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source Dictionary Terms

lambertian source plane
In optics, a plane that emits a flux proportional to the cosine of the angle of the normal; dense opal glass is an example.
ohm
The electrical resistance between two points of a conductor when a constant difference of potential of one volt, applied...
Ronchi test
More efficient than the Foucault knife-edge test, this test examines curved mirrors by using a transmission grating with 40...
near-infrared spectrometer
A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection...
phase conjugation
The use of a reflective device, which can be fashioned from a variety of materials including gases, solids, dyes, aerosols,...
laser
A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite characterized by its standardized size and modular design. CubeSats are...
density matrix formulation
The exact mathematical description of the interactions of matter and intense electromagnetic fields, such as those that...
total flux
The luminous flux emitted by a light source in all directions.
illuminant
Source of radiation defined or specified by its spectral power distribution.
radiant emittance
Radiant power emitted into a full sphere (4p steradians) by a unit area of a source; expressed in watts per square meter.
effective color
The color of an object when it is illuminated by a nonisophotic source.
critical illumination
Illumination in which the light source is imaged at the object.
photoelectric pyrometer
An instrument used to measure the temperature of a source through the use of photoelectric cells to detect and measure the...
back channel
A channel for communication with the source in an otherwise unidirectional network, such as a channel that provides...
extraterrestrial radiation
Radiation that is emitted by a source outside the Earth and its atmosphere.
underwater television system
A television system designed to obtain pictures of objects or scenes beneath the surface of the water. Generally, a...
sputtering target
A sputtering target is a solid material used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
beam shuttle
A set of mirrors mounted on solenoids to move them into and out of the path of a laser beam, making it possible for multiple...
sputtering equipment
Sputtering equipment is machinery used in the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD), specifically sputtering....
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
emitter
A source of radiation.
CIE illuminant
Spectral power distribution representing a standard source of illumination, which may be real or hypothetical.
laser pump
A source of energy that produces needed excitation for population inversion in laser operation. The excitation source that...
octave
In optics, an octave typically refers to a range of frequencies or wavelengths that spans a factor of 2. In other words,...
photoluminescence mapping
A technique used for noncontact inspection of semiconductor wafers. The material is illuminated by an excitation source that...
attosecond photonics sources
Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of...
machine vision lighting
Machine vision lighting refers to the use of specific lighting techniques and equipment in the field of machine vision,...
far-field region
A region far from an aperture or source where the diffraction pattern is essentially the same as that at infinity. Changes...
partial coherence theory
Totally coherent radiation is produced by a purely monochromatic point source. In the real world the energy will have a...
collimator
An optical instrument consisting of a well- corrected objective lens or mirror with a light source and or object/image (i.e....
integrated energy
Also known as integrated exposure. A measurement of light from sources that vary rapidly with time, defined as the integral...
photoreflectance
A noncontact form of electromodulation in which modulation of the electric field is caused by photo-excited electron-hole...
multimode distortion
In an optical waveguide,- typically a multimode fiber - the distortion resulting from differential mode delay, i.e. axial...
noise equivalent irradiance
The amount of spatial noise detected equivalent to the output emission location of the giving source.
direct-vision pocket spectroscope
A small handheld instrument consisting of a slit and collimator that feeds light into a small direct-vision dispersing...
destructive interference
The interaction of superimposed light from two separate sources that results in a combined intensity that is less than the...
correlated color temperature
Temperature of the blackbody having chromaticity nearest to that of the test source on a specified chromaticity diagram.
confocal scanning microscope
A microscope design that involves apertures inserted in conjugate plane positions inside the microscope, with one aperture...
line source
In the spectral sense, an optical source that emits one or more spectrally narrow lines as opposed to a continuous spectrum....
Goldberg wedge
A neutral-colored gelatin wedge, cast between glass plates, that is used as an intensity scale in certain types of...
luminous flux
Descriptive of the radiant power of visible light modified by the eye response. It is the measure of the flow of visible...
photochromic
Photochromic refers to a property exhibited by certain materials, typically organic compounds or dyes, which undergo...
equal-energy source
A light source that produces an equal-energy spectrum.
comparison lamp
A reference incandescent light source having a luminous intensity that is used in photometry for comparison of other light...
radiance
Radiant power per unit source area per unit solid angle. Usually it is expressed in watts/m2/steradian.
quasi-CW laser
A laser that generates a succession of pulses at a high enough repetition rate to appear continuous. The pump source is...
photoelectric photometry
The use of photoelectric sensors to detect and measure the intensity of a light source. This application, as compared to...
light pencil
A narrow cone of light rays that diverge from a point source or converge to an image point.
source
A physical source of radiation, as contrasted to illuminant. See illuminant.
inertial fusion energy
Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from...
genlock
A device used to lock the internal synchronization generator of a television camera to an external source.
incandescence
The emission of light by thermal radiation of a temperature high enough to render the source of radiation visible.
quartz light source
A lamp with a quartz envelope that transmits radiation generally rich in the ultraviolet.
Abbe illumination
Image of a uniform source through the sample of a microscope image system. Light from the sample plane is reimaged by the...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The...
thermal radiator
A source that emits radiant energy when its molecules or atoms are thermally excited.
epitaxial deposition
Epitaxial deposition is a process used in semiconductor manufacturing and materials science to grow a thin crystalline...
x-ray source
A material or system that emits x-rays.
otoscope
An otoscope is a medical device used by healthcare professionals, particularly ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists,...
laser isotope separation
A process of isolation of various atom vapor ions by means of tuning a laser source. For example, laser enrichment is...
fusion ignition
Fusion ignition refers to the point in a controlled nuclear fusion reaction where the energy released by the fusion...
source efficiency
The ratio of emitted optical power of a source to the input electrical power.
source correlation
The relationship between different wavelengths of light generated by a source, which may affect the spectral distribution of...
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...
holocamera
A camera system used to form a high-precision hologram of the subject on a photographic plate. It contains a high-power...
self-luminous light source
Any material that derives its energy from chemically or electrically induced reactions; isotope or radium excitation is used...
quasi-monochromatic light
Single wavelength source with a larger linewidth often containing multiple longitudinal modes.
Lloyd's mirror
A mirror employed with a very high incidence angle to form a pair of coherent light sources by reflection, and therefore...
emission spectrum
An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light...
redshift
The displacement of spectrum lines, as determined by the increasing distance between, and the relative velocity of, the...
circle of confusion
The image of a point source that appears as a circle of finite diameter because of defocusing or the aberrations inherent in...
resonance
Resonance can be defined in various contexts, including physics, chemistry, and music. Here are definitions for resonance in...
light valve
With respect to display systems, a device that uses an independent light source and a control-layer medium, the active...
retroreflection
Retroreflection is a phenomenon in optics where light is reflected back toward its source, typically in a direction nearly...
Fresnel diffraction
1. Also known as near-field diffraction. The field of radiation sent through an aperture in an absorbing screen at large...
vacuum ultraviolet source
Any source that emits radiation of wavelengths between 100 and 300 nm. Instruments used to study these sources must be...
nonthermal radiation
The radiation emitted from a group of charged particles that does not depend on the temperature of the source in which those...
remote inspection
Remote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or...
spectroradiometer
A spectroradiometer is a device used to measure the intensity of light at different wavelengths across the electromagnetic...
Young's two-slit interference
The method by which Thomas Young in 1802 disproved Newton's corpuscular theory of light by the formation of interference...
brightfield
Brightfield refers to a type of microscopy and imaging technique in which the specimen is illuminated with a white light...
surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique that combines the principles of Raman spectroscopy...
slit
An aperture, usually rectangular in shape, with a large length-to-width ratio, and a fixed or adjustable shape through which...
cathode
1. The negative electrode of a device in an electrical circuit. 2. The positive electrode of a primary cell or storage...
swept source optical coherence tomography
Swept-source optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in...
Foucault knife-edge test
The Foucault test is performed by moving a knife edge laterally into the image of a small point source. The eye, or a...
total image runout
Image displacement by a decentered lens, rotated on a chuck whose axis of rotation passes through the geometrical center of...
synchrotron
A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses magnetic fields to steer charged particles, typically electrons or...
isocandela diagram
Indication of emission brightness with degree of emission from an optical source.
reflection hologram
A hologram that is illuminated by a source from the viewer's side.
diffuse illumination
Light emitted by one or more sources and characterized by a high degree of scatter.
masks for evaporation/deposition
In the context of thin film deposition processes such as evaporation or sputtering, masks are used to selectively deposit...
light source
The generic term applied to all sources of visible radiation from burning matter to ionized vapors and lasers, regardless of...
optical camouflage
The use of retroreflective projection technology (RPT) to project a background image onto a masked object, such as a vehicle...
output coupler
The partially reflective mirror at the end of the laser cavity that is the source of the beam. It controls the coupling...
ultraviolet fiber optics
Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
color conversion filter
A filter that serves to alter the color temperature and the mired value of the radiation emitted by a source.
ophthalmoscope
Also referred to as a funduscope, an ophthalmoscope is a specialized instrument used by ophthalmologists for observing and...
design and engineering consulting services
Design and engineering consulting services refer to professional services provided by specialized firms or individuals to...
luminous emittance
Luminous flux emitted per unit area of a source, expressed as lumens per area.
thin-film solar cell
A solar cell that is lightweight and flexible because of its construction by vacuum deposition of a semiconductor material...
polarization
Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave, such as light waves, radio waves, or other...
nanoLED
An LED (light-emitting diode) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
laser output
The laser output refers to the generated and emitted light produced by a laser system. This output is characterized by...
scaling law
In coherence theory, an optical law put forth by physicist Emil Wolf that explains the behavior of light as it travels away...
aeolight
A glow discharge lamp consisting of a cold cathode and a mixture of inert gases. The intensity of illumination varies with...
flying spot microscope
A microscope that uses a flying spot scanner, directed through the eyepiece, as a light source to determine the features of...
chirping
A rapid change, as opposed to a long-term drift, of the emission wavelength of an optical source. Chirping is most often...
colorimeter
A colorimeter is a device used to measure and quantify the color characteristics of an object or a light source. It provides...
light-emitting diode
An LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
stibine gas
The purest gas source of antimony, which is used in the manufacture of compound semiconductors for IR sensors and...
radiant efficiency
The ratio of the radiant flux emitted by a source to the power supplied.
star testing
The visual examination by a trained observer of the image of a point source. Any coloring or departure from the Airy disc...
zirconium arc
A small bulb containing a conducting gas, an arc being formed between a metal ring and a tiny zirconium electrode near the...
coloring media
Transparent media which, when placed in front of a light source, change their color as a result of the selective absorption...
light modulator
A device that is designed to modulate a beam of light, usually from a laser source, by acting upon the beam directly. The...
reflection x-ray microscopy
A means of high resolution study through the application of soft and hard x-rays onto a sample surface in order to obtain...
nearest neighbor
A resampling and interpolation method that uses only the value of the nearest neighbor pixel, while not considering values...
fluorometry
The analysis and measurement of the fluorescence emitted by a source. Fluorometric processes are more sensitive than light...
infrared beacon
An infrared source, set in a stationary position, that is used as a reference in certain navigational systems.
CIE source
Standard light source representative of the quality of specified natural or artificial illumination.
fluorescent light source
A tube containing mercury vapor and lined with a phosphor. When current is passed through the vapor the strong ultraviolet...
microbubble resonator
A microbubble resonator is a device used in photonics and optical physics for the precise manipulation of light waves. It...
self-absorption
In optical emission spectroscopy, the reduction in radiant power in the central portion of spectral lines arising from the...
luminous efficacy
Quotient of total luminous flux divided by total radiant flux; lumens per watt. (For a source, quotient of total luminous...
blackbody simulator
A source that attempts to create the characteristics of an ideal blackbody. It consists of a cavity, generally spherical,...
candela
SI unit of luminous intensity. It is defined as one sixtieth the normal intensity of one square centimeter of a blackbody at...
backscattering coefficient, b
Fraction of light counter propagating collinear with the incident source. Processes considering backscattering are Raman,...
endoscope
An endoscope is a medical device used for visualizing and examining the interior of hollow organs, body cavities, or...
randomized fiber optic cable
Fiber optic cable in which the arrangement of fibers within the bundle has been made random so that output light will be...
far-field diffraction pattern
The diffraction pattern of a source such as a light-emitting diode, injection laser diode or the output end of an optical...
optical coherence tomography
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used in medical and scientific fields to capture...
linar
Celestial point sources that emit specific wavelengths of radiation that appear on spectral charts as narrow lines. The term...
launching fiber
A fiber used in conjunction with a source to excite the modes of another fiber in a particular fashion.
photovoltaic
Photovoltaic (PV) refers to a technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductors. The term...
galvanometric scanner
A galvanometric scanner, also known as a galvanometer scanner or galvo scanner, is a type of optical scanning device used to...
double-pulsed holography
Holographic recording whereby the object is illuminated by two pulses, separated by a time interval, from a Q-switched laser...
photoelectric scanner
A system mounted a few inches above a moving plane that consists of a light source, lenses and one or more phototubes. In...
infrared radiation source
Any object that emits radiation of a wavelength lying between about 0.75 to 1000 µm. A calibrated secondary source...
optical pyrometry
The determination of the temperature of a source by the detection of its incandescent brightness.
interferometer
An instrument that employs the interference of lightwaves to measure the accuracy of optical surfaces; it can measure a...
excitation index
The ratio of the intensities of two specified spectral lines of a source having vastly different excitation energies. This...
light source power
The electrical power used to stimulate any light source. Power supplies may be step-up or step-down transformers; rectifiers...
magneto-optic readout device
A device using the Kerr effect to read back the signals from mechanically recorded tapes and discs. It consists of a light...
photomicrography
The use of a microscope in photographing objects. A device for photomicrography includes a light source, microscope and...
backlighting
The forming of a clear silhouette of an object by placing a light source behind it. Used in machine vision when surface...
short-arc lamp
A compact high-pressure light source in which an electrical discharge between electrodes spaced no more than 12 mm apart...
condenser
A single positive lens or group of lenses used in a projection system to collect light from a source and cause it to...
luminous intensity
Luminous flux emitted by a source in a given range of directions; the unit of measure is the lumen/steradian, now known as...
xenon flashtube
A high-intensity source of incoherent white light in which a capacitor is discharged through a tube of xenon gas; often used...
sonde
A ruggedized scintillation counter used in oil well logging. The cylindrical housing contains a gamma ray source, a...
optical noise
Optical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...
point spread function
The point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...
backscatter
Backscatter refers to the phenomenon in which radiation or waves are scattered backward, opposite to the direction of the...
active transport
The transport of molecules in a cell which requires the use of a cell's internal energy. The energy used in the cell may be...
nuclear fusion
In physics, nuclear fusion refers to the process in which two atomic nuclei come together to form a heavier nucleus,...
point light source
1. With respect to angular subtense, a source of light, such as a star, that is very small. In a lab, a point source may be...
degree of coherence
A quantitative measurement of the coherence of a light source; equal to the visibility (V) of the fringes of a two-beam...
free-electron laser
A free-electron laser (FEL) is a type of laser that generates coherent, high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by using a...
distal end
The end of an optical fiber farthest from the source of illumination.
projecting core coupler
A device that couples a light source to an optical fiber by projecting an image of the source and the fiber core onto a...
tristimulus integration
Computation of tristimulus values by integrating or summing, over the visible wavelength region, the product of the relative...
diffuse reflectance spectroscopy
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is a nondestructive analytical technique used to investigate the optical properties...
Penning discharge
A standard source of high-charge-state ions for accelerators that has an external magnetic field oriented perpendicularly to...
photomask
A photomask, also known simply as a mask or reticle, is a key component in the photolithography process used in...
phosphor
A chemical substance that exhibits fluorescence when excited by ultraviolet radiation, x-rays or an electron beam. The...
nuclear magnetic resonance
A phenomenon, exploited for medical imaging, in which the nuclei of material placed in a strong magnetic field will absorb...
Huygens principle
An analysis used for problems of wave propagation. The principle notes that each point of an advancing wavefront is the...
analog
A physical variable that is proportionally similar to another variable over a specified range. An analog recording contains...
focus lamp
An incandescent or carbon arc lamp designed with a stable and compact arc or filament that permits it to be used as a light...
Nernst glower
A Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater...
photoplethysmography
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a non-invasive optical technique used to detect changes in blood volume in tissues. It...
Nernst light source
 phosphorescence
Luminescence is the emission of light from a source that is delayed by more than 10-8 s following excitation.
Sagnac interferometer
A type of interferometer in which two coils of optical fiber are arranged so that light from a single source travels...
fluorescence decay system
A device, also called a fluorescence lifetime instrument, that measures decay curves of fluorescing samples. It generally...
advanced photon source
An accelerator at the Argonne National Laboratory, providing powerful x-ray beams for materials research applications.
RTSP protocol
RTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is...
Rayleigh interferometer
A device that is used to determine the index of refraction of a gas or liquid through the interference patterns formed by...
laser Doppler velocimeter
Device which determines particle velocity through the measurement of scattered interference of a beam pair from a single...
reflector lamp
A lamp used in projection that is made with a reflector built into the bulb, normally by coating a portion of its interior...
multileg lightguide
A fiber optic bundle split along its length with the ends of the fibers extending separately to illuminate different points...
GaN-based LEDs
Gallium nitride-based light-emitting diodes (GaN-based LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric...
reconstructed image
An image that appears when a hologram is illuminated by a suitable light source, generally a laser beam.
laser guide star
An artificial star used to aid in adaptive optics imaging of the sky. The guide star is provided from a telescope system on...
optically pumped laser
A laser in which stimulated emission is triggered by the absorption by electrons of light from an auxiliary source such as a...
point-projection x-ray microscopy
A method of producing magnified images by x-rays. The specimen is placed close to a point source of x-rays; the...
radiant heat
Infrared radiation emitted from a source that is not heated sufficiently to give off visible radiation.
Monte Carlo simulation
Simulation of radiative transfer in which each photon is generated by a source and its path through the medium is...
Doppler-Fizeau principle
The principle stating that the displacement of spectrum lines is determined by the distance between, and relative velocity...
wide-field fluorescence microscopy
Wide-field fluorescence microscopy uses either naturally occurring structures or staining with fluorescent tags that are...
laser drift
Laser drift typically refers to a phenomenon where the frequency or wavelength of a laser source gradually changes over...
germicidal UV
Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) refers to a specific range of UV radiation that has disinfectant properties capable of killing...
embedded laser
The term "embedded laser" typically refers to a laser device that is integrated or embedded into a larger system or...
color match
Condition in which two stimuli appear to match in color to a specified observer, or in which two objects appear to match in...
input/output
I/O stands for input/output. In computing, it refers to the communication between a computer system or program and its...
paraboloidal mirror
A concave mirror that has the form of a paraboloid of revolution. The paraboloidal mirror may have only a portion of a...
mean spherical intensity
The average intensity of a light source measured over all directions.
short-flash light source
An electronic flash tube in which the flash recurs at a frequency extending to many thousands per second. A stroboscopic...
krypton lamp
An arc lamp that has its cavity filled with krypton to produce a light source with unique characteristics.
optical spectrum
1.) Generally, the electromagnetic spectrum within the wavelength region extending from the vacuum ultraviolet at 40 nm to...
spectrograph
An optical instrument for forming the spectrum of a light source and recording it on a film. The dispersing medium may be a...
fluorophore
A fluorophore is a molecule or a portion of a molecule that has the ability to emit light upon excitation by an external...
wedge photometer
A photometer that uses a wedge, marked to show its reduction of flux density, to make two light sources equal in intensity...
dark beam
A precision-engineered microminiature light source that is safe for darkroom use, yet emits a beam of light bright enough to...
normal congruence
Condition in which a perpendicular surface can be discovered for every ray in a group. This condition is commonly observed...
laser strainmeter
An instrument usually consisting of a very long interferometer, 3 to 800 m, and a laser light source for the study and...
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin...
light source efficiency
 Photoelastic equipment and supplies
Photoelastic equipment and supplies refer to instruments and materials used in photoelasticity, a technique used to analyze...
phosphor light source
A source made to glow by electrons that are produced either electrically or by isotopes of various elements.
globar
A light source made up of silicon carbide or carborundum. It is resistant to the negative temperature coefficient and...
holographic camera
A holographic camera, also known as a holographic imaging system or holographic recorder, is a specialized device used to...
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....
laser photochemistry
The study concerned with the stimulation of chemical activity by laser light as a result of the absorption of photons by a...
overfill
The condition of the numerical aperture or beam diameter of the laser, LED, or other optical source being larger than the...
optical filter
An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...
radio-frequency light source
A very uncommon lamp in which a tungsten electrode is heated to incandescence by a radio-frequency electrical current.
color temperature
A colorimetric concept related to the apparent visual color of a source (not its temperature). For a blackbody, the color...
optical character recognition
Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that is used to convert printed or handwritten text into...
metascope
A sensing or image-forming detector that serves to convert infrared rays into visible signals for communication purposes....
geometric image
The position and shape of the image of a point source, as predicted by geometric optics alone. The geometric image is to be...
optoelectronic transistor
A transistor that uses an electro-luminescent source, a transparent base and a photoelectric collector.
pyroelectric pulse detector
A current-source thermal detector used to detect and study the pulses obtained from particular lasers.
axicon
An optical device that produces a line image lying along the axis from a point source of light; therefore, it has no...
electron beam
A stream of electrons emitted by a single source that move in the same direction and at the same speed.
optical phase distortion
Optical phase distortion refers to a phenomenon where the phase of an optical wavefront is altered as it propagates through...
activity
1. Synonymous with radioactivity. The intensity of a radioactive source illustrated as the number of atoms disintegrating in...
autofocus system
A means of adjusting the sharpness of an image automatically, with a sensor for estimating distance or contrast and a drive...
accessible radiation
Electromagnetic radiation present upon the open aperture of the source within an operating environment.
carbonization
Carbonization is a process in which organic materials are heated in the absence of air, leading to the decomposition of the...
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...
fluorescence
Fluorescence is a type of luminescence, which is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other...
lamp housing
A device designed to concentrate and direct a light source by enclosing the source in it and using a concave reflector to...
nitrogen vacancy
A nitrogen vacancy (NV) refers to a specific type of defect or impurity in a crystal lattice where a nitrogen atom replaces...
spectroscopic light source
A discharge tube filled with various gases and used as a source in spectroscopy.
coded disc
A reticle carrying patterns of various forms that can be rotated in an optical beam to cause variations in the intensity of...
conservation of radiance
The principle that states that optical instrumentation cannot increase the radiance of a source; the radiance of an image...
optical combiner
An optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...
spectrofluorometer
An automatic scanning instrument that is used to study a substance's fluorescence over a wide range of wavelengths. It...
envelope
Also referred to as a bulb. The glass housing that encloses an incandescent source, or the glass or metal housing that...
enhanced spectral line
The line from a spark or other very hot source that has greater intensity than that of a line produced by an arc or flame...
spectrographic electrode
The hollow electrode used in emission spectroscopy to hold the material to be examined and, using an arc or spark source, to...
CMOS quantitative polymerase chain reaction system
This type of miniaturized system, referred to as CMOS qPCR, combines microfluidic technology with an ultralow-light CMOS...
interference spectrum
The spectrum produced by the interference of light provided that the source used to create the interference has a broad...
geometric optics
A field of physics that deals with light as if it truly were composed of rays diverging in various directions from the...
mask
1. A framelike structure that serves to restrict the viewing area of the screen when placed before a television picture...
microfluoroscope
A fluoroscope equipped with a magnified, fine-grained fluorescent screen to determine the fluorescence emitted by a...
beam profiling
Beam profiling is a technique used to characterize and analyze the spatial intensity distribution of a laser beam. It...
photodynamic therapy
A medical technology that uses lasers or other light sources in combination with photosensitizing drugs to treat cancerous...
cascade method
A heterochromatic photometric process using successive comparison of similar chromaticities and the calculation of relative...
infrared spectrophotometer
A spectrophotometer having a prism or, more frequently, a grating for the study and recording of infrared spectra. It...
conjugate holographic image
Also known as real holographic image. The indistinct, highly distorted image produced on the side of the hologram closest to...
atomic absorption spectrometer
An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical...
luminaire
A complete unit containing a light source, globe, reflector, housing, socket and other necessary components for lighting.
anisophotic source
A light source that emits an uneven distribution of radiant energy through the visible range.
antigen
An antigen is any substance that is capable of triggering an immune response in an organism. Antigens are typically proteins...
radiation pyrometer
Also known as radiation thermometer. A pyrometer in which the radiant intensity from the source to be measured is used to...
specular reflector
A reflector that exhibits specular reflectance, producing a direct image of its source. Also known as regular reflectance.
transmitter
In fiber optic communications, a light source whose beam can be modulated and sent along an optical fiber, and the...
near-field scanning
A measurement technique used to determine the spatial distribution profile of an electrical or optical quantity of interest...
Savart polariscope
1. A polariscope consisting of a Savart plate and a tourmaline plate analyzer, and used to produce parallel color fringes by...
negative ghost
A ghost image that has the reverse lightness relations of the original image. This phenomenon is a common optical illusion...
GaAlAs laser
A GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic...
oblique illumination
A common technique in microscopy, oblique illumination is one in which the object is illuminated by a light source that is...
fluorescence photography
The photographic recording of a subject that exhibits luminescence only for an extremely short time (10-8 s) after the...
FTIR spectrometer
FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectrometer is a powerful analytical instrument used to obtain an infrared spectrum of...
levorotary
Characterizes a substance whose plane of polarization is rotated counterclockwise as the observer looks through the material...
phototherapy
Phototherapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of light to treat various conditions, particularly those related...
absolute colorimetric
Method of preserving the measured color value and color information as it is translated from differing devices. For example...
laser microscopy
Technique using functional optical microscope with the addition of a coherent source collinear with the image path. The...
flash spectroscopy
The study and interpretation of the spectra of substances after they have absorbed the radiant energy emitted by a brief,...
fluoroscope
An instrument used to detect the fluorescence emitted by a source in comparison with a reference.
stroboscopic light source
An electronic flash tube capable of repeated operation at hundreds or thousands of flashes per second for long periods.
helium-neon laser
A helium-neon (HeNe) laser is a type of gas laser that emits visible red light at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. It operates...
remote display unit
A display device, such as a cathode-ray tube, that is located at some distance from the source generating the displayed...
photobiomodulation
A light therapy that utilizes nonionizing light sources, including lasers, LEDs, and broadband light, in the visible and...
hololens
A series of permanent holograms in dichromated gelatin formed by opening total page-composer apertures and setting a point...
cyanometer
An instrument designed to measure the proportion of light emitted by a source in the blue region of the spectrum.
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
candlepower
The luminous intensity of a source of light expressed in candelas.
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...
Doppler effect
The effect produced on a wave frequency because of the relative motion of a source or an observer. The radiation emitted...
dimmer
An electric or electronic device that regulates the voltage going to a light source as a means of varying the intensity of...
astigmatizer
A cylindrical lens that may be rotated to distort a bundle of light originating at a point source, to form a line image.
embedded vision
Embedded vision refers to the integration of computer vision technologies into various embedded systems, devices, or...
extended source
A radiation source that, unlike the point source, can be resolved by the naked eye into a geometrical image.
Fresnel mirrors
Two plane mirrors that are not wholly located in the same plane. When light from a point source or slit reflects from the...
laser detector
Device that operates by interaction of incident radiation with semiconductor based material in order to produce an...
electrophoretic display
An electrophoretic display, often referred to as an electronic paper display or e-paper display, is a type of electronic...
near-infrared spectroscopy
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the...
ablative wall flashlamp
A high-brightness, short-duration source in which low-pressure gas initiates the discharge to vaporize material from the...
near-ultraviolet light source
A light source, such as the sun or an incandescent lamp, that freely penetrates ordinary glass bulbs and emits in the...
penumbra
A source of light will not cast a distinct shadow of an interfering, opaque object, but will cast a shadow having two parts:...
laser line filter
A narrow linewidth optically transmissive or reflective component intended for use with a highly monochromatic or single...
terahertz
Terahertz (THz) refers to a unit of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum, denoting waves with frequencies between 0.1...
electron-beam lithography system
An electron-beam lithography (EBL) system is a sophisticated nanofabrication tool used in the semiconductor industry and...
optical read-only memory
Generic term for read-only optical data storage, source of the Philips-Sony term CD-ROM.
coherent light source
A light source that is capable of producing radiation with waves vibrating in phase. The laser is an example of a coherent...
Stokes line
A line of the Raman spectrum that fulfills Stokes' law because it possesses a wavelength that is greater than the radiation...
multicolor hologram
A hologram formed by reconstruction of multicolor wavefronts. The system used to produce the hologram is designed to combine...
plasmon ion-assisted deposition
Plasmon ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) is a technique used in thin-film deposition processes, particularly in the production...
optical coherence tomography imaging system
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics and biomedical research to obtain...
time-to-amplitude converter
A time-to-amplitude converter (TAC) is an electronic circuit that converts a time interval between two events into an...
scalar diffraction theory
Scalar diffraction theory is a simplified approach used to describe the propagation of electromagnetic waves, particularly...
integration time
Integration time, in the context of optics, imaging systems, and sensor technology, refers to the duration over which a...
landolt band
A dark band that may appear in the field of crossed Nicol prisms with a powerful source such as the sun because the light is...
fiber photometry
An optical recording technique that uses light source(s), a beamsplitting cube, light detector(s) and an optical fiber...
direct illumination
Light produced by visible radiation that moves from the light source to the object without reflection. With respect to...
helium leak detector
A small mass spectrometer used to find leaks in a vacuum system by detecting the presence of helium. Using a magnetic...
limiting angular subtense (amin)
The apparent visual angle that divides intrabeam viewing from extended-source viewing.
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
photocoagulator
An optical medical instrument that uses an intense, precisely focused beam of light to stop weakened blood vessels from...
laser pointer
Handheld optical laser device containing a semiconductor or DPSS source. The output is corrected via internal collimating...
distribution temperature
Temperature of the blackbody having a spectral power distribution approximately proportional to the test source at all...
injection luminescent diode
A semiconductor diode operating in either a coherent or incoherent mode that is used as a near-infrared or visible source in...
galvo-directing mirrors
A system of mirrors that can be used to direct light from a single laser source into any one of a number of separate optical...
spread function
The distribution of energy about the image of a point source in the focal plane of an optical system.
incomplete radiator
A thermal source that emits less radiation than a blackbody under identical temperature conditions.
holography
Holography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and...
electron emitter
In a cathode tube, the electrode that serves as a source for electrons.
quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
micro-robotics
Micro-robotics refers to the field of robotics that involves the design, development, and application of miniature robotic...
laser active elements
Laser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...
scanning head
A device composed of a light source and phototube used to scan a moving strip of material in photoelectric side-register...
optical profiler
Also known as a white-light interferometer. Measures surface texture and shape from nanometer-scale roughness to...
xenon
A rare gas used in small high-pressure arc lamps to produce a high-intensity source of light closely resembling the color...
CIE system
Methodology for specifying color based on the CIE sources, observers, and coordinate system.
optical air mass
A measure of the optical path length for light traveling from the sun or other celestial source through Earth's atmosphere...
sodium light source
An electric discharge lamp in which the conducting vapor is that of metallic sodium instead of the usual mercury. It emits a...
nonlinear optical materials
Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
infrared light source
An infrared light source is a device that emits light in the infrared spectrum, which lies beyond the visible spectrum of...
CID camera
CID, or charge injection device, camera refers to a type of imaging device that utilizes a specific kind of solid-state...
phototransistor tachometer
A tachometer consisting of a light source, rotating perforated wheel and phototransistor to measure the rates of rotation of...
transmission hologram
A hologram that is illuminated by a source opposite the viewer.
double-beam CRT
A cathode-ray tube that either splits an electron beam from one source or uses beams from two sources to produce two beams,...
blackbody source
A blackbody source, often simply referred to as a blackbody, is a theoretical or practical physical object that absorbs all...
acousto-optic deflector
A system designed with a laser as a light source and a means for producing sound waves extending beyond 100 MHz to deflect...
inverse square law
The law stating that the illuminance (or irradiance) from a point source varies as the inverse square of the distance...
angular misalignment
Angular deviation from the optimum alignment of source to optical waveguide, waveguide to waveguide, or waveguide to...
harmonic generation
Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
ion-beam sputtering
Ion-beam sputtering (IBS) is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique used for depositing thin films onto substrates. It...
high harmonic generation
High harmonic generation (HHG) refers to a nonlinear optical process in which intense laser light interacts with a gaseous...
Fabry-Perot method
A means of determining a prism's index of refraction by placing the prism so that its emergent face is perpendicular to the...
photoconductive antenna
Photoconductive antenna (PCA) is a semiconductor element that generates or detects high-frequency electromagnetic signals....
double-exposure holography
The formation of an interferogram by means of two holograms on the same recording medium, often used for determining small...
reflective
The term reflective is an adjective that describes the ability of a surface or material to reflect light or other forms of...
artificial star
A point source of light used for the test and evaluation of image quality. May be a backlit pinhole in an otherwise opaque...
electron trapping optical memory
A method of erasable optical data storage in which information is stored by visible light, then read by illumination with an...
reflective spectroscopy
Reflectance spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the reflective properties of materials across various wavelengths of...
coupling efficiency
The fraction of available output from a radiant source that is coupled and transmitted by an optical fiber.
Nd:YAG laser
Nd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain...
laser absorption spectroscopy
An experimental research technique by which absorbed or unabsorbed radiation is analyzed in order to characterize and...
emission microscope
A type of electron microscope in which the specimen also serves as the cathode source.
fluorescence lifetime
Fluorescence lifetime refers to the average time it takes for a fluorophore, a molecule that absorbs light at one wavelength...
downstream laser
A laser that sends data from the source to the distribution node.
infrared signal generator
A device that combines electronic and optical techniques to form a monitored infrared signal between 1 and 14 µm. It...
Hartmann test
A test for spherical aberration, coma or astigmatism in which incident rays from a point source are isolated by small holes...
lambertian emitter
An optical source that has a luminous distribution that is uniform for all directions.
spectrum light source
A lamp that yields a nonluminous flame; used in the spectroscopic analysis of radiation emitted by a substance placed in the...
microphonic noise
Output noise in a laser beam resulting from acoustic disturbances of mirror separation or orientation. Such disturbances may...
thermal radiation
The emission of radiant energy in which the energy emitted originates in the thermal motion of the atoms or molecules of the...
infrared photomicrography
Photographic recording that uses infrared radiation as the light source to form an image of a microscopic object and a...
fluorescent whitening agents
Agents used for testing light sources and natural daylight with visual and instrumental assessment using a set of white...
pyroelectric infrared detector
Unlike the thermocouple or bolometer, the pyroelectric infrared detector is a current source with an output proportional to...
diode laser
A diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate coherent light....
beam candlepower
With relation to the equivalent beam candlepower of a searchlight, the candlepower of a bare source that would produce the...
bidirectional reflectance distribution function
Unified notation for specification of reflectance in terms of both incident- and reflected-beam geometry; i.e., the ratio of...
single-photon-decay spectroscopy
A technique for observing the decay of light emissions from sources following their pulsed excitations, based on recording...
calibrated light source
A lamp whose output can be traced to a standard light source.
near-field region
The area closest to an aperture or source where the diffraction pattern differs substantially from that observed at an...
exciter filter
In ultraviolet and fluorescence photography, the term applied to the filter used in the photographic system and with the...
critical flicker frequency
Relative to a light source, the frequency at which the source appears to fluctuate in light intensity half the time and...
peak wavelength
The wavelength at which the radiant intensity of a source is maximum.
object
The figure seen through or imaged by an optical system. It may contain structures, natural or artificial, or it may be the...
nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
That branch of spectroscopy that applies to the study of interactions between energy and atomic nuclei. The simultaneous...
laser crystal
A laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of...
hair-trigger operation
Triggering a laser at a predetermined time by pumping it to a level just below its threshold and then using an auxiliary...
shadowgraph
A method of demonstration or examination using a point source illumination without the use of any projection lens between...
corner cube
A corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light...
infrared photography
The photographic recording of images on a medium sensitive to infrared radiation, using a source capable of emitting in the...
copper oxide photocell
An early type of nonvacuum photocell consisting of a layer of copper oxide on a metallic substrate, with a thin transparent...
Murty interferometer
A form of shearing interferometer that contains a simple wedged (plane-parallel) glass plate with a nonzero optical path...
nominal ocular hazard distance
The calculated normal distance from a photon source at which harmful interaction with the incident light will occur....
triangulation
A method of measuring distance by recording a single scene from two points of perspective. Surveying instruments can be...
conjugate autofocus system
A system that determines whether an image is in or out of focus by means of a source of illumination at the conjugate focal...
Doppler principle
The theory established by Christian J. Doppler in 1842 that states that the rate of change in distance between a perceiver...
hyperspectral imaging camera
A hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide...
optoelectronic integrated circuit
A monolithic device containing both photonic and electronic sources, detectors, modulators, etc., on a single semiconductor...
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...
image plane holography
A hologram in which the image of an object, or the object itself, is located near the hologram recording plane, for optimum...
lateral offset loss
A power loss caused by transverse or lateral deviation from optimum alignment of source to optical waveguide, waveguide to...
ray tracing
Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene....
light diffusion
Light diffusion refers to the process by which light is scattered or spread out in various directions as it interacts with a...
Bessel functions
Two formulas used in diffractometer analysis, the first giving the individual diffraction patterns of each aperture, the...
mean spherical luminous intensity
The average luminous intensity of a point light source measured over all directions.
optoisolator
An optical coupling device that uses light to bridge the gap between incompatible wire communications systems. It contains...
infrared searchlight
An infrared source combined with reflecting projection optics to illuminate a target making it visible when observed through...
coupler
1. In color development, the chemical that combines with certain by-products of the development procedure to form a dye. 2....
terahertz spectrometer
A terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz...
stabilized light source
A light source that does not fluctuate despite temperature changes.
flying spot
The moving spot of light emitted by a source, generally a cathode-ray tube, to illuminate specific points of an area...
optical resolution
A measure of image quality produced by an optical system. May be specified in terms of cycles per millimeter, referencing a...
sputtering
A vacuum deposition method in which the coating material (target) is removed from the surface of the coating source...
distributed feedback laser
A distributed feedback laser (DFB laser) is a type of semiconductor laser diode designed to emit coherent, narrow-bandwidth...
electron-gun system
An electron-gun system is an assembly used to generate and control a focused beam of electrons. Electron guns find...
point source
 digital twin
A digital twin refers to a virtual representation or digital counterpart of a physical object, system, or process. This...
frequency comb
A frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...
radiation temperature
The temperature of a complete radiator that has a total radiant emittance identical to that of an unknown resource.
laser probe
Coherent source used for analysis of excited state species.
halo
1. The faintly hued ring that is seen to surround a light source viewed through fog or light clouds. The size of scattering...
collection angle
The solid angle of a detector or system pupil as seen by the source.
bench photometer
A device used to compare the luminous intensities of two sources by locating a point between the two light sources where the...
photovoltaic cell
A photovoltaic cell, commonly known as a solar cell, is a semiconductor device that directly converts light energy into...
autocollimator
An autocollimator is an optical instrument used for measuring small angular deviations with high precision. It operates on...
optical barcode reader
An optical barcode reader, commonly known as a barcode scanner, is a device that uses optical technology to capture and...
photographic photometry
A form of photometric measurement, often used with light sources that are transparent or fluctuating, in which a...
microfluidics
Microfluidics is a multidisciplinary field that involves the manipulation and control of very small fluid volumes, typically...
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...
photometer
A device used to compare the luminous intensities of two sources by comparing the illuminance they produce.
supercontinuum
Supercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the...
ambient light
Light present in the environment around a detecting or interpreting device, especially a machine vision system, and...
laser designator
A laser device used to establish a location or target usually for detection by an impact source e.g. missiles and guided...
laser interferometer
An interferometer that uses a laser as its light source. The purely monochromatic nature of the laser results in improved...
frame rate
Frame rate refers to the frequency at which consecutive images, or frames, are displayed in a video sequence. It is...
polarization photometer
A photometer having a pair of Nicol prisms introduced into the beam from the brighter of two sources to be compared. Turning...
remote sensing
Remote sensing is a method of data collection and observation where information about objects, areas, or phenomena on...
spectral power distribution
The relative power emitted by a source as a function of wavelength. It determines the color-rendering properties of the...
thermophotovoltaic
Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) refers to a technology that converts heat energy into electricity using the principles of...
low-coherence interference microscope
An interference microscope that uses a light beam originating from a low-coherence light source. The sample is placed in one...
arc light source
In present usage, especially for spectroscopic identification, an arc between electrodes that serves as a radiation source....
image
In optics, an image is the reconstruction of light rays from a source or object when light from that source or object is...
point source lamp
A lamp, usually incandescent, that has a very compact filament, permitting a greater concentration of emitted light, aided...
lumen
A lumen is a unit of measurement used to quantify the amount of luminous flux, which is the perceived power of light. In...
sonoptography
The process whereby sound waves are employed to form a three-dimensional image of an object. The process involves generally:...
biostimulation
The action of a biological system responding to a single or multiple coherent particles of light produced from a laser...
atomic fluorescence spectroscopy
The analysis of fluorescence emitted by discrete atoms, in flames, that have absorbed radiation from an external source. It...
solar simulator
A solar simulator is a device used to replicate the spectrum and intensity of sunlight in a controlled environment for...
laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy
A pump-probe technique whereby a single wavelength source may be used in order to excite a given sample to determine...
splice
A permanent joint whose purpose is to couple optical power among two or more ports. Also, a device whose purpose is to...
monochromatic filter
A filter that transmits a single spectral line emitted by a line source.
gravitational lens
The effect of a powerful gravitational field on light traveling through the field. This effect is detectable in astronomical...
cadmium sulfide
An inorganic compound, yellow to orange in color, that fluoresces strongly enough when bombarded by a high-current-density...
atomic absorption spectroscopy
The analysis of the atomic structure of a sample by means of a source radiation that is absorbed and emitted by the sample...
oculometer
An electro-optical infrared tracker consisting of a beamsplitter, an illuminating source, an image dissector tube and an...
reflected ultraviolet photography
A photographic method used to obtain an image of a subject by means of its reflectance of incident ultraviolet radiation. An...
wavefront
In considering a field of electromagnetic energy emanating from a source, the wavefront is a surface connecting all field...
scanning electron microscopy
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to obtain high-resolution,...
monochromator
A monochromator is an optical instrument used to isolate and select a narrow range of wavelengths from a broader spectrum of...
zonal constant
A factor that, when multiplied by the average candlepower emitted by a light source in a specified angular zone, reveals the...
Glan spectrophotometer
A device similar to the ordinary spectrophotometer but containing particular modifications to provide for the comparison of...
mercury vapor light source
A lamp that has mercury in a tube or bulb that has first been evacuated. The electricity travels through the vapor between...
illuminant metamerism
Metamerism that occurs when the light source is changed.
indirect illumination
The light formed by visible radiation that, in traveling from light source to object, undergoes one or more reflections. In...
light fidelity
LiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...
parallel scanning
Parallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather...
double-beam spectrophotometer
A spectrophotometer in which the beam emitted by the radiation source is split into beams that travel through the sample and...
optical nonlinearity
The phenomenon that makes nonlinear the mathematical expression for the electrical polarization of a medium through which...
flash sensitometer
A sensitometer that utilizes an electronic flashtube or a photoflash lamp as both the light source and the shutter for...
Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering is a phenomenon in physics where an incident electromagnetic wave (usually light) interacts with...
retroreflector
A retroreflector is an optical device or structure that reflects incident light or electromagnetic waves back to their...
fluorescence lifetime imaging
Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is an advanced imaging technique that provides information about the lifetime of...
Arago spot
A bright spot or point, due to Fresnel diffraction, that appears at the center of the shadow of a circular object in light...
optical fiber optic switches
Optical fiber optic switches are devices used in optical fiber communication systems to selectively route optical signals...
x-ray astronomy
The study of the celestial bodies, relative to x-ray emission. Satellites launched to study x-ray sources have revealed many...
knife-edge scanning microscope
An imaging device originally created to image whole mouse brain volumes at microscopic resolution. The main component of the...
image intensifier
An image intensifier, also known as an image intensification tube or image intensification device, is a specialized...
unstable resonator
A resonator often used for mode control in Fresnel number laser cavities that is highly vulnerable to extremely weak...
thin-film deposition equipment
Thin-film deposition equipment refers to machinery and tools used in the process of depositing thin layers of material onto...
plasma-cathode electron gun
An electron beam gun in which plasma that is generated within a low-voltage hollow-cathode discharge serves as the source of...
isotopically selected laser spectroscopy
A spectroscopic technique in which an excitation band absorbs laser energy resulting in an electronic transition. The...
Poisson shot noise
A stationary noise that occurs for visible light photodetection when a steady light source, such as a heterodyne reference...
luminescence
Luminescence is the emission of light that occurs without the involved substance undergoing a significant increase in...
diffuse modulation transfer function
Modulation transfer function of an optical element when used for transporting images from a lambertian source such as...
swept-source laser
A swept-source laser, also known as a wavelength-swept laser, is a type of laser that rapidly and continuously changes its...
single-photon avalanche diode
A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...
achromatic point
Location on the CIE chromaticity diagram which produces the color white for a given light source at a specified temperature.
ambient noise
The all-encompassing noise associated with a given environment, usually being a composite of a number of sources, far and...
2D profile sensor
A 2D profile sensor is a type of sensor used in various industrial and technological applications to measure and capture...
Koehler illumination
A two-stage illuminating system for a microscope in which the source is imaged in the aperture of the substage condenser by...
laser photocoagulator
Optical source intended to reduce bleeding as well as to abet wound or vessel healing through cauterization, used in eye...
optical testing instrument
An optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...
synthetic interferometric image
An imaging technique in which an object moving through an interference field formed in space scatters light and is spatially...
alphanumeric reader
An instrument that reads alphabetic, numerical and special characters by means of a photosensor that measures the varying...
array processor
In image processing, a specially designed programmable computer peripheral that attaches to the host system for the purpose...
chip-on-board lights
Chip-on-board (COB) lights refer to a type of LED lighting technology where multiple LED chips are directly mounted onto a...
law of reversibility
In physics, the law of reversibility is often associated with the concept of reversibility in thermodynamics. The law...
epitaxial equipment
Epitaxial equipment refers to a set of specialized tools and systems used in the process of epitaxy, which is the growth of...
transversely excited atmosphere laser
Also known as TEA laser. A coherent optical source with a wide wavelength range in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet...
Billet's split lens
An experimental lens used to produce interference fringes. A positive lens is cut into halves along its center, and the...
Seidel aberrations
Seidel aberrations refer to a set of monochromatic aberrations in optical systems, named after the German mathematician and...

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