filter or dichroic mirror, is an optical coating designed to selectively...
thermogramAlso known as analog thermogram. The resultant photograph, illustrating, in tones ranging from black to white, the spatial...
laser lithotripsyLaser lithotripsy is a medical procedure that uses laser energy to break down or fragment stones in various parts of the...
optical combinerAn optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...
ultraviolet lensA lens intended for use with wavelengths shorter than about 380 nm. It must be made of quartz, calcium fluoride, lithium...
image redundancyThe multiple storage of a single image.
spatial resolutionSpatial resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in an image or a spatial dataset. It is a measure of the...
near-ultraviolet light sourceA light source, such as the sun or an incandescent lamp, that freely penetrates ordinary glass bulbs and emits in the...
differential absorption lidarA lidar (light detection and ranging) technique used in pollution monitoring. Two light beams are emitted simultaneously,...
in phaseThat state determining that two waves of like frequency will travel through their maximum and minimum values of the same...
retroreflecting multipass cellTwo lenses, separated by a distance equal to the sum of their focal lengths, and retroreflecting mirror assemblies, one of...
rotational transitionOne of the types of change in the energy levels of molecules or atoms in a laser that can result in lasing action. Because...
flow cytometryFlow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology and medicine for the quantitative analysis of the physical and...
angular misalignmentAngular deviation from the optimum alignment of source to optical waveguide, waveguide to waveguide, or waveguide to...
optical switchingOptical switching refers to the process of controlling the routing or transmission of optical signals within a network using...
multiple wavelength interferometryA specific form of phase shifting interferometry - commonly referred to as multiple wavelength phase shifting interferometry...
panoramic lensA lens system that is capable of producing a 360° image, or one that is very close to that. In recording, the image may...
probe cardA probe card is a testing device used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry to evaluate and test the electrical...
multimode laserA laser that produces emission in two or more transverse or longitudinal modes.
mid-wave infraredMWIR stands for mid-wave infrared, referring to a specific range of wavelengths within the infrared spectrum. Infrared...
phosphorographyA process used in pyrometry and photothermometry to create a photographic record of a surface's temperature gradients....
STED microscopySTED microscopy, or stimulated emission depletion microscopy, is a superresolution imaging technique in fluorescence...
multichannel spectral analyzerA spectrometric instrument that detects radiation simultaneously in multiple channels, sorts it spectrally from the deep...
birefringenceBirefringence is an optical property of certain materials that causes them to exhibit different refractive indices for light...
computer visionComputer vision enables computers to interpret and make decisions based on visual data, such as images and videos. It...
near-infrared spectrometerA near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection...
lens elementOne optical element of a multielement lens. See optical element.
aerial photographyPhotographing of terrain on the ground and objects in the air by cameras mounted in aircraft; utilized in satellites,...
infrared absorptionInfrared radiation absorbed by crystals as a result of the excitation of lattice vibrations in which ions having opposite...
near-infrared cameraA near-infrared (NIR) camera is an imaging device designed to capture images in the near-infrared region of the...
photomicrographic cameraA still or motion-picture camera designed to photograph through a microscope. Photomicrographic equipment usually contains a...
nanopositioningNanopositioning refers to the precise and controlled movement or manipulation of objects or components at the nanometer...
intravital microscopyIntravital microscopy is an imaging technique used to visualize biological processes within living organisms, typically in...
halation1. In a cathode-ray tube, the glow surrounding a bright spot that appears on the fluorescent screen as the result of the...
guide factorA factor derived by equating the incident light on the subject to the required incident light for suitable photography. The...
vacuum ultraviolet sourceAny source that emits radiation of wavelengths between 100 and 300 nm. Instruments used to study these sources must be...
pixelA pixel, short for "picture element," is the smallest controllable element of a digital image or display. It is a...
Cornu double prismA compound prism formed by cementing together two 30° prisms, one of right-handed and one of left-handed quartz. It has...
micro-ring resonatorA micro-ring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
multimodality imagingA technique that combines two or more imaging processes in order to minimize the disadvantages within each of the...
adaptive opticsAdaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of...
atomic force microscopeAn atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging and measurement instrument used in nanotechnology, materials...
photoconductivityThe conductivity increase exhibited by some nonmetallic materials, resulting from the free carriers generated when photon...
basebandThe simplest method of transmission on a local area network. The entire bandwidth of the cable is used to transmit a single...
edge-defined film-fed growthProcess for growth of solar cells that results in rectangular shapes consisting of many interconnected cells in a series or...
gallium nitrideGallium nitride (GaN) is a compound made up of gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N). It is a wide-bandgap semiconductor material...
selective transmissionTransmission in different amounts as a function of wavelength, as a result of absorption and scattering, leading to color...
Marx effectThe decrease in the energy of a photoelectric emission as a result of the simultaneous incidence of radiation having lower...
ultrasonic light modulatorAn instrument with a fluid that modulates a light beam traversing it because of the effect of ultrasonic waves passing...
grating beamsplitterA grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...
far-ultraviolet radiationThat radiation characterized by wavelengths ranging from 0.2 to 0.3 µm in the electromagnetic spectrum.
fiber optic cable assemblyA fiber optic cable assembly refers to a complete unit consisting of optical fibers, connectors, protective jackets, and...
frequency domainThe frequency domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to represent signals and data in terms of their...
contour projectorAn inspection device in which the profile of a mechanical part is projected onto a ground-glass screen at a precisely known...
cinesextantAn optical instrument used to track and image a test vehicle (target) throughout its flight. The cinesextant frequently...
majorA blank to which a piece of glass of a different refractive index will be fused to form a multifocal lens.
autofluorescenceAutofluorescence refers to the natural emission of fluorescence exhibited by certain biological structures or molecules when...
veiling brightnessA brightness, superimposed on the image of the retina, that decreases its contrast and that often results in decreased...
reactive evaporationReactive evaporation refers to a process in thin-film deposition where a material is deposited onto a substrate through...
self-electro-optic effect deviceAn optically bistable device used for photonic switching, constructed of a multiple quantum well biased by an external...
etaloningEtaloning is an optical phenomenon that occurs in imaging systems, particularly in devices such as spectrometers,...
beatThe signal formed when two signals, such as light waves, of different frequencies are present simultaneously in a nonlinear...
conic refractionThe dispersion of a light ray striking the surface of a biaxial crystal, in which the resulting rays are reflected in a...
marginal errorThe distortion in an ophthalmic lens resulting from the refraction of light rays entering the periphery of the lens surface....
plasmon ion-assisted depositionPlasmon ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) is a technique used in thin-film deposition processes, particularly in the production...
fiber curlA property of optical fiber that results from thermal stresses during manufacturing and is defined as the amount of...
Liebmann effectThe visual perception of contrasting forms is more difficult if the forms have the same luminance but different...
silicon photodiodeA silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector...
simultaneous exposure and developmentThe process, used with a positive photoresist, in which the photoresist is immersed in developing chemicals while being...
glass dosimeterA device that detects and measures the quantity of exposure to nuclear radiation. It uses a special glass rod that...
segment widthIn spectacle lenses, the lateral measurement of a multifocal segment at its maximum width.
inertial confinement fusionInertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a method of achieving nuclear fusion, a process where two atomic nuclei combine to...
solar simulationThe simulation of solar radiation in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum for the analysis of extraterrestrial sunlight and...
zero-dispersion wavelengthIn a single-mode optical fiber, the wavelength that causes material dispersion and waveguide dispersion to cancel each...
CMOS quantitative polymerase chain reaction systemThis type of miniaturized system, referred to as CMOS qPCR, combines microfluidic technology with an ultralow-light CMOS...
metalensA metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...
laserA laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
input/outputI/O stands for input/output. In computing, it refers to the communication between a computer system or program and its...
haze filterA filter, used in photography, that absorbs the ultraviolet and extreme blue violet radiation scattered by atmospheric haze.
microbendingIn optical fiber, sharp but microscopic curvatures that create local axial displacements of a few microns and spatial...
photobiomodulationA light therapy that utilizes nonionizing light sources, including lasers, LEDs, and broadband light, in the visible and...
chromatic aberrationChromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon that occurs when different wavelengths (colors) of light are refracted by a...
epitaxialEpitaxial refers to the growth of a crystalline layer on a crystalline substrate in such a way that the orientation of the...
Tyndall coneThe form taken by scattered light, as a result of the Tyndall effect.
multicolor hologramA hologram formed by reconstruction of multicolor wavefronts. The system used to produce the hologram is designed to combine...
multianode microchannel array detectorA photon-counting instrument for use in both space-borne and ground-based photometric and spectroscopic instrumentation....
luminescent fiberFiber that emits luminescent radiation excited by ultraviolet, x-ray or high-energy particles.
fiber optic probeA flexible single- or multifiber cable having a bundle of glass fibers arranged to transmit an image.
fiber optic windowThe face of a cathode-ray tube (CRT) that has a fiber optic sheet attached to its surface. The sheet's fibers are at right...
quantum key distributionQuantum key distribution (QKD) is a method of secure communication that utilizes principles from quantum mechanics to...
nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopyThat branch of spectroscopy that applies to the study of interactions between energy and atomic nuclei. The simultaneous...
polymerPolymers are large molecules composed of repeating structural units called monomers. These monomers are chemically bonded...
data cubeA multidimensional array of values that is commonly used in programming to describe a time series of image data. Each...
logarithmic transformationOne class of nonlinear space-invariant transformation processes used for processing convolved and multiplied signals.
extrinsic propertiesThe properties exhibited by a semiconductor as the result of its modification by imperfections and impurities in the crystal.
quartz light sourceA lamp with a quartz envelope that transmits radiation generally rich in the ultraviolet.
photoelectric constantThe constant that, multiplied by the frequency of the radiation-producing emission of photoelectrons, determines the amount...
primary fluorescenceFluorescence produced as a result of the intrinsic property of the material itself or the doping of the material with trace...
invisible light filterA filter that transmits infrared and ultraviolet but is opaque to visible radiation.
Zeeman broadeningBroadening of a spectrum that results from the influence of a magnetic field.
corner cubeA corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light...
filament emissionThe freeing of electrons from a filament in an electron tube as the result of the filament being heated by an electric...
RTSP protocolRTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is...
forward-looking infraredA night-vision device that uses one or more infrared transducers to scan a scene in the 3- to 5-µm or 8- to...
quantum cascade laserA quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
transfer blockingA process used to control thickness and parallelism precisely during the production of plane-parallel plates. Elements are...
ultraviolet molecular nitrogen laserA pulsed laser having molecular nitrogen as laser material and a wavelength output of 337 nm in the ultraviolet region. It...
selective laser meltingSelective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that belongs to the powder bed...
colorimetryThe methods used to measure color and to define the results of the measurements.
simultaneous location and mappingTechnology that uses data from an array of sensors, one of which is commonly lidar, to solve the problem of creating a map...
integrated Dewar cooler assemblyAn infrared detector mounted directly on the cold finger of the Dewar cooler rather than at the interface of Dewar and...
photochromicPhotochromic refers to a property exhibited by certain materials, typically organic compounds or dyes, which undergo...
time-to-amplitude converterA time-to-amplitude converter (TAC) is an electronic circuit that converts a time interval between two events into an...
Rayleigh scatteringRayleigh scattering is a phenomenon that occurs when light waves interact with particles or molecules that are much smaller...
vibrational transitionA vibrational transition refers to a change in the vibrational energy of a molecule. Molecules consist of atoms that are...
fiber-linked array image formatterA wide-field multiobject spectroscopy system used in astronomy, in which a bundle of low-loss optical fibers positioned on...
fluoro-immunosensorA fiber optic device that uses a HeNe laser, beamsplitter, monochromator and photomultiplier to detect trace levels of...
rolling shutter artifactsRolling shutter artifacts are distortions or visual anomalies that can occur in images or videos captured by cameras with...
optical spectrum1.) Generally, the electromagnetic spectrum within the wavelength region extending from the vacuum ultraviolet at 40 nm to...
ultramicrometerA system used to measure very small displacement by electrical means.
electron multiplying CCDA CCD device in which a solid-state electron multiplying register has been added to the end of the normal serial register....
array processorIn image processing, a specially designed programmable computer peripheral that attaches to the host system for the purpose...
Keplerian astronomical telescopeA simple form of astronomical telescope that uses a fixed objective and a focusable eyepiece. The objective forms an...
mode beatingIn optics, "mode beating" refers to an interference phenomenon that can occur in laser systems with multiple longitudinal...
stacked optical memoryA memory system composed of a stack of holographic plates, a mode-locked laser and a rapid detector array. Ultrashort laser...
resonanceResonance can be defined in various contexts, including physics, chemistry, and music. Here are definitions for resonance in...
optical coatingsOptical coatings are thin layers of materials applied to optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, filters, and prisms,...
plastic opticsPlastic optics refers to optical components or systems that are made from transparent plastic materials, as opposed to...
lidarLidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and...
break currentThe point at which decreasing current supplied to a laser results in the extinguishing of the laser discharge.
spectral repeatabilitySpectral repeatability refers to the consistency and reproducibility of spectral measurements across multiple trials or...
photonic cavityA photonic cavity, also known as an optical cavity, is a structure that confines electromagnetic radiation within a certain...
ospinOpsins are a group of light-sensitive proteins found primarily in the retinas of vertebrate and invertebrate eyes, as well...
synchrotron radiationRadiation emitted by electrons when they travel in circular orbits at speeds close to that of light. Synchrotron radiation...
excimer laser coronary angioplastyExcimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) refers to a medical procedure used in the treatment of coronary artery disease....
mixed transmissionThe simultaneous occurrence of direct and diffuse transmission.
modulated grating hologramA computer-generated, phase-and-amplitude, off-axis hologram made by a multi-exposure technique that uses three computer...
excess noise factorA factor, F, indicating the increase in shot noise in an avalanche photodiode as compared with the ideal multiplier, which...
cutoff wavelength1. In detector technology, the long wavelength at which detector response falls to a set percentage (usually 20 or 50...
infrared spectroscopyThe measurement of the ability of matter to absorb, transmit or reflect infrared radiation and the relating of the resultant...
distributed feedback laserA distributed feedback laser (DFB laser) is a type of semiconductor laser diode designed to emit coherent, narrow-bandwidth...
optical leverA device used to detect and measure small amounts of rotation. The rotating object contains a reflecting surface from which...
data busA system incorporated into fiber optic data communications characterized by several spatially distributed terminals that are...
high-speed holographyThe holographic recording of sequences of high-speed phenomena. With a multiple beam laser, multiple holograms that depict...
zoom lensAn optical system of variable focal length, the focal plane remaining in a fixed position. This result is achieved by moving...
convolutional neural networkA powerful and flexible machine-learning approach that can be used in machine vision to help solve difficult problems....
breakout cableA breakout cable, also known as a fan-out cable or breakout assembly, is a type of cable that combines multiple individual...
geometric phase shiftingA technique used to create an achromatic phase shift based on the principle of geometric phase. The phase shift is...
custom lapping and polishing servicesCustom lapping and polishing services involve specialized processes used to improve the surface finish and dimensional...
photoelectric multiplierA phototube in which the primary photoemission current, before being extracted at the anode, is multiplied many times.
optical clockAn optical clock is a highly precise and advanced timekeeping device that relies on the oscillations of electromagnetic...
fiber optic gyroscopeA fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) is a type of gyroscope that uses the interference of light waves to detect changes in...
Lyman-alpha radiationThe hydrogen-derived, ultraviolet radiation running from 1216 to 512 A, discovered by Theodore Lyman in 1914.
epitaxial depositionEpitaxial deposition is a process used in semiconductor manufacturing and materials science to grow a thin crystalline...
CoaXPressCoaXPress (CoaXPress or CXP) is a standardized digital interface and communication protocol used primarily in machine vision...
equilibrium mode distributionThe condition in a multimode optical waveguide in which the relative power distribution among the propagating modes is...
apochromatAn apochromat, often referred to as an apochromatic lens or apochromatic objective, is a type of optical system designed to...
magnetron sputteringA variation from standard physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating techniques, magnetron sputtering is a plasma coating...
parallel scanningParallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather...
fluorescent light sourceA tube containing mercury vapor and lined with a phosphor. When current is passed through the vapor the strong ultraviolet...
ultravioletThat invisible region of the spectrum just beyond the violet end of the visible region. Wavelengths range from 1 to 400 nm.
multifiber cableFiber optic cable bearing many fibers independently sheathed and capable of carrying unrelated signals. They often surround...
near-field scanningA measurement technique used to determine the spatial distribution profile of an electrical or optical quantity of interest...
countersinkThe concave portion of a surface, formed on a blank, on which the disk of higher refractive glass will be fused to form a...
second-harmonic generationSecond-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine...
superelastic collisionObserved phenomenon in laser pulses in which a large number of excited electrons are created and in which multiphoton...
beamsplitterA beamsplitter is an optical device for dividing a beam into two or more separate beams. A simple beamsplitter may be a very...
photochemicalThe term photochemical pertains to chemical processes or reactions that are initiated or influenced by the absorption of...
laser crystalA laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of...
fiber optic sensorA fiber optic sensor is a device that uses optical fibers to detect and measure physical, chemical, biological, or...
pixel binningPixel binning, also known as pixel merging or pixel combining, is a technique used in digital imaging and camera technology....
infrared phosphorA phosphor, such as sulfide or selenide, that can be excited to luminescence by incident infrared radiation simultaneous to...
reflected ultraviolet photographyA photographic method used to obtain an image of a subject by means of its reflectance of incident ultraviolet radiation. An...
gravitational lensThe effect of a powerful gravitational field on light traveling through the field. This effect is detectable in astronomical...
scanning acoustic microscopeAlso called scanning laser acoustic microscope. A device that uses high-frequency ultrasound waves to penetrate surfaces. A...
intensified charge-coupled device cameraAn intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera is an advanced imaging device that combines the capabilities of both an...
astigmatismA lens aberration that results in the tangential and sagittal image planes being separated axially.
mercury arcAn electric arc that is formed in mercury vapor through which an electric current flows. The intensity of the illumination...
three-photon microscopyThree-photon microscopy is an advanced imaging technique that belongs to the family of multi-photon microscopy methods. It...
dual-wavelength spectrophotometrySpectrophotometry in which radiation of two separate wavelengths, usually one in an absorption band and the other not, pass...
optical bistabilityThe phenomenon that can render an optical resonator the equivalent of a semiconductor flip-flop. A bistable device will...
electron bandA spectrum band that is usually found in the visible or the ultraviolet because of the electron transitions taking place...
integrated circuitMultiple, interconnected circuit elements, contained on or in a common substrate, that function as a unit and not separately.
extrinsic fiber lossA type of optical fiber loss resulting from the misalignment of fibers in a splice or connector.
self-phase modulationSelf-phase modulation (SPM) is a nonlinear optical phenomenon that occurs when an intense laser beam passes through a...
recombination radiationThe radiation emitted in semiconductors when electrons in the conduction band recombine with holes in the valence band. If...
polymerase chain reactionThe polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used molecular biology technique used to amplify a specific segment of DNA...
dark mirrorA multilayer coating that manifests both a low radiant reflectance and radiant absorption.
finesseFor a Fabry-Perot interferometer or etalon, a value for the transmission bandwidth which can be calculated as the ratio of...
time domainThe time domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to describe signals in terms of their behavior over...
enclosed arc lampAn arc lamp whose carbon electrodes are enclosed in a transparent chamber, resulting in an arc that is steadier, lasts...
optical phase distortionOptical phase distortion refers to a phenomenon where the phase of an optical wavefront is altered as it propagates through...
RuticonA ruticon is an opto-electronic device in which light going through it can be modulated by an electric field.
The...
supertwisted birefringent effect displayA liquid crystal display using the material in its supertwisted nematic phase; the birefringence of the liquid crystal...
solar occultationMeasurement of absorption by the gas of interest in the 2- to 6-µm range as a function of tangent height pressure. The...
ultrahigh-speed photographyPhotographic recording of rapid events at a rate exceeding 106 frames per second.
spectrum photographyThe photographic recording of visible and ultraviolet spectra on an ordinary photograph.
laserblade scalpelA contact tip made of artificial sapphire (AlO2) that allows surgeons to use laser power to cut and coagulate tissue...
polaritonA polariton is a quasiparticle resulting from the strong coupling between photons (light particles) and certain types of...
diode-pumped solid-state laserA diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) is a type of laser system that uses semiconductor diode lasers to pump energy into...
vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopyA method of spectral analysis using wavelengths between 100 and 300 nm that utilizes both emission and absorption techniques.
multilayer coatingA coating made up of many layers of material having alternating high and low refractive index. In this way, it is possible...
spectral domain optical coherence tomographySpectral domain optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in...
infrared-emitting diodeA semiconductor device with a semiconductor junction in which infrared radiant flux is nonthermally produced when a current...
Lovibond tintometerA subtractive colorimeter that expresses a liquid's or object's color as a combination of three colors. These colors are...
multiband cameraA group of four cameras loaded with different combinations of filters and film (one is usually an infrared color film) to...
liquid marbleLiquid marble refers to a unique form of microscale liquid encapsulation, where small droplets of liquid are coated with a...
Whittaker-Shannon theoremThe theorem stating that, when the sampling period in a recorded sample hologram is matched to the object spectrum, the...
phenotypeIn biology, particularly genetics and evolutionary biology, the phenotype refers to the observable characteristics or traits...
lock-in amplifierA lock-in amplifier is a specialized electronic instrument used to extract and measure small signals embedded in noise or...
microphonic noiseOutput noise in a laser beam resulting from acoustic disturbances of mirror separation or orientation. Such disturbances may...
electroluminescenceThe nonthermal conversion of electrical energy into light in a liquid or solid substance. The photon emission resulting from...
ultraviolet lensA microscope used either to detect selective absorption of various wavelengths by the specimen or to achieve increased...
exciter filterIn ultraviolet and fluorescence photography, the term applied to the filter used in the photographic system and with the...
Ultraviolet-CUltraviolet-C (UV-C) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet radiation with shorter wavelengths than those of visible...
Abbe-Porro prismA reflecting prism that inverts the image. The image is reflected four times internally and emitted laterally. The prism is...
differential interference contrast microscopyDifferential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, also known as Nomarski interference contrast microscopy, is an optical...
image converterAn electron tube that employs electromagnetic radiation to produce a visual replica of an image produced on its cathode....
depletion regionThe region at the PN junction in a semiconductor radiation detector where the potential energies of the two materials create...
Dammann gratingA Dammann grating is a type of diffractive optical element (DOE) used to create an array of equally spaced,...
magneto-optic readout deviceA device using the Kerr effect to read back the signals from mechanically recorded tapes and discs. It consists of a light...
nonlinear optical materialsNonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
time-averaged holographic interferometryMultiple exposures of holograms, one for each position of a vibrating image, that are used for vibration analysis and that...
lateral shearing interferometerA lateral shearing interferometer is an optical device used in interferometry to measure phase differences between two beams...
solar arrayA group of solar cells that are electrically contacted and physically arranged so that they may be oriented in the direction...
ultraviolet microscopyThe study and photographing of microscope specimens in ultraviolet light; using an optical microscope containing fluorite...
decision-tree classificationA structural method of optical character recognition, used where the input media are variable, as in hand-written or...
fiber optic scramblerA device used for coding messages and having a fiber bundle that is aligned at both ends and scrambled in the middle, potted...
gas currentThe positive ion current created in an electron tube as a result of the collisions between electrons and residual gas...
ultrasonic stroboscopeA light-interference device whose excitation is determined by the modulation of a light beam by an ultrasonic field.
volumetric imagingVolumetric imaging refers to the capture, visualization, and analysis of three-dimensional (3D) information from a volume of...
automatic recording spectrographA direct reading spectrograph having a photomultiplier assembly in place of a photographic plate. The output from the...
line scanLine scan refers to a method of capturing images or data by scanning a single line at a time, as opposed to capturing the...
color centerA color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...
freeform mirrorsFreeform mirrors refer to reflective optical components that deviate from traditional symmetric or rotationally symmetric...
ultraprecision cathode-ray tube displayA highly accurate cathode-ray tube used to display information with the utmost efficient stability and resolution. The...
Felgett advantageThe signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) obtained with a Fourier transform spectrometer when detector noise prevails, which exceeds...
television transmitterAn electronic device used to encode video and audio signals of a television camera into radio waves that are broadcast to...
microscopeAn instrument consisting essentially of a tube 160 mm long, with an objective lens at the distant end and an eyepiece at the...
ultraviolet AThe region of the electromagnetic spectrum from 320 to 400 nm.
neutralizationIn optics, the process of combining two lenses having equal and opposite powers to produce a result having no power.
ultraviolet fiber opticsUltraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
holographyHolography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and...
spectral signatureA spectral signature, in the context of remote sensing and spectroscopy, refers to the unique pattern or characteristic...
plasmonicsPlasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
ultrafast pulsed laserAn ultrafast pulsed laser is a type of laser that emits extremely short pulses of light with durations typically on the...
image orthiconA camera tube widely used in television broadcasting. It consists of three sections within a single vacuum envelope. 1. A...
optical design and engineering servicesOptical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and...
diamond turningDiamond turning, also known as diamond machining or diamond cutting, is a precision machining process used to produce...
lens testing equipmentLens testing equipment refers to a range of specialized tools and instruments used to evaluate the optical performance,...
telescope lensA telescope lens is a primary optical component of a telescope system that gathers and focuses light to form an image. It is...
vacuum ultraviolet radiationRadiation whose spectrum runs between 100 and 300 nm. Any work with these wavelengths requires evacuated equipment.
grapheconAn electron tube having two electron guns, one on each side of the storage medium, to encode the information onto the...
ultrasonic holography
coronagraphA telescope in which a mask occults the solar disk, generating an artificial eclipse and allowing observation and recording...
absorption lensAn optical lens manufactured to control the transmission of light over a specified wavelength range. Low absorption lenses...
phase matchingPhase matching is a crucial concept in the field of optics, particularly in nonlinear optics and the generation of coherent...
comaA lens aberration, resulting from different magnifications in the various lens zones, that occurs in that part of the image...
interference filterA filter that controls the spectral composition of transmitted energy partially by the effects of interference. Frequently,...
aspheric lensAn aspheric lens is a type of lens whose surface profiles deviate from the traditional spherical shape. Unlike spherical...
optical transitionThe process by which an atomic system changes from one energy level to another by either the emission or absorption of...
resonance ionization spectroscopyA type of ultrasensitive laser spectroscopy that can detect quantities as small as a single atom of some substances and that...
cross sectionCalculation of the probability of an interaction between two types of particles, such as light absorption, excitation or...
separate absorption and multiplication region avalanche photodiodeAn avalanche photodiode in which the light-absorbing area is a low-bandgap material and the PN junction is placed in an area...
piezoresistancePiezoresistance is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where the electrical resistance of a material changes in...
internal surfaceA nonoptical surface, within lenses and lens mounts, that contributes largely to flare by reflecting light into the image...
direct-vision prismAn assembly of multiple prisms that disperses incident light into its spectral components without deviating light at the...
microchannel plateA microchannel plate (MCP) is a specialized electron multiplier device used in various applications such as particle...
low Earth orbitLow Earth orbit (LEO) refers to a region in space that is relatively close to Earth's surface, typically characterized by...
orthographic cameraA camera designed with a telecentric optical system and a narrow field of view; the telecentric optical system (placement of...
high-speed movie cameraA camera designed to record at rates exceeding 50 fps. For frame rates up to about 500 fps, an ordinary pull-down mechanism...
thermal lensingDistortion of an optical component as a result of heat, which can influence the divergence and the mode quality of a beam...
multiple laser sequenceAlso known as gatling gun laser. A system that has an array of lasers sharing a common central axis on a rotating Fabry...
measuring wedgeA wedge in a rangefinder or heightfinder used to displace the image produced by one telescope so that it coincides with that...
multiconfiguration modeUsed in computer design for optical systems with common parts and different applications.
linear image sensorA linear image sensor is a type of solid-state electronic device used to capture and convert light into electrical signals....
organic dye laserA laser having a lasing material that is a fluorescing organic dye. Depending on the dye used, it can produce emission in...
functional near-infrared spectroscopyFunctional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin...
mercury vapor light sourceA lamp that has mercury in a tube or bulb that has first been evacuated. The electricity travels through the vapor between...
jitter1. In relation to cathode-ray tube displays, errors in the signal's amplitude, phase or both that result in small, rapid...
negative absorptionAmplification; the result of the excess of stimulated radiation over absorbed radiation.
ultraviolet absorbing filterA filter that is opaque from 200 to 400 nm.
laser opticsLaser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...
isotopically selected laser spectroscopyA spectroscopic technique in which an excitation band absorbs laser energy resulting in an electronic transition. The...
amplitude hologramA hologram in which diffraction is produced by the silver image, resulting in a dimmer image than in a phase hologram, where...
cavity dumpingA Q-switch method that can result in extreme pulse shortening.
spontaneous emissionRadiation emitted when a quantum mechanical system drops spontaneously from an excited level to a lower level. This...
long-pass filterA long-pass filter is an optical filter that allows longer wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking or...
moiré patternThe resulting interference pattern generated from moiré deflectometry, the moiré pattern is a pattern...
meso formA form of an element that cannot demonstrate optical activity as a result of dextrogyrate and levogyrate effects that are...
duplexIn data communications, the simultaneous operation of a circuit in both directions is known as full duplex; if only one...
Ti:sapphire laserA Ti:sapphire laser is a type of solid-state laser that utilizes a titanium-doped sapphire crystal as the gain medium. The...
uniphase interferenceIn interferometry, the result of superimposing two wavefronts of identical shape, yielding a uniform intensity interference...
normalized frequencyAlso referred to as the V number in fiber optics; the normalized frequency is a dimensionless quantity, denoted by the...
ultrahigh frequencyThe frequency band from 300 to 3000 MHz. The corresponding wavelengths are from 10 to 100 cm.
polychromatic acousto-optic modulatorA crystal-based device that combines and adjusts the intensities of multiple wavelengths of laser light in order to obtain...
hyperspectral imaging cameraA hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide...
Debye-Sears ultrasonic cellA device used in ultrasonic imaging to measure the velocity and attenuation of compressional waves in a transparent liquid...
optical multimeterAn instrument that measures several optical parameters, such as optical power and wavelength, with a single measurement...
photocurrentThe current that flows through a photosensitive device, such as a photodiode, as the result of exposure to radiant power.
photoelectric photometryThe use of photoelectric sensors to detect and measure the intensity of a light source. This application, as compared to...
optical grating reflectance evaluatorA device for measuring diffraction grating efficiency at any angle of incidence, consisting of a reflectometer wherein the...
rotating prism cameraA camera, with a rotating prism, that is capable of forming multiple exposures on a constantly moving strip of film.
retroreflectorA retroreflector is an optical device or structure that reflects incident light or electromagnetic waves back to their...
photographic dosimetryThe use of photographic emulsions to detect and determine the amounts of ionizing radiation, such as x-rays and gamma rays,...
multiplex spectrometryThe recording and mathematical analysis of all spectral intervals of the spectrometer simultaneously.
smearA lack of resolution in a television image as a result of smear ghosts or an insufficiently high video-frequency response....
lithographyLithography is a key process used in microfabrication and semiconductor manufacturing to create intricate patterns on the...
multileg lightguideA fiber optic bundle split along its length with the ends of the fibers extending separately to illuminate different points...
spectroscopeIn a general sense, any one of a class of instruments used to disperse radiation, visible or invisible, into its component...
laser velocimeterA system that uses a continuous-wave laser to measure the velocity of an object by focusing the laser beam on the object,...
transversely excited atmosphere laserAlso known as TEA laser. A coherent optical source with a wide wavelength range in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet...
hologonA multifaceted holographic disc that is rotated by a motor to deflect incident light to a scanning system's lens.
acousto-optic diffractionLight diffracted by a solid (usually quartz in crystal or fused form) traversed by acoustic waves. If the ultrasonic...
coefficient of thermal expansionA numerical representation of the rate at which a material will exhibit dimensional changes as a direct result of changes in...
binningCombining adjacent pixels into one larger pixel, resulting in increased sensitivity and lower resolution, or, in image...
gray-scale modificationImage enhancement operations that involve altering gray-scale values. For instance, brightness sliding involves adding or...
optical manufacturing tools and machineryOptical manufacturing tools and machinery encompass a wide range of equipment, instruments, and systems used in the...
sonoradiographyThe diagnostic procedure that uses ultrasonic energy to probe the body and, with the help of laser beams, a reflecting...
collision broadeningThe broadening of spectral lines due to the collision of radiating particles with one another and the resulting interruption...
unmanned aerial vehicleAn unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard. UAVs are remotely...
multichannel direct-reading spectrometerAn instrument that contains a spectrograph with a grating in which an array of slits, in place of a photographic plate, is...
molecular motorA molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
phase-change optical discAn erasable data recording and storage medium that uses a laser to heat the crystalline surface of the disc to a certain...
tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopyA spectroscopic technique that combines the high chemical specificity of Raman scattering and signal sensitivity provided by...
moiré topographyContour mapping technique that involves positioning a grating close to an object and observing its shadow on the object...
diffraction efficiencyDiffraction efficiency is a measure of how effectively a diffractive optical element (DOE) or diffraction grating directs...
forensic photographyThe application of ultraviolet, x-ray, infrared and conventional photography to law enforcement.
local oscillator laserIn coherent optical communications systems, a laser used at the receiving end to produce a steady wave that is combined with...
cataphoretic effectThe attraction of particles suspended in a solution to a cathode, as a result of an electric field.
nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopyNanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy is a microscopy technique that combines the principles of photonic...
photoelectron holographyA technique proposed for studying the atomic structure of crystals by measuring the interference pattern generated when the...
image dissector tubeAn electron tube that is used as a camera tube for a television system. When the picture to be transmitted is focused on a...
optical pumpingThe process whereby the number of atoms or atomic systems in a set of energy levels is changed by the absorption of light...
step-and-repeat printerA projection printer that is capable of reproducing a multiplicity of images from a master transparency on a single support...
ultrasonic imagingThe formation and display of three-dimensional images by ultrasonic energy. In one technique, the energy pulses from an...
q-switched operationQ-switched operation, or q-switching, is a technique used in lasers to produce short and intense pulses of light. The term...
bracketingIn photography, the technique of taking multiple pictures of the same subject at different exposures to compensate for...
frequency combA frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...
filter factorThe necessary increase of a photograph's exposure time as the result of the additional absorption of light by the filter...
photoluminescence mappingA technique used for noncontact inspection of semiconductor wafers. The material is illuminated by an excitation source that...
solarization1. The reduction in the developable density of a photographic emulsion that has been extremely overexposed. 2. In a laser...
laser cavityA laser cavity, also known as an optical cavity or resonator, is a fundamental component of a laser system. It is a confined...
metasurfacesMetasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...
quantum confinementQuantum confinement refers to the phenomenon in quantum mechanics where the motion of charge carriers, such as electrons or...
fluoride glassOptical glass containing zirconium fluoride that results in special characteristics such as improved transmission.
excimer laserAn excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet laser that emits short pulses of light in the ultraviolet spectrum. The term...
phototheranosticsPhototheranostics, a portmanteau of "photo" (light), "therapy," and "diagnostics," refers to an emerging field that combines...
maserAn acronym for microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Predecessor to the laser, the maser or...
diffraction gratingA diffraction grating is an optical component consisting of a surface with a periodic structure of equally spaced, parallel...
phageA phage, short for bacteriophage, is a type of virus that infects and replicates within bacteria. Phages are composed of...
multi-axis alignmentMulti-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...
signal-induced noiseNoise generated in the flow of current in the photomultiplier, produced by the intentional or controlled application of...
aplanatic pointsAplanatic points refer to specific points in an optical system where certain aberrations, such as spherical aberration or...
high-speed motion cameraA high-speed motion camera, also known as a high-speed camera or slow-motion camera, is a specialized imaging device...
phase transfer functionThe determination of the relative phase shift of an image as a function of frequency. A phase change of 180° with...
synchronous pumpingThe technique of generating ultrashort -- down to subpicosecond -- pulses by pumping a dye laser with mode-locked laser...
modified chemical vapor depositionModified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) is a technique used in the fabrication of optical fibers. It is a specialized form...
feedback control systemA system designed to control the output quantity of a device by returning a portion of its output signal to its input. This...
reflective spectroscopyReflectance spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the reflective properties of materials across various wavelengths of...
Foucault chart
deuterium discharge lampA discharge lamp filled with deuterium to produce high-intensity ultraviolet radiation for use in spectroscopic analysis.
nanostructured glassA unique glass made up of nano-structured materials to create millimeter sized monolithic glass space-variant polarization...
interstellar absorption linesSharp and narrow absorption lines found in the spectra of stars. They result from the absorption of a part of a star's...
facet1. One of the plane-reflecting surfaces on a multisurfaced polygon. 2. The cleaved end mirror of a laser diode's active...
mixingCombining light beams, usually of unlike frequencies, to form a single beam with a frequency that is equal to the frequency...
GigEGigE, short for gigabit Ethernet, refers to a standard for high-speed Ethernet communication, capable of transmitting data...
quasi-CW laserA laser that generates a succession of pulses at a high enough repetition rate to appear continuous. The pump source is...
substrateA substrate refers to a material or surface upon which another material or process is applied or deposited. In various...
multimode distortionIn an optical waveguide,- typically a multimode fiber - the distortion resulting from differential mode delay, i.e. axial...
laser photochemistryThe study concerned with the stimulation of chemical activity by laser light as a result of the absorption of photons by a...
photoelasticIn optics, the double refraction that is produced when stress is applied to a transparent material. Plastics, which are...
reflecting objectiveAn image-forming system that uses mirrors rather than lenses. Such objectives are frequently used for astronomical...
apochromatic systemAn optical system that is corrected chromatically for three colors simultaneously.
flowmeterA flowmeter is a device used to measure the flow rate or quantity of a fluid passing through a particular point in a system....
Fourier imagesThe series of images formed when periodic objects are exposed to collimated monochromatic radiation and that result from...
grain boundaryIn a multicrystalline material, the meeting point between crystallites.
freeform opticsFreeform optics refers to the design and fabrication of optical surfaces that do not follow traditional symmetric shapes,...
image intensifierAn image intensifier, also known as an image intensification tube or image intensification device, is a specialized...
segmentIn multifocal spectacles, a term used to denote glass with a high refractive index that has been fused to the blank and...
deep ultravioletDeep ultraviolet (DUV or deep-UV) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet light with shorter wavelengths than those in the...
photogrammetryPhotogrammetry is a technique used to obtain accurate three-dimensional measurements of objects and environments through the...
reflective coatingThin-film coating, single or multilayer, that is applied to a substrate to increase its reflectance over a specified range...
aplanatic surfaceAn aplanatic surface is an optical surface that is specifically designed or shaped to minimize spherical aberration and...
Photoelastic equipment and suppliesPhotoelastic equipment and supplies refer to instruments and materials used in photoelasticity, a technique used to analyze...
multifibersAn array of optically distinct fibers that are fused into one strand. They are used to keep the resolution efficiency of the...
asynchronous transfer modeA method of data multiplexing that can provide large, instantaneous bandwidths for busy traffic while permitting slow...
extreme ultravioletExtreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
orange peelIn the context of imaging, particularly digital imaging and printing, "orange peel" refers to a texture or visual distortion...
Nipkow disc scannerA device consisting of a disc with a spiral arrangement of holes that is used to convert visible patterns into electrical...
photonic integrated circuitA photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a compact and integrated device that incorporates multiple photonic components and...
lasing thresholdThe lowest excitation power level at which a laser's output is mainly the result of stimulated emission rather than...
multiple instruction/multiple dataA computer architecture used in parallel processing whereby all the processing elements are operating under their own local...
optical fiberOptical fiber is a thin, flexible, transparent strand or filament made of glass or plastic used for transmitting light...
transmission electron microscopeA transmission electron microscope (TEM) is a powerful microscopy technique that uses a beam of electrons to create...
microfilm cameraA camera used to reduce originals onto film for easy storage. There are two basic types: one in which the film is fixed...
energy-sharing laserA laser that distributes its output power among two, three or four optical fibers simultaneously.
differential mode delayA variation in propagation delay caused by differences in group velocity among modes of an optical fiber. Also called...
fiber optic cleaverA device used to prepare optical fiber end faces; a scribe line made by the cleaver's blade propagates across the fiber,...
fiber Bragg gratingA fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is a type of optical filter that is inscribed or "written" into the core of an optical fiber. It...
scanning electron microscopyScanning electron microscopy (SEM) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to obtain high-resolution,...
time-lapse optical coherence tomographyTime-lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) refers to a medical imaging technique that captures a series of sequential OCT...
intramodal distortionThat distortion resulting from dispersion of the group velocity of a propagating mode. It is the only distortion occurring...
neutral density wedgeA strip or annulus of glass coated with a semitransparent material such as inconel. The coating thickness, and as a result...
multimode fiber
stable multipass Fabry-Perot interferometerA plane-parallel interferometer that yields extremely high contrast over a wide range of finesse values without...
ion-beam sputteringIon-beam sputtering (IBS) is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique used for depositing thin films onto substrates. It...
correlated double samplingA technique for removing thermal noise and drift from focal plane assemblies by sampling the system output between views of...
symmetry operationAny systemic process that ultimately reassembles all the system's components into their initial alignment, or an arrangement...
voltage contrast analysisA nondestructive testing method for very large scale integration circuits, using a scanning electron microscope to monitor...
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