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process Dictionary Terms

vapor-phase axial deposition
A process by which high-quality fiber optics are made. See axial vapor-phase deposition.
digital signal processing
Digital signal processing (DSP) refers to the manipulation and analysis of signals, which are representations of physical...
time-to-amplitude converter
A time-to-amplitude converter (TAC) is an electronic circuit that converts a time interval between two events into an...
additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a manufacturing process that involves creating three-dimensional...
machine vision system
A machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...
optical repeater
In an optical fiber or waveguide communications system, an optoelectronic device or module that receives an optical signal,...
termination
The process of attaching a device to the end of a fiber cable to enable the beam to be transmitted farther, to pass to...
fiber optic sensor
A fiber optic sensor is a device that uses optical fibers to detect and measure physical, chemical, biological, or...
low-loss fiber
Optical fiber that transmits a greater percentage of input light than does high-loss step-index fiber. Low-loss fiber...
logarithmic transformation
One class of nonlinear space-invariant transformation processes used for processing convolved and multiplied signals.
photonic computer
A type of computer in which the electronic circuits, which process data serially, are replaced by photonic circuits capable...
microRNA
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, single-stranded RNA molecules, typically consisting of about 19 to 24 nucleotides,...
remote sensing
Remote sensing is a method of data collection and observation where information about objects, areas, or phenomena on...
GaN distributed feedback lasers
GaN (Gallium Nitride) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers refer to a specific type of semiconductor laser based on Gallium...
magnetron sputtering
A variation from standard physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating techniques, magnetron sputtering is a plasma coating...
pseudocolor
In image processing, generating a color image from monochrome data by assigning a color to each of the gray levels.
metrology
Metrology is the science and practice of measurement. It encompasses the theoretical and practical aspects of measurement,...
laser-induced cut and patch
A process used in the design, repair and customization of integrated circuits. A low-power laser etches a silicon wafer...
atom optics
The area of optics in which the wave nature of a particle is exploited to carry out very accurate interferometry and other...
excimer laser
An excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet laser that emits short pulses of light in the ultraviolet spectrum. The term...
hologram
An interference pattern that is recorded on a high-resolution plate, the two interfering beams formed by a coherent beam...
burnishing
The process of lapping a thin edge of metal over the bevelled edge of a lens to maintain it within its cell.
additive color mixing
Process in which two or more lights are combined by superposition.
subtractive color process
The basic process of color photography whereby colors are subtracted from white light by means of filters, making all colors...
rectangular scanning
A two-dimensional scanning process, in which a slow sector scan, propagated in one direction, is superimposed at right...
time-correlated single photon counting
Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) is a technique used in photon counting applications, particularly in the...
APD detector
An APD detector, or avalanche photodiode detector, is a type of photodetector used to detect light or optical signals by...
stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy
Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) is a superresolution microscopy technique that enables imaging of...
video amplifier
A wideband amplifier used to process video or picture information.
Mach-Zehnder interferometer
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer is an optical device used to measure the phase difference between two collimated beams of...
Golgi Staining Technique
The Golgi staining technique (also called the black reaction) makes it possible to look at the nervous system by rendering...
bionics
The application of observed operational processes of sophisticated living organisms to mechanical and electrical systems in...
blanking
The process by which the raster beam in a video tube is cut off during the retracing and sync periods.
input/output
I/O stands for input/output. In computing, it refers to the communication between a computer system or program and its...
frequency domain
The frequency domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to represent signals and data in terms of their...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
simultaneous exposure and development
The process, used with a positive photoresist, in which the photoresist is immersed in developing chemicals while being...
injection-mounted assembly
A process by which a plastic cell is molded around a glass lens or lenses to create a mount, eliminating the metal barrel...
resonator
A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance, which is a phenomenon that occurs when an external force or...
ospin
Opsins are a group of light-sensitive proteins found primarily in the retinas of vertebrate and invertebrate eyes, as well...
drum scanner
An image-processing device that scans in a straight line parallel to the axis of a rotating cylinder to which the material...
second-harmonic generation
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine...
adiabatic process
A process during which no heat enters or leaves the system.
polarization
Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave, such as light waves, radio waves, or other...
chirality
Chirality is a property of certain molecules and objects in which they are non-superimposable on their mirror images. In...
remote inspection
Remote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or...
line scan
Line scan refers to a method of capturing images or data by scanning a single line at a time, as opposed to capturing the...
halide
In chemistry, a halide refers to a chemical compound containing one or more halogen atoms bonded to another element. The...
thin-film circuit
A circuit whose passive components are deposited on a given substrate by sputtering or vacuum processes.
diamond-turned optic
Diamond turning refers to a precision machining process used to produce complex optical components, particularly lenses and...
laser isotope separation
A process of isolation of various atom vapor ions by means of tuning a laser source. For example, laser enrichment is...
gradient
In image processing and machine vision, the rate of change of pixel intensity.
Förster resonance energy transfer
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a mechanism describing the transfer of energy between two closely spaced...
laser-mediated gene transfer
Laser-mediated gene transfer refers to a technique in molecular biology and genetic engineering that utilizes lasers to...
volumetric imaging
Volumetric imaging refers to the capture, visualization, and analysis of three-dimensional (3D) information from a volume of...
Kerr soliton
A Kerr soliton refers to a specific type of soliton, a self-reinforcing wave packet, that arises in nonlinear optical...
excitation
1. The process by which an atom acquires energy sufficient to raise it to a quantum state higher than its ground state. 2....
lenticular stereogram
The stereo image that is recorded by the lenticular, stereo photographic process.
CID camera
CID, or charge injection device, camera refers to a type of imaging device that utilizes a specific kind of solid-state...
convolutional neural network
A powerful and flexible machine-learning approach that can be used in machine vision to help solve difficult problems....
multiple instruction/multiple data
A computer architecture used in parallel processing whereby all the processing elements are operating under their own local...
outside vapor-phase oxidation
A process for the production of optical fibers. A glass bait is rotated in a traversing flame of a reaction burner....
phototheranostics
Phototheranostics, a portmanteau of "photo" (light), "therapy," and "diagnostics," refers to an emerging field that combines...
flux growth
A method of synthesis for crystals such as KTP. The process involves the use of a high-temperature solution called flux to...
phase matching
Phase matching is a crucial concept in the field of optics, particularly in nonlinear optics and the generation of coherent...
light sheet fluorescence microscopy
Also known as single plane illumination microscopy (SPIM), this process was designed for imaging of sensitive samples and...
dithering
In image processing, modifying the dot that forms the image in order to simulate a series of gray tones.
modified chemical vapor deposition
Modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) is a technique used in the fabrication of optical fibers. It is a specialized form...
thick-film circuit
A microcircuit whose passive components consist of a ceramic-metal combination deposited on a given substrate by screening...
thermal recording
A term referring to various processes for forming visible images outside of a camera to be photographed on ordinary film....
phase distrortion
Phase distortion refers to a change in the phase relationships between different frequency components of a signal. In the...
frequency doubling
A nonlinear optical process in which the frequency of an optical beam is doubled coherently.
nitrogen vacancy
A nitrogen vacancy (NV) refers to a specific type of defect or impurity in a crystal lattice where a nitrogen atom replaces...
Weissenberg method
The Weissenberg method, named after the German physicist Karl Weissenberg, is a technique used in x-ray crystallography for...
Dogmar/Aviar lens
A general-purpose lens, also known as the Celor lens, used widely in photography and commercial processing; it has the form...
virtual histology
Virtual histology refers to the use of digital technology and computational methods to simulate or recreate histological...
microcircuit manufacturing
The formation of transistors, diodes, capacitors, resistors and other electronic elements directly on a flake of silicon by...
infrared
Infrared (IR) refers to the region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, but...
glazing
The process whereby a spectacle lens is placed in a frame.
detector array
A detector array refers to a collection of individual detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional grid or matrix format....
flash photographic density filter
A filter, partially opaque to near-ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation, that may be made by exposing and processing...
blocking
The process whereby blanks are attached to a block in a position for grinding or polishing.
optical glass
Optical glass refers to a type of glass specifically engineered and manufactured for use in optical components and systems,...
nonlinear optical processing
Derivative of the half-tone screen process involving the fabrication of a binary pulse-width modulated copy of the...
diffraction scattering
Elastic scattering that occurs when inelastic processes eliminate particles from the beam.
frame grabber
Image processing peripheral that converts video images from cameras into digital format and transfers these digital images...
superelastic collision
Observed phenomenon in laser pulses in which a large number of excited electrons are created and in which multiphoton...
output spectrum display
The direct computation of the Fourier transform of the space variant system output of an optical processor with a single...
rapid access system
A photographic camera and processing system used to form a usable record of the subject in a short time, usually a few...
active medium
A material that produces stimulated emission during the process of amplification with a laser system.
camera reduction
The use of the photographic process to produce precision copies of an original image that are many times smaller in size....
laser texturing
Laser texturing is a manufacturing process that involves using a laser beam to selectively modify the surface of a material,...
closing
In morphological image processing, a series of dilations followed by the same number of erosions.
GigE
GigE, short for gigabit Ethernet, refers to a standard for high-speed Ethernet communication, capable of transmitting data...
second-side meniscus
The process of grinding the convex surface of a convexo-concave meniscus.
aptamer
An aptamer is a short, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecule that can bind to a specific target molecule with high affinity...
spatial filtering
In image processing, the enhancement of an image by increasing or decreasing its spatial frequencies.
CMOS camera
A CMOS camera refers to an imaging device that employs a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor to...
image photocounting distribution
Photon flow created by imaging of light into a detector array; IPD is the electrical signal used by the image processor in a...
metabolite
A metabolite is any small molecule that is a product of metabolism, the chemical processes that occur within living...
high-speed motion camera
A high-speed motion camera, also known as a high-speed camera or slow-motion camera, is a specialized imaging device...
phototherapy
Phototherapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of light to treat various conditions, particularly those related...
structuring element
The pattern used as a probe in morphological image processing to manipulate the size and shape of objects in an image.
scribing
The process of perforating a silicon or ceramic substrate with a series of tiny holes along which it will break. Nd:YAG or...
first-side toric
The process of grinding the toric surface of a single vision sphero-cylindrical lens.
multispectral imaging
Multispectral imaging is a technique that involves capturing and analyzing images at multiple discrete spectral bands within...
imbedding material
A thermoplastic or thermosetting material used to hold an object fixed and keep it from deterioration. In microcircuitry,...
leaching
The process of removing some of the constituents of a glass surface by chemical action.
lens blank
A lens blank is a piece of optical material in a raw, unfinished state, typically in the form of a disk or block, from which...
global optimization
A controlled random search process, such as generalized simulated annealing, that has been incorporated into many optical...
halftone screen
A plate containing a uniform pattern of transparent holes in an opaque background, the clear area being nearly equal to the...
microcomb
A microcomb, short for microresonator frequency comb, is a novel photonic device that generates a precise series of evenly...
fluorescence
Fluorescence is a type of luminescence, which is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other...
self-phase modulation
Self-phase modulation (SPM) is a nonlinear optical phenomenon that occurs when an intense laser beam passes through a...
fluorescence photography
The photographic recording of a subject that exhibits luminescence only for an extremely short time (10-8 s) after the...
infrared lens
An infrared lens is an optical component specifically designed and optimized for transmitting, focusing, or manipulating...
photochemical
The term photochemical pertains to chemical processes or reactions that are initiated or influenced by the absorption of...
ultramicrophotography
The process of microphotography that involves the reduction of the original at a ratio greater than 100 to 1. The process is...
system on chip
Abbreviated SoC. A single chip containing all the electronic circuits required for a complete, working product. SoCs are...
frequency comb
A frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...
generating
A rapid roughing process for the quick removal of glass, the first step in manufacture of a curved lens surface. It is...
spatial light modulator
A spatial light modulator (SLM) is an optical device that modulates or manipulates the amplitude, phase, or polarization of...
half bandwidth
The term half bandwidth (HBW) generally refers to the width of a spectral band or frequency range at half of its maximum...
holographic camera
A holographic camera, also known as a holographic imaging system or holographic recorder, is a specialized device used to...
photobiomodulation
A light therapy that utilizes nonionizing light sources, including lasers, LEDs, and broadband light, in the visible and...
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...
multichannel spectral analyzer
A spectrometric instrument that detects radiation simultaneously in multiple channels, sorts it spectrally from the deep...
intensified charge-coupled device camera
An intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera is an advanced imaging device that combines the capabilities of both an...
zone plate
A plate of glass, usually a photograph, on which there is a central spot surrounded by concentric annular zones, alternately...
digital-to-analog converter
In image processing, a device that transforms the digital data into an analog video image that can be viewed on a monitor or...
cursor
On a display monitor, a small, mobile rectangle, cross-hair or pointer that locates a feature in an image that is the object...
microfilm equipment
Two essential pieces of equipment used in connection with the microfilming process: a camera capable of producing, on film,...
carbonization
Carbonization is a process in which organic materials are heated in the absence of air, leading to the decomposition of the...
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
infrared light-emitting diode
An infrared light-emitting diode (IR LED) is a semiconductor device that emits infrared light when an electric current...
computer-generated hologram
A computer-generated hologram (CGH) is a holographic image produced using computational methods and algorithms, rather than...
ocular accommodation reflex
The eye's involuntary reaction in the process of accommodation. This reflex is most dramatic in response to looking at a...
infrared detector
An infrared detector is a device that is used to detect and measure infrared radiation, which lies beyond the visible...
opening
In morphological image processing, a series of erosions followed by the same number of dilations.
transition
The process whereby a quantum mechanical system alters from one energy level to another. During this process, energy is...
coherent communications
A fiber optic communications system that works on the principles of homodyning or heterodyning. The transmitting laser...
unblocking
The process whereby optical elements are removed from a block.
halogen lamp
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen, quartz-halogen, or quartz iodine lamp, is an incandescent lamp that uses a...
delay line
A device used to delay transmission of a signal for functions such as memory loops, sequential processing or built-in...
quantitative phase imaging
Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to measure and analyze the optical...
Van der Waals
Van der Waals forces refer to the attractive or repulsive forces between molecules (or parts of molecules) that arise from...
sample-and-hold circuit
A device that acquires a signal and then stores it for a specified period of time before processing, and used, for example,...
brightness resolution
The degree to which a pixel in a digital image represents the analog brightness of the corresponding point in the original...
geometric operations
In image processing, mathematical operations that change spatial geometry, as for instance scaling, translating, rotating or...
mirror blank
A mirror blank refers to the initial piece of material from which a mirror is made. It is typically a flat or slightly...
matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization
Process of analysis in which the analyte substance is distributed in a matrix before laser desorption. This method avoids...
flow chemistry
Flow chemistry, also known as continuous-flow chemistry, is a chemical manufacturing process where reactions take place in a...
modulation transfer function analysis/measurement equipment
MTF analysis/measurement equipment refers to instruments and tools used to measure and analyze the modulation transfer...
cascade method
A heterochromatic photometric process using successive comparison of similar chromaticities and the calculation of relative...
microfluidics
Microfluidics is a multidisciplinary field that involves the manipulation and control of very small fluid volumes, typically...
georectification
The superposition of satellite or aerial images with a map in order to process and remove distortion. Uses reference points...
color perception test equipment
Equipment for testing an observer's color vision. Some tests require the identification or ordering of colored samples. The...
embedded vision
Embedded vision refers to the integration of computer vision technologies into various embedded systems, devices, or...
mensuration
The process or act of measuring the geometric properties of an object or image.
laser sintering
Laser sintering is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that involves using a laser to selectively fuse...
stitching
The process of creating a large, panoramic image by aligning and joining a set of smaller images. Image processing is used...
retinography
The process of photographing the retina of the eye.
epitaxial equipment
Epitaxial equipment refers to a set of specialized tools and systems used in the process of epitaxy, which is the growth of...
median filtering
In image processing, a method of local smoothing by replacing each pixel with the median gray level of neighboring pixels.
point spread function
The point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...
truing
The process by which a surface is made to conform accurately to a given curvature.
optical switching
Optical switching refers to the process of controlling the routing or transmission of optical signals within a network using...
total internal reflection fluorescence
Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is an advanced fluorescence microscopy technique that leverages the...
electron-beam lithography system
An electron-beam lithography (EBL) system is a sophisticated nanofabrication tool used in the semiconductor industry and...
holographic crystal growth analysis
The study of crystal growth from the molten stage utilizing a holographic system wherein interferometric techniques record...
magnetorheological finishing
Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...
exciton
An exciton is a quasiparticle that represents the bound state of an electron and a hole in a solid-state material, typically...
spectral signature
A spectral signature, in the context of remote sensing and spectroscopy, refers to the unique pattern or characteristic...
integrated photonics
Integrated photonics is a field of study and technology that involves the integration of optical components, such as lasers,...
laser drill
High power laser ablation device that by pulsed operation produces holes of controllable dimension on the scale of microns....
picking
The process whereby pitch is broken and the lenses or blanks are removed from the block.
plane holographic grating
The generation of a grating on a flat surface by means of a series of interference fringes formed by a holographic process....
nanophotonics
Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...
fluorophore
A fluorophore is a molecule or a portion of a molecule that has the ability to emit light upon excitation by an external...
well plate
A well plate, also known as a microplate or microtiter plate, is a flat plate with multiple small wells or depressions...
machine vision lens
A machine vision lens is a specialized optical lens designed for use in machine vision systems, which are used for automated...
Rydberg atom
The term "Rydberg atom" refers to an atom in a highly excited state where one or more of its electrons are in a Rydberg...
quantum key distribution
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method of secure communication that utilizes principles from quantum mechanics to...
feature extraction
In image processing and machine vision, the process in which an initial measurement pattern or some subsequence of...
bismuth silicon oxide
A photorefractive material used in image processing, holography and optical switching.
chemical vapor deposition equipment
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment refers to a class of specialized apparatus used in the process of chemical vapor...
laser ablation
Laser ablation is a process that involves the removal or erosion of material from a target surface using laser energy. This...
phototelegraphy
A document-transmitting process that uses a cylinder that rotates the document to be scanned and detected by a photoelectric...
fluorescence lifetime
Fluorescence lifetime refers to the average time it takes for a fluorophore, a molecule that absorbs light at one wavelength...
binary thresholding
An imaging technique that labels all gray pixels as either black or white before processing begins.
semiconductor
A semiconductor is a type of material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. In...
cascade shower
A shower of cosmic rays whereby a high-energy electron produces one or more photons that convert into electron pairs, the...
recombinase polymerase amplification
Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a molecular biology technique used to rapidly amplify specific DNA or RNA...
holography
Holography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and...
epitaxial deposition
Epitaxial deposition is a process used in semiconductor manufacturing and materials science to grow a thin crystalline...
laser-triggered switching
A process by which the ionizing capabilities of a laser beam are used to break initiate conduction between pairs of...
process camera
A photographic camera designed to produce reproduction film of visual information (pictures, line drawings, graphs) for...
spline function
Potential alternative to the conventional pulse approximation method of digital image processing because of its highly...
reflection grating
A reflection grating is an optical component that consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel reflecting surfaces or...
micro-robotics
Micro-robotics refers to the field of robotics that involves the design, development, and application of miniature robotic...
atomic fluorescence spectroscopy
The analysis of fluorescence emitted by discrete atoms, in flames, that have absorbed radiation from an external source. It...
dilation
In image processing, a morphology operator in which a structuring element or probe of a particular shape is moved over the...
latensification
A short term for latent image intensification, a process much like hypersensitizing in photography, but used after exposure...
single molecule localization microscopy
Single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is a group of super-resolution microscopy techniques that surpass the...
monomer exchange diffusion
Process that occurs when a polymerized soft plastic rod with higher refractive index is placed in a bath of a lower...
cathode-ray output
A term used in data processing to describe a cathode-ray tube that displays graphic or character data.
Czochralski technique
Popular process for silicon and polycrystalline production that consists of an alteration of the original state of a...
light fidelity
LiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...
pixel
A pixel, short for "picture element," is the smallest controllable element of a digital image or display. It is a...
layout
In the optical shop, the process of positioning and marking a blank or lens before surfacing, cutting and edging.
nonlinear optics
Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics that studies the optical phenomena that occur when intense light interacts with a...
photoplethysmography
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a non-invasive optical technique used to detect changes in blood volume in tissues. It...
molecular motor
A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
image processor
A device embodying a microprocessor that converts an image to digital form and then further enhances the image to prepare it...
automated optical inspection
Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a technology used in manufacturing processes, particularly in electronics, to...
laser powder bed fusion
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a type of additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that uses a high-power...
lookup table
In image processing, the memory that stores the values for the point processes. Input pixel values are those for the...
photoelasticity
The process of determining, with the aid of plane-polarized light, the stress distribution in materials under complex...
charge-injection device
A charge-injection device (CID) refers to a class of devices that manipulate and detect electrical charge within a...
uniformly redundant array
Array used in coded-aperture imaging experiments with two-beam CO2 lasers that provide an artifact-free process, faithful...
tracking
1. The process of following an object's movement; accomplished by focusing a radar beam on the reticle of an optical system...
inertial fusion energy
Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from...
turbidity
Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by the presence of suspended particles. These...
Camera Link HS
Camera Link HS (high speed) is a standard developed for high-speed digital data transmission in machine vision and...
picosecond pulse
A pulse having extremely short duration, about 10-13 to 10-10 s, that is produced by mode locking of wide-bandwidth lasers,...
grinding
The process in the manufacture of an optical system that gives it the required geometric shape.
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates digital information, typically in the form of computer-generated...
electrostatic process
A process used in document copying and printing that involves the visible rendering of an invisible electrostatic image on a...
lock-in amplifier
A lock-in amplifier is a specialized electronic instrument used to extract and measure small signals embedded in noise or...
parallel scanning
Parallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather...
television microscope
A device designed to enlarge the image of a microscopic object by television process. It may be a flying spot scanner that...
poling
The process of aligning the crystallites in a piezoelectric material by placing a large DC field across the element at an...
mid-infrared camera
A mid-infrared camera is a type of imaging device designed to capture images in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral range,...
remote laser welding
A robotic process commonly employed by automakers that enables high-speed and flexible production throughput by using...
decimation
The process of reducing the size of an image by removing a certain proportion of the samples produced from the original...
bandgap
In semiconductor physics, the term bandgap refers to the energy range in a material where no electronic states are allowed....
nuclear fusion
In physics, nuclear fusion refers to the process in which two atomic nuclei come together to form a heavier nucleus,...
ion-beam sputtering
Ion-beam sputtering (IBS) is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique used for depositing thin films onto substrates. It...
color comparator
1. A device used in chemistry to compare the colors of solutions held in flat-bottomed tubes and viewed along the length of...
processed hologram
A superposition of many zone plates, each reconstructing a real and virtual point image at the appropriate locations upon...
laser trimming
The use of lasers in tailoring of such components as thin-film resistors. The process improves speed and accuracy.
windowing
A technique for reducing data processing requirements by electronically defining only a small portion of the image to be...
devitrification
The process by which a vitreous or amorphous substance forms a crystal structure at a specified temperature.
sequential scanning
Raster scanning process like that of television: each line is scanned successively.
photopolymer
A polymer produced as a result of photochemical processes.
microchannel spatial light modulator
A device to modulate spatially a collimated coherent beam of light with input data in optical data processing. It uses a...
lapping
1. The process of wearing down the surface of a softer material by rubbing it under pressure against the surface of a harder...
selective laser melting
Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that belongs to the powder bed...
thermal imaging
The process of producing a visible two-dimensional image of a scene that is dependent on differences in thermal or infrared...
transducer
A transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields,...
multiple invariance
Characteristic of optical correlators in which invariance to more than one distortion parameter per axis of the processor is...
emission spectrum
An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light...
modulator
A modulator is a device or component that modifies a carrier signal in order to encode information for transmission over a...
polisher pressing
The process of forming a polisher by pressing it with an optical surface.
electrochemistry
The study of the reversible conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy. Electroplating is an electrochemical...
Nd:YAG laser
Nd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The...
phase mask
In optics and photolithography, a phase mask refers to a device that modifies the phase of light waves passing through it....
thin film
A thin layer of a substance deposited on an insulating base in a vacuum by a microelectronic process. Thin films are most...
high harmonic generation
High harmonic generation (HHG) refers to a nonlinear optical process in which intense laser light interacts with a gaseous...
safelight
Filtered light to which photographic or other photosensitive materials are not responsive; used to illuminate darkrooms when...
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
slab-off
The process of making an abrupt break in a spherical surface on a spectacle lens so that a new center of curvature is set...
FTIR spectrometer
FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectrometer is a powerful analytical instrument used to obtain an infrared spectrum of...
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of optical lens that consists of a series of concentric grooves or steps carved into a flat, thin...
doping
In the context of materials science and semiconductor physics, doping refers to the intentional introduction of impurities...
collision broadening
The broadening of spectral lines due to the collision of radiating particles with one another and the resulting interruption...
optical Fourier transform
The optical Fourier transform is a mathematical operation applied to optical signals that involves transforming a spatial...
gallium nitride
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a compound made up of gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N). It is a wide-bandgap semiconductor material...
digital densitometry
Pictorial information processing in which the processed picture shows a family of equidensity lines or bands coded with...
gray levels
In image processing, machine vision and television, discrete brightness values quantized for a group of pixels. They can...
figuring
The process whereby the shape of an optical surface is altered by polishing.
lattice energy
With respect to the crystal, the decrease in energy that follows the process whereby the ions, separated from each other by...
optical character recognition
Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that is used to convert printed or handwritten text into...
mapping function
In image processing, the mathematical relationships that link pixel brightnesses of input images to those of output images...
multimodality imaging
A technique that combines two or more imaging processes in order to minimize the disadvantages within each of the...
diode laser
A diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate coherent light....
light dispersion
The process whereby white light is separated into its component wavelengths. Light beams of different wavelengths are...
ultrafast laser
An ultrafast laser is a type of laser that emits extremely short pulses of light with durations typically on the order of...
resolution
1. In optics, the ability of a lens system to reproduce the points, lines and surfaces in an object as separate entities in...
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
image transformation
The processing of an image or portion of an image by transform coding and analysis. Fourier, Hadamand, Kronecker and...
intravital microscopy
Intravital microscopy is an imaging technique used to visualize biological processes within living organisms, typically in...
posterization
In image processing, the effect caused by large jumps between gray levels, rather than a gradual change.
ultraviolet fiber optics
Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
diazo film
A type of photographic film, often used in microfilming, that is processed by heat treatment, needing no liquid application.
3D printing
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional objects...
photonic integrated circuit
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a compact and integrated device that incorporates multiple photonic components and...
advanced driver assistance systems
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) refers to a set of safety features and technologies designed to assist drivers in...
morphology
In image processing, the study of structure or form of objects in an image.
image restoration
Filtering procedures aimed at estimating the original image by removing the blurring and noise suppression that occur during...
accelerometer
An accelerometer is a sensor or transducer that measures the rate of change of velocity of an object, or in simpler terms,...
spatial light interference microscopy
Spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) is an optical microscopy technique that belongs to the category of quantitative...
plasmonics
Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
calorimetry
Calorimetry is a branch of science that involves the measurement of heat flow in physical or chemical processes. It...
keyhole welding
The process of binding or attaching larger metal sheets by laser welding. The effect is generated by higher power densities...
xerography
A printing process of electrostatic electrophotography that uses a photoconductive insulating medium, in conjunction with...
piezoresistance
Piezoresistance is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where the electrical resistance of a material changes in...
probe card
A probe card is a testing device used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry to evaluate and test the electrical...
additive color process
A process of color photography in which colors are added one to another in the form of light, rather than as colorants, to...
nanoimprint lithography
Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a nanolithography technique used for fabricating nanoscale patterns on a substrate. It is a...
dewetting
Dewetting is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where a thin film or coating spontaneously undergoes a process of...
photoelectric exposure meter
A device consisting of a microammeter, a photovoltaic cell and a battery. It is used for the measurement of scene brightness...
single instruction/multiple data
A computer architecture used in parallel processing whereby the processing elements are directed by a single, central...
superfluorescence
The process in which the normal rate of fluorescent emission from a substance is enhanced by virtue of the optical gain of...
nonradiative transition
A nonradiative transition refers to a process in which an electron or an atom undergoes a change in its energy state without...
luminescence
Luminescence is the emission of light that occurs without the involved substance undergoing a significant increase in...
optical design software
Optical design software refers to specialized computer programs used by optical engineers, physicists, and designers to...
solid-state laser
A solid-state laser is a type of laser that uses a solid gain medium (as opposed to a liquid or gas) to produce coherent...
laser cooling
A process and method by which manipulation and orientation of a given number of directed laser beams decreases the motion of...
lens testing equipment
Lens testing equipment refers to a range of specialized tools and instruments used to evaluate the optical performance,...
thermography
Thermography is a technique that involves the use of an infrared imaging device, called a thermal camera or infrared camera,...
laser peening
Laser peening is a surface enhancement technique used to improve the mechanical properties of materials, particularly...
whole slide imaging
Whole slide imaging (WSI), also known as virtual slide microscopy or digital pathology, is a technology that involves the...
single-photon avalanche diode
A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...
image centroid
Often referred to as the geometric center of a given image or image plane, the centroid of an image is a fixed point located...
fluorescence spectroscopy
The spectroscopic study of radiation emitted by the process of fluorescence.
photovoltaic
Photovoltaic (PV) refers to a technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductors. The term...
concatenation
The process of linking optical fiber end to end.
photographic resolution
A measure of the ability of a photographic system to record fine detail. Usually stated in terms of cycles per millimeter on...
etching
The engraving of a surface by acid, acid fumes or a tool; a process extensively used in the manufacture of reticles.
optical character reader
A photosensitive device used to optically scan and read character data (numbers, letters etc.) and input this data into a...
near-infrared spectrometer
A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection...
digital optical processing
The scanning of photographs or transparencies of images, either by a vidicon camera or flying spot scanner, for the...
boresight
The alignment process that makes the optical axes of two related systems parallel to each other. Also, making the optical...
photodetector
A photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical...
electrostatography
The recording of patterns by the production and use of latent electrostatic charge patterns. See electrostatic process.
MSM photodiode
A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode is a type of photodetector that consists of metal electrodes on a semiconductor...
antialiasing
In image processing, methods of reducing image defects that result from false data. Techniques include sampling, linear...
SPIN
Acronym for self-aligned polysilicon interconnect N-channel. A metal-gate process that uses aluminum for the metal-oxide...
scanner
1. A device used to trace out an object and build up an image. One of the most common of these types is video scanning. The...
kinetic cooling
An atmospheric nonlinear process unique to CO2 laser wavelengths, whereby CO2 absorbs 10.6-µm radiation and the CO2...
barcode scanner
An optical scanning device designed to read information printed in the form of bars of different size by detection and...
line-scan camera
A line-scan camera, also known as a line-scan image sensor or linear array camera, is a type of digital camera designed to...
mirror testing
The observation and measurement of the flatness of a mirror surface by contacting an optical flat with the mirror. The...
epitaxial
Epitaxial refers to the growth of a crystalline layer on a crystalline substrate in such a way that the orientation of the...
ultrasonic
Ultrasonic refers to sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing, typically above...
transversely excited atmosphere carbon dioxide laser
Abbreviated TEA CO2 laser. A gas laser that provides shorter pulses and higher peak powers than conventional CO2 lasers. The...
STED microscopy
STED microscopy, or stimulated emission depletion microscopy, is a superresolution imaging technique in fluorescence...
polishing
The optical process, following grinding, that puts a highly finished, smooth and apparently amorphous surface on a lens or a...
mode-locked lasers
Mode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...
machine learning
Machine learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on the development of algorithms and...
wafer
In the context of electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, a wafer refers to a thin, flat disk or substrate made of a...
microphotofabrication
The formation of microimages for microreduction. The technique is used, for example, in the production of precision reticles...
burst mode laser
A high-frequency pulse-rate laser with an output limited by the heat capacity of the laser medium. Instead of having...
hydrophilic
Hydrophilic is a term used to describe substances or materials that have an affinity for water. The word hydrophilic comes...
direct laser interference patterning
Also called DLIP, a high-speed, high-resolution processing technique that uses high-power, pulsed laser systems to directly...
automatic optical inspection
A system for automatic industrial process control or measurement, consisting of an optical module for image acquisition, a...
tip-enhanced Raman scattering
Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a powerful technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhanced spatial...
fiber laser
A fiber laser is a type of laser in which the active gain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth ions such as...
photomask
A photomask, also known simply as a mask or reticle, is a key component in the photolithography process used in...
equidensities
1. A contour map of a photographic deposit consisting of lines and curves that join points of equal density. 2. The...
evapotranspiration
A process, either naturally occurring or mechanically induced, whereby water is changed from its liquid state into a vapor.
optical manufacturing tools and machinery
Optical manufacturing tools and machinery encompass a wide range of equipment, instruments, and systems used in the...
thermal interface materials
Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are substances or compounds used to enhance the thermal conductivity between two surfaces...
qubit
A qubit, short for quantum bit, is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing and quantum information...
time domain
The time domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to describe signals in terms of their behavior over...
image enhancement
The digitization process by which an image is manipulated to increase the amount of information perceivable by the human eye.
masking
In image processing, the assigning of certain portions (or pixels) of an image a constant value of either 0 (black) or 1...
second-order nonlinear optical properties
Second-order nonlinear optical properties refer to a class of phenomena exhibited by certain materials in response to...
spiral scanning
A scanning process in which the greatest amount of radiation determines part of a spiral motion rotating in one direction.
optical coherence tomography imaging system
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics and biomedical research to obtain...
x-ray analysis
The series of processes used to identify and evaluate crystal structure by using crystalline solids to diffract x-rays. In...
2D profile sensor
A 2D profile sensor is a type of sensor used in various industrial and technological applications to measure and capture...
intensity modulation
The process in which the electron beam of a cathode-ray tube varies in intensity in accordance with the magnitude of the...
kinoform
Lens which, by altering the phase, efficiently images through a holographic process.
stereolithography
A method of creating real three-dimensional models by using lasers driven by CAD software. In contrast to the normal...
symmetry operation
Any systemic process that ultimately reassembles all the system's components into their initial alignment, or an arrangement...
photopolymerization
A process in which a mixture of one or more monomers, plus a catalyst, polymerize under exposure to light radiation....
endoscope
An endoscope is a medical device used for visualizing and examining the interior of hollow organs, body cavities, or...
time-lapse optical coherence tomography
Time-lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) refers to a medical imaging technique that captures a series of sequential OCT...
first-side meniscus
The process of grinding the concave surface of a single-vision spherical lens.
supercontinuum
Supercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the...
morphological processing
A set of algorithms used to study the structural and spatial characteristics of objects in a digitized image for...
kinoform filter
A computer-generated kinoform used for data processing because of its use of incoherent light and its wide field of view,...
quantum well
A quantum well is a structure in quantum mechanics that confines particles, such as electrons or holes, in one spatial...
surface
1. In optics, one of the exterior faces of an optical element. 2. The process of grinding or generating the face of an...
xeroradiography
A printing process of electrostatic electrophotography that uses a photoconductive insulating medium, in conjunction with...
adaptive deconvolution
The process of adjusting input pixel by pixel at the filter plane to adapt to nondeal phase behavior in an optical...
motion controller
In optics, a motion controller refers to a device or system that precisely controls the movement of optical components, such...
internal
With reference to absorbance, absorptance, transmittance and the like, the processes occurring within a specimen between the...
laser-induced fluorescence
Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is a spectroscopic technique that involves using a laser to excite molecules or atoms,...
ablative photodecomposition
Ablation applied to polymers and chemical solids. Process of material removal that minimizes edge damage but will not heat...
digital holographic microscopy
Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is an advanced imaging technique that combines holography and digital image processing...
harmonic generation
Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
CCD image sensor
A CCD image sensor, or charge-coupled device image sensor, is a type of electronic device used to convert optical images...
infrared light source
An infrared light source is a device that emits light in the infrared spectrum, which lies beyond the visible spectrum of...
near-infrared camera
A near-infrared (NIR) camera is an imaging device designed to capture images in the near-infrared region of the...
dichroic coating
A dichroic coating, also known as a dichroic filter or dichroic mirror, is an optical coating designed to selectively...
astronomical spectroscopy
The process of using a spectrograph with a telescope to acquire information on an astronomical object's speed and physical...
chemical vapor deposition
Chemical vapor deposition is a process of applying dopants to a glass bait by flame reactions of gaseous compounds. See also...
optical fiber optic switches
Optical fiber optic switches are devices used in optical fiber communication systems to selectively route optical signals...
cine fluorography
The application of a cine camera in recording the images on a fluorescent screen. When x-rays are used to produce the screen...
neural network
A computing paradigm that attempts to process information in a manner similar to that of the brain; it differs from...
fusion ignition
Fusion ignition refers to the point in a controlled nuclear fusion reaction where the energy released by the fusion...
quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
adsorption
The process by which a substance, usually a solid, attracts and retains on its surface the molecules of another substance.
ion exchange technique
A method of fabricating a graded-index optical waveguide by means of an ion exchange process.
internet of things
The internet of things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other objects...
law of reversibility
In physics, the law of reversibility is often associated with the concept of reversibility in thermodynamics. The law...
Rayleigh scattering
Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon that occurs when light waves interact with particles or molecules that are much smaller...
laser
A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
holographic tomography
Holographic tomography is an advanced imaging technique that combines holography and tomography to provide three-dimensional...
CD/I
A technical specification for a consumer product drawn up by Sony and Philips. CD/I combines audio, video and text recorded...
second-harmonic generation microscopy
A nonlinear label-free imaging technique commonly used during surgical procedures for the visualization of collagen fibers...
chromoendoscopy
A technique of using dyes during endoscopy to improve tissue differentiation. Dyes such as methylene blue, Toluidine blue...
fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna
A fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna (FCPA) is a type of optoelectronic device that combines a photoconductive antenna...
edge enhancement
In image processing, any operation that strengthens information about the edges of objects displayed. Three types of spatial...
magnon
A magnon is a quasiparticle representing a quantized spin wave in a magnetic material. In other words, it is a collective...
phosphorography
A process used in pyrometry and photothermometry to create a photographic record of a surface's temperature gradients....
neutralization
In optics, the process of combining two lenses having equal and opposite powers to produce a result having no power.
residual gas analysis
A measurement in optical thin-film coating processes whereby the gases remaining in the vacuum chamber after coating are...
metabolic imaging
Metabolic imaging refers to the visualization and quantification of metabolic processes within living organisms, tissues, or...
infrared thermal detector
Used to detect radiation from the infrared region. The functional process includes absorption of infrared radiation, which...
phototheodolite
A camera equipped with angular scales in altitude and azimuth. The scale readings are imprinted on the film when an exposure...
two-photon polymerization
Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a technique used in additive manufacturing, specifically in the field of 3D printing. It...
photostatic camera
A type of copying camera in which the object is placed on a horizontal easel and photographed by a horizontal camera above...
film scanning
The process by which the light from the images of photographic film is encoded into electrical signals for video...
evaporation coating
Coating carried out in a sealed chamber evacuated by a mechanical pump in series with an oil diffusion pump to a pressure...
Nusselt number
Expression of the nondimensional coefficient of the heat transfer in a convection process.
erosion
In image processing, a morphology operator in which a structuring element or probe of a particular shape is moved over the...
vision
The processes in which luminous energy incident on the eye is perceived and evaluated.
high-content screening
Also known as HCS, an analytical method designed to collect statistically relevant amounts of quantitative data on many...
optoacoustic
Optoacoustic, or photoacoustic, refers to a phenomenon and related techniques that involve the generation of acoustic waves...
interference
1. The additive process whereby the amplitudes of two or more overlapping waves are systematically attenuated and...
chalcogenide
Chalcogenide refers to a class of compounds containing elements from group 16 of the periodic table, which includes sulfur...
laser marking
Laser marking is a process in which a laser beam is used to mark or engrave a surface by altering its properties or...
sync
Abbreviation of "synchronization.'' In television, the timing signals used to drive the scanning process. Horizontal...
deep learning
Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that involves the use of artificial neural networks to model and solve complex...
second-side toric
The process of grinding the concave surface of a sphero-cylindrical lens.
PN-junction luminescence
Discharge that results when a doped semiconductor crystal with a PN junction is charged with a low-voltage direct current....
nonlinear optical materials
Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
lensless microscopy
Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
photomultiplier tube
A photomultiplier tube (PMT) is a highly sensitive vacuum tube that detects and amplifies low levels of light. It is widely...
spectral repeatability
Spectral repeatability refers to the consistency and reproducibility of spectral measurements across multiple trials or...
Dammann grating
A Dammann grating is a type of diffractive optical element (DOE) used to create an array of equally spaced,...
aliasing
In image processing, the result of a sampling frequency that is too slow to preserve the spatial frequencies of the image....
infrared camera
An infrared camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera or IR camera, is a device that captures and visualizes the...
point processing
In digital image processing, a subcategory of frame processing that transforms pixel brightness and contrast through use of...
blocking material
Pitch, wax, resin or other cement suitable for holding optical parts to a spindle during grinding and polishing processes.
inertial confinement fusion
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a method of achieving nuclear fusion, a process where two atomic nuclei combine to...
carrier-to-noise ratio
The ratio of the power of the carrier wave to that of unwanted signal distortions, or noise, before any nonlinear signal...
breakout cable
A breakout cable, also known as a fan-out cable or breakout assembly, is a type of cable that combines multiple individual...
custom lapping and polishing services
Custom lapping and polishing services involve specialized processes used to improve the surface finish and dimensional...
in vivo
In vivo is a Latin term that translates to "within the living." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and...
stylus profilometer
A measuring instrument used for surface profiling and quantifying the roughness of a material. The stylus is placed on the...
Raman spectroscopy
Raman spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry and physics to study vibrational, rotational, and other...
thermophotovoltaic
Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) refers to a technology that converts heat energy into electricity using the principles of...
electron-beam film scanning
The method by which photographic film is scanned by an electron beam. One technique uses the uniform light of a television...
generating mark
The curved mark formed when, in the process of generating, a loose or coarse diamond particle from the generating tool...
image intensifier
An image intensifier, also known as an image intensification tube or image intensification device, is a specialized...
solar heat storage
The process of transferring collected energy from solar radiation into a heat-absorbing medium (e.g., an insulated tank of...
cutting
The process of forming a lens to a given pattern, or of cutting a piece of glass along the line of scratch.
complementary metal-oxide semiconductor
Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) refers to a technology used in the fabrication of integrated circuits,...
emulsion speed
The sensitivity of a photographic emulsion when exposed to light, provided that the film is developed through a standard...
excimer laser coronary angioplasty
Excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) refers to a medical procedure used in the treatment of coronary artery disease....
pipeline
In image processing and elsewhere, generally an adjective to describe an assembly-line arrangement for performing a task....
dye transfer method
The subtractive imbibing process of transferring color prints on paper whereby the dyes from three separately prepared...
liquid-surface holography
The acoustical holographic process in which the hologram consists of slight elevations in a liquid surface, in the areas of...
attosecond photonics sources
Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of...
digital camera
A digital camera is a device that captures and records still images or video in digital format. Unlike traditional film...
planform bonding
A manufacturing process used to construct substrates for large optical components. Used with IR materials, planform bonding...
region-of-interest processing
Image processing operations performed on one area of an image.
linear receive optics
Linear receive optics typically refers to the optical components and systems used in the reception (detection) of linearly...
speckle imaging
A technique for obtaining improved resolution of images produced by large telescopes and distorted by the effects of...
rare earth dopants
Rare earth dopants refer to elements from the lanthanide series, also known as rare earth elements, that are intentionally...
lattice
In photonics, a lattice refers to a periodic arrangement of optical elements or structures, often on a microscopic or...
continuous wave
Continuous wave (CW) refers to a type of signal or transmission where the signal is constant and does not vary with time. In...
thresholding
The process of defining a specific intensity level for determining which of two values will be assigned to each pixel in...
radiography
A photographic process using x-ray radiation or the g-rays of radioactive materials.
enhanced graphic adaptor
An image processing device that displays pseudocolor images by assigning colors to the gray scales according to look-up...
computer numerically controlled grinding
Computer numerically controlled (CNC) grinding is a manufacturing process that utilizes computerized controls and precision...
microscope stage
The component of a microscope on which the sample or slide to be examined is placed. Depending on the design of the...
laser desorption
A process of forming ions within a given molecular species by incident laser light. The molecular species may remain intact,...
liquid crystal light valve
A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV), also known as a spatial light modulator (SLM), is an optical device that modulates the...
confocal resonator
A confocal resonator, also known as a confocal cavity or confocal laser resonator, is a type of optical resonator...
backscattering coefficient, b
Fraction of light counter propagating collinear with the incident source. Processes considering backscattering are Raman,...
GaAlAs laser
A GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic...
silicon carbide light-emitting diodes
Silicon carbide (SiC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric current is...
edge-defined film-fed growth
Process for growth of solar cells that results in rectangular shapes consisting of many interconnected cells in a series or...
hybrid mosaic on stacked silicon
A sensor module used in advanced pattern recognition systems, containing signal-processing integrated circuits stacked and...
attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy
Attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAP) is an advanced technique in ultrafast spectroscopy that allows...
sensitometer
An instrument for determining the sensitivity of a photographic film to light. The film is given either a stepped exposure...
fining
A grinding process that employs fine emery.
polymerase chain reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used molecular biology technique used to amplify a specific segment of DNA...
quantizer
A device with a limited number of possible output values (sometimes able to be selected) that can translate an incoming...
instantaneous field of view
Instantaneous field of view (iFOV) is a term commonly used in the context of remote sensing, imaging systems, and optical...
beam shaper
A beam shaper is an optical device or system designed to modify the spatial profile or intensity distribution of a laser or...
azimuthal polarization
Azimuthal polarization refers to a specific polarization state of light where the electric field vector of the...
convolution kernel
The group of adjacent pixels on which the convolution process is carried out.
electron multiplication charge-coupled device camera
An EMCCD (electron-multiplying charge-coupled device) camera is a type of scientific camera specifically designed for...
deep ultraviolet
Deep ultraviolet (DUV or deep-UV) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet light with shorter wavelengths than those in the...
digital image processing
The technique by which an analog image is converted by any of several means into a finite array of points, each represented...
gain-switching
Gain-switching is a technique used in lasers to generate short pulses of light by modulating the gain of the laser medium....
fiber optic cable assembly
A fiber optic cable assembly refers to a complete unit consisting of optical fibers, connectors, protective jackets, and...
light frame
The term for an image captured by a detector and from which a dark frame, bias frame and/or flat-field frame can be...
video-intensified microscopy
The observation of specimens by a microscope linked to a television camera and an image processor.
axial vapor-phase deposition
A vapor-phase oxidation process for fabricating graded-index optical fibers. It differs from outside vapor phase deposition...
calcium indicator
A calcium indicator is a molecule that is sensitive to changes in calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations in biological systems....
laser surgery
Laser surgery refers to a medical procedure in which a laser, or focused beam of light, is used as a precision tool to cut,...
time division multiplex
The process or device by which more than one signal can be sent over a single channel by using different time intervals for...
raster image processor
In imaging technology, a device that converts raster or line-scan data to pixel form for further processing.
transfer blocking
A process used to control thickness and parallelism precisely during the production of plane-parallel plates. Elements are...
integrated optical circuit
An optical circuit, either monolithic or hybrid, composed of active and passive components, used for coupling between...
three-photon microscopy
Three-photon microscopy is an advanced imaging technique that belongs to the family of multi-photon microscopy methods. It...
real-time processing
The ability of a vision system to interpret an image in a short enough time to keep pace with most operations.
case hardening
A surface heat-treating process that produces a highly stressed surface. In case-hardening of glass, a plate of glass is...
parallel processing
In imaging, the processing of pixel data in such a way that a group of pixels is analyzed at one time rather than one pixel...
dropping
The process whereby a blank or disc is heated to a sufficiently high temperature to sag into a mold having a desired...
technicolor
The color process that is used to form positive color cine films by dye transfer or imbibition, based on the use of separate...
infrared mapping
The process of mapping the infrared emittance of an area through the use of an infrared detector and related scanning...
edge following
In image processing, a segmentation algorithm for isolating a region in an image by following its edge.
polymer
Polymers are large molecules composed of repeating structural units called monomers. These monomers are chemically bonded...
attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy
Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry to obtain IR spectra of samples....
optical blacking
A light absorbing material applied to ground optical surfaces during the process of making that surface non reflective. Such...
near-infrared spectroscopy
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the...
photopumping
The use of light to initiate the lasing process. See optical pumping.
light diffusion
Light diffusion refers to the process by which light is scattered or spread out in various directions as it interacts with a...
substrate
A substrate refers to a material or surface upon which another material or process is applied or deposited. In various...
flowmeter
A flowmeter is a device used to measure the flow rate or quantity of a fluid passing through a particular point in a system....
hard seal
The process of sealing laser components by means of frit seals, welding or bonding rather than using epoxy.
multi-axis alignment
Multi-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...
sonoptography
The process whereby sound waves are employed to form a three-dimensional image of an object. The process involves generally:...
process lens
A lens that is symmetrical and designed to work between 1:1 and about 4:1. It covers a field of about ±20° at f/8...
hydrophobic
Hydrophobic is a term used to describe substances or materials that repel or do not readily interact with water. The word...
waveguide dispersion
For each mode in an optical waveguide, the term used to describe the process by which an electromagnetic signal is distorted...
structured illumination microscopy
Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is an advanced optical imaging technique used in microscopy to enhance the...
microchannel plate
A microchannel plate (MCP) is a specialized electron multiplier device used in various applications such as particle...
microbubble resonator
A microbubble resonator is a device used in photonics and optical physics for the precise manipulation of light waves. It...
linear image sensor
A linear image sensor is a type of solid-state electronic device used to capture and convert light into electrical signals....
frame processing
In image processing, inclusive term for point and group processing.
optical noise
Optical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...
photoresist
Photoresist is a light-sensitive material used in photolithography processes, particularly in the fabrication of...
electroforming process
An electrochemical process of metal fabrication using an electrolyte, an anode to supply the metal, and a control of the...
microbending loss
Transmission loss in optical fibers caused by packaging processes; it is considered a power-coupling effect from the guided...
carrier injection
Carrier injection refers to the process of introducing charge carriers (either electrons or holes) into a semiconductor...
magnetic bubble film
An amorphous film in which cylindrical bubbles of reverse magnetization can be formed to follow circuit paths usually made...
optical pumping
The process whereby the number of atoms or atomic systems in a set of energy levels is changed by the absorption of light...
fiber optic gyroscope
A fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) is a type of gyroscope that uses the interference of light waves to detect changes in...
integration time
Integration time, in the context of optics, imaging systems, and sensor technology, refers to the duration over which a...
smart pixel array
An array of active optical devices (modulators, laser diodes and/or detectors), each of whose electrical inputs or outputs...
electro-optic modulator
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is a device used to modulate the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light waves using an...
reactive evaporation
Reactive evaporation refers to a process in thin-film deposition where a material is deposited onto a substrate through...
femtosecond laser
A femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds,...
fiber optic transceiver
A fiber optic transceiver, often simply referred to as an "optical transceiver," is a device used in fiber optic...
laser active elements
Laser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...
scattering
Change of the spatial distribution of a beam of radiation when it interacts with a surface or a heterogeneous medium, in...
case-hardened glass
Glass that has been treated by the case-hardening process.
CMOS image sensor
A CMOS image sensor, short for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor, is a type of semiconductor device used...
digital twin
A digital twin refers to a virtual representation or digital counterpart of a physical object, system, or process. This...
edge detection
In image processing, the location of edges by employing templates that respond to the first or second derivative of...
CCD camera
A CCD camera, or charge-coupled device camera, is a type of digital camera that utilizes a CCD image sensor to capture and...
liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...
aluminizing
The process of applying a film of aluminum to a surface, usually by evaporation in a vacuum.
fluorometry
The analysis and measurement of the fluorescence emitted by a source. Fluorometric processes are more sensitive than light...
polarization-insensitive operation
Capability requirement for optical switches for transmission lines to process arbitrarily polarized light because of the...
nanostructured glass
A unique glass made up of nano-structured materials to create millimeter sized monolithic glass space-variant polarization...
photodischarge spectroscopy
A spectroscopic process that detects and analyzes the discharge from an extrinsic surface with less than bandgap light. This...
optical gate
An optical gate typically refers to a device or system that controls the transmission of light, allowing it to pass through...
CoaXPress
CoaXPress (CoaXPress or CXP) is a standardized digital interface and communication protocol used primarily in machine vision...
heat treating
The process of subjecting glass to temperature cycling to produce physico-chemical reactions that alter its properties....
false color process
Entirely analogous to color photography, but inclusive of light bands that do not appear in the visible spectrum.
plasmon ion-assisted deposition
Plasmon ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) is a technique used in thin-film deposition processes, particularly in the production...
roughing
A term used to describe a very coarse grinding process.
optical transition
The process by which an atomic system changes from one energy level to another by either the emission or absorption of...
impurity level
In the context of optical materials, the term "impurity level" refers to the presence of foreign atoms or molecules within...
hyperspectral imaging
Hyperspectral imaging is an advanced imaging technique that captures and processes information from across the...
in vitro
In vitro is a Latin term that translates to "in glass." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and medicine, it...
computer-generated holographic scanner
A phase reflection scanner that eliminates the need for a complex translation device while maintaining a high-energy-density...
milling
An automatic surface-generating process involving the removal of a material from a given surface. Optical milling typically...
pixel group processing
In digital image processing, a subcategory of frame processing that treats each pixel in terms of its relationship to...
phenotype
In biology, particularly genetics and evolutionary biology, the phenotype refers to the observable characteristics or traits...
low-pass filter
In digital image processing, a method of convolution that reduces random noise by replacing the value of each pixel with the...
laser anemometry
The process by which laser emission is used in measuring fluid velocity and, more specifically, the detection of air and...
ionography
An electroradiographic process that uses ionization of air by x-rays as a basis for forming electrostatic images.
thick-film deposition
Successive layering of resistive, dielectric and conductive inks on a substrate by a type of screening process.
PIN photodiode
A PIN photodiode is a type of photodetector or semiconductor device used to convert light signals into electrical signals....
recombination radiation
The radiation emitted in semiconductors when electrons in the conduction band recombine with holes in the valence band. If...
q-switched operation
Q-switched operation, or q-switching, is a technique used in lasers to produce short and intense pulses of light. The term...
laser crystal
A laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of...
single-molecule FRET
Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a specialized technique in biophysics and molecular...
photogrammetry
Photogrammetry is a technique used to obtain accurate three-dimensional measurements of objects and environments through the...
photonic cavity
A photonic cavity, also known as an optical cavity, is a structure that confines electromagnetic radiation within a certain...
array processor
In image processing, a specially designed programmable computer peripheral that attaches to the host system for the purpose...
light field
The term light field refers to the spatial distribution of light rays traveling in all directions through a given space. It...
ray tracing
Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene....
holographic particle velocimetry
A method of measuring flow velocity by seeding the flow with neutrally buoyant particles and using a pulsed laser to...
fluorescent screen
A fluorescent screen refers to a phosphorescent or fluorescent-coated surface that emits visible light when exposed to other...
metal component
An accurate metal prism or plane parallel plate that is cemented to an optical element and remains with it during a series...
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
central processing unit
The computer module whose circuitry interprets instructions and guides the actions of the peripherals. Also known as the...
InGaAs photodiode
An InGaAs photodiode refers to a photodetector device that is constructed using a semiconductor material composed of a...
rolling shutter artifacts
Rolling shutter artifacts are distortions or visual anomalies that can occur in images or videos captured by cameras with...
heterodyning
In optical communications, the translation of optical signals into radio signals, lowering their frequency in detection from...
null process
Commonly performed in spectroscopy, the optical null process is a method for radiation detection whereby physical detectors...
digital subtraction
The process by which the values of one digital image of an object or scene are removed from a second slightly different...
polymerization
Process of synthesizing long molecular chain materials (polymers) by reaction of many small molecules (usually thousands)...
diode-pumped solid-state laser
A diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) is a type of laser system that uses semiconductor diode lasers to pump energy into...
calcium iodide
A hygroscopic powder used in the photographic process.
fused quartz and silica
Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...
biomarker
A biomarker, short for biological marker, refers to a measurable and quantifiable indicator of a biological condition,...
MTF optimization
Computerized lens design algorithm that permits the lens MTF characteristic to be included and controlled during the...
electronic windowing
In target tracking, a technique for speeding up the image processing by removing bunches of pixels that are outside the area...
word
In digital image processing, a unit equal to 16 bits.
electromagnon
An electromagnon is a quasiparticle excitation that combines aspects of both magnetism and electric polarization in a...
lithography
Lithography is a key process used in microfabrication and semiconductor manufacturing to create intricate patterns on the...
laser optics
Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...
masks for evaporation/deposition
In the context of thin film deposition processes such as evaporation or sputtering, masks are used to selectively deposit...
gray scale
In image processing, the range of available gray levels. In an 8-bit system, the gray scale contains values from 0 to 255.
annealing
The process of heating and slowly cooling a solid material, like glass or metal, to stabilize its thermal, electrical or...
fluorescence lifetime imaging
Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is an advanced imaging technique that provides information about the lifetime of...
mask
1. A framelike structure that serves to restrict the viewing area of the screen when placed before a television picture...
biometrics
Biometrics refers to the automated recognition of individuals based on their physiological or behavioral characteristics....
optical cements and adhesive
Optical cements and adhesives are specialized materials used in the assembly and bonding of optical components in optical...
videography
Videography refers to the process of capturing moving images and recording them in a digital format. It involves the use of...
machine vision
Machine vision, also known as computer vision or computer sight, refers to the technology that enables machines, typically...
buffer
1. In fiber optics, a protective material applied as an optical fiber cover that has no optical function. 2. In image...
holographic memory
The storage of data as bits in memory by holographic processes. The laser beam is divided into reference and object beams,...
magnesium fluoride
A colorless, crystalline compound whose low refractive index (n = 1.38) makes it effective as a lens antireflection coating...
charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a type of electronic image sensor used in various imaging devices, including digital...
pyrolysis
A process that employs heat to remove polyimide plastic coatings from silica optical fibers and capillary tubing.
Doppler-spread imaging
An imaging process, similar to specific Doppler mapping radar techniques, that utilizes a laser, an optical imaging system,...
hyperchromic shift
Hyperchromic shift refers to an increase in the absorption of light, leading to a higher absorbance, often observed in...
flexible display
A flexible display refers to a type of electronic visual display that is designed to be bendable, foldable, or rollable,...
fluorescent protein
Fluorescent proteins are proteins that exhibit the property of fluorescence, which is the ability to absorb light at a...
laser triangulation
A technique that uses a solid-state laser and a detector to determine an object's relative distance to the system. The laser...
microring resonator
A microring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
calibration reference
Any known value derived from standard analysis that serves as a reference to the accuracy of an instrument or process in...
transputer
A computer whose architecture contains several CPU chips arranged in parallel. Often used in image processing systems.
mandrel
A shaft, spindle or any object generally passed through a workpiece to hold, support or shape a particular piece during its...
point cloud
A point cloud is a set of data points in a three-dimensional coordinate system, where each point represents a specific...
germanium crystal
Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor...
scanning line
1. The continuous thin strip marked by the scanning beam. Generally, during return of the scan, the line is blanked out. 2....
pixel binning
Pixel binning, also known as pixel merging or pixel combining, is a technique used in digital imaging and camera technology....
static beam shaping
A technique for creating optimal performance in a system by producing a specific beam irradiance distribution, usually...
neuromorphic vision sensor
A neuromorphic vision sensor is a type of imaging device designed to mimic the structure and functioning of the human visual...
hypersensitizing
With respect to photography, the process used to increase the effective speed of an emulsion between manufacture and...
laser annealing
Laser annealing is a process that involves using a laser beam to heat and modify the microstructure of a material, typically...
diamond turning
Diamond turning, also known as diamond machining or diamond cutting, is a precision machining process used to produce...
die bonding
Die bonding is a critical process in semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics assembly, where a semiconductor die or...
collimation
1. The process of aligning the optical axes of optical systems to the reference mechanical axes or surfaces of an...
photolithography
Photolithography is a key process in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and...
radiation trapping
That process by which radiation spontaneously emitted by a volume of optical materials is resonantly reabsorbed within the...
molded lens
A molded lens is an optical lens manufactured using a molding process, typically involving the shaping of a material, such...
micro ion milling
Process developed for the production of high-resolution patterns in electro- and magneto-optics. These high-generation...
microdisplay
A microdisplay is a miniature electronic display technology that is designed to project visual information onto a small...
lab-on-a-chip
A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a miniaturized device that integrates various laboratory functions and capabilities onto a single,...
orange peel
In the context of imaging, particularly digital imaging and printing, "orange peel" refers to a texture or visual distortion...
hyperspectral imaging camera
A hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide...
fiber-coupled LED
A fiber-coupled LED (light-emitting diode) refers to an LED device that is optically coupled to an optical fiber for the...
dynamic beam correction
The superimposition of a pilot object on each hologram. The fixed relative position of the scanning and pilot beam during...
gravitational imaging
A process used to detect minute gravitational fields and to display images from objects by means of radiated gravitational...
photobleaching
Photobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently...
free-electron laser
A free-electron laser (FEL) is a type of laser that generates coherent, high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by using a...
surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that enhances the Raman scattering signal of...
particle acceleration
Particle acceleration refers to the process by which charged particles, such as electrons or protons, gain kinetic energy...
fiber optic preform
A fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It...
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
electron-beam evaporation
A method of thin-film deposition in which electrons boiled off a heated cathode are used to melt the coating material. If a...
fluorescence microscopy
Fluorescence microscopy is a specialized optical imaging technique used in biology, chemistry, and materials science to...
neuromorphic
Neuromorphic refers to the design and development of computing systems or devices that are inspired by the structure and...
thermodynamics
Examination of the processes whereby heat energy is converted into other forms of energy.
free-abrasive machining
The process whereby a rotating wheel carries grains of an abrasive, suspended in a vehicle, across the surface of the...
process control
The collection and analysis of data relevant to monitoring the rate and quality of industrial production, either...
quenching
The inhibition or elimination of one process by another process. The stimulated emission of a laser oscillator can be...
chirped-pulse amplification
Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) is a technique used in laser physics to amplify ultrashort laser pulses to high energies...
slurry
The name of the mixture of liquid and grinding or polishing compounds used in processing optical materials.
laser diode module
A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...
concave holographic grating
The generation of a grating on a concave spherical blank by the holographic process. In this way, ghost images and intense...
light-emitting diode
An LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
coded aperture imaging
An imaging process in which the single opening of a simple pinhole camera is replaced with many openings called,...
multiphoton process
A process involving the interaction (absorption, emission or both) of two or more photons with a molecular entity.
programmable logic controller
In computerized industrial process control, the element that determines the choice and sequence of operations dependent on...
flat-field frame
A frame taken with a CCD camera of a surface that is evenly illuminated by diffuse light. This frame shows irregularities in...
hybrid focal plane array
A device where each pixel in the detector array is mated with a preamplifier on a single silicon chip, providing sensing and...
event-based sensor
An event-based image sensor, also known as a dynamic vision sensor (DVS), is a type of digital imaging device designed to...
galvanometric scanner
A galvanometric scanner, also known as a galvanometer scanner or galvo scanner, is a type of optical scanning device used to...
lasercaving
A machining process that uses a laser to cut three-dimensional molds or models.
image enhancement laser
A semiconductor platelet laser that emits a coherent image by means of plane optical pumping over the platelet surface, and...

(679 results found)

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