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Perkins Precision Developments - Plate Polarizers LB 4/24
PON Dictionary Terms

infrared reflector
An optical component coated to reflect infrared radiation. Gold, silver and aluminum are typical coating materials.
wide-field fluorescence microscopy
Wide-field fluorescence microscopy uses either naturally occurring structures or staining with fluorescent tags that are...
retroreflector
A retroreflector is an optical device or structure that reflects incident light or electromagnetic waves back to their...
laser active elements
Laser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...
luminous flux
Descriptive of the radiant power of visible light modified by the eye response. It is the measure of the flow of visible...
radiation trapping
That process by which radiation spontaneously emitted by a volume of optical materials is resonantly reabsorbed within the...
fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna
A fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna (FCPA) is a type of optoelectronic device that combines a photoconductive antenna...
fiber optic guided missile
A weapon launched from a ground-based platform and controlled by a two-way fiber optic data link. The fiber is payed out...
outgassing
The emission of gas or de-aeration due to thermal variations and often occurring in a vacuum. In a cleanroom, contamination...
III-V material
In semiconductor physics and materials science, the term "III-V materials" refers to compounds composed of elements from...
cross-coupling
1. A defect inherent in a multiple-axis positioning system whereby an adjustment of one axis causes an undesired change in...
illuminated
Characteristic of a surface or object that has luminous flux incident upon it.
diffraction grating
A diffraction grating is an optical component consisting of a surface with a periodic structure of equally spaced, parallel...
fiber distributed data interface
A standard for fiber optic data transmission systems being developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and...
electron-beam lithography system
An electron-beam lithography (EBL) system is a sophisticated nanofabrication tool used in the semiconductor industry and...
Fizeau interferometer
A type of interferometer noted for producing narrow multiple-beam interference fringes. As a result, when compared with the...
parity
In data transmission, a self-checking code using a separate bit (the parity bit) to assure that all bytes of transmitted...
machine vision system
A machine vision system is an integrated combination of hardware and software components designed to capture, process, and...
molecular motor
A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
processed hologram
A superposition of many zone plates, each reconstructing a real and virtual point image at the appropriate locations upon...
system
A combination of components arranged so as to perform at least one function.
off-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirror
Off-axis paraboloid and ellipsoid mirrors are specialized optical components used in various optical systems, particularly...
light fidelity
LiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to...
STED microscopy
STED microscopy, or stimulated emission depletion microscopy, is a superresolution imaging technique in fluorescence...
carrier injection
Carrier injection refers to the process of introducing charge carriers (either electrons or holes) into a semiconductor...
filovirus
Filoviruses are a family of viruses that are responsible for severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fevers in humans and...
spatial intensity perturbation
A beam instability, induced by index of refraction inhomogeneities and component damage of dirt and dust particles, that...
aspheric lens system
An optical system having one or more lens or mirror components that have nonspherical surfaces. These surfaces, whether...
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment or experience that can be...
in vivo
In vivo is a Latin term that translates to "within the living." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and...
spontaneous emission
Radiation emitted when a quantum mechanical system drops spontaneously from an excited level to a lower level. This...
photomask
A photomask, also known simply as a mask or reticle, is a key component in the photolithography process used in...
infrared camera
An infrared camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera or IR camera, is a device that captures and visualizes the...
carbonization
Carbonization is a process in which organic materials are heated in the absence of air, leading to the decomposition of the...
infrared image tube
An image converter that produces a visible image based on the infrared emittance of the object. The infrared energy is...
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...
photonic integrated circuit
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a compact and integrated device that incorporates multiple photonic components and...
optical testing
Refers to a variety of methods and tools used to determine the surface contour and performance of optical components and...
active element
Component that is externally controlled via electronic or photon signal.
linear receive optics
Linear receive optics typically refers to the optical components and systems used in the reception (detection) of linearly...
optical table
An optical table, also known as an optical bench or an optical breadboard, is a specialized platform used in optics...
recombinase polymerase amplification
Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a molecular biology technique used to rapidly amplify specific DNA or RNA...
half-wave voltage
That voltage required across a Pockels, Kerr or other electro-optic light modulator to retard one polarization electrical...
liquid coating
A self-healing, index-matching, nonporous coating for optical components that can eliminate production difficulties and...
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...
texel
A contraction for "texture element." A base unit used in computer graphics that defines the surface of three-dimensional...
surface wave
A wave that is guided by the interface between two different media or by a refractive index gradient in the medium. The...
Förster resonance energy transfer
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a mechanism describing the transfer of energy between two closely spaced...
directed energy
Directed energy refers to a type of energy that is emitted and transferred in a controlled direction. The term is often...
GaN distributed feedback lasers
GaN (Gallium Nitride) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers refer to a specific type of semiconductor laser based on Gallium...
centerburst
In an interferogram, an intense portion of the recording that corresponds in size to the amount of infrared radiation...
polygon mirror
A rotating component with a series of flat reflective surfaces around the perimeter that is used in scanning systems to...
polariton
A polariton is a quasiparticle resulting from the strong coupling between photons (light particles) and certain types of...
blaze height
Blaze height typically refers to a parameter in the context of diffraction gratings, which are optical devices consisting of...
Lambert's absorption law
Transmittance of a solution, or internal transmittance of a transparent solid, is an exponential function of the thickness...
fluorescent protein
Fluorescent proteins are proteins that exhibit the property of fluorescence, which is the ability to absorb light at a...
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique that combines the principles of Raman spectroscopy...
accessible radiation
Electromagnetic radiation present upon the open aperture of the source within an operating environment.
coincidence circuit
Electronic circuit capable of distinguishing the pulses emitted by separate counters in a given time phase and determining...
beam matrix
1. A geometrical arrangement of two or more light beams for use in laser shows, object detection or other applications...
antigen
An antigen is any substance that is capable of triggering an immune response in an organism. Antigens are typically proteins...
annihilation radiation
Gamma ray radiation released when matter and antimatter, such as electron and positron, unite and eliminate each other,...
photovoltaic cell
A photovoltaic cell, commonly known as a solar cell, is a semiconductor device that directly converts light energy into...
Stark effect
The splitting or shifting of spectral lines or energy levels caused by the application of a strong transverse electrical...
surface acoustic wave
An acoustic wave that propagates along the surface of a solid and decays exponentially with substrate depth. Also called a...
reflection grating
A reflection grating is an optical component that consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel reflecting surfaces 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...
hybrid mode
A mode possessing components of both electrical and magnetic field vectors in the direction of propagation.
photobleaching
Photobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently...
prism chromatic resolving power
The chromatic resolving power of a prism is invariably stated for the case in which parallel rays of light are incident on...
phase hologram
A hologram that is formed on a recording medium by changing the phase of the illuminating wave in correspondence with the...
photosite
A small section of the surface of a sensor corresponding to a single pixel in the image.
laser texturing
Laser texturing is a manufacturing process that involves using a laser beam to selectively modify the surface of a material,...
gun camera
A camera accurately aligned to a weapons system to provide a photographic record of system performance.
fatigue
The decrease of a component's efficiency, or a reduction in a material's light sensitivity, as the result of accumulated...
laser detector
Device that operates by interaction of incident radiation with semiconductor based material in order to produce an...
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin...
deuterated triglycine sulfate
A type of pyroelectric detector with favorable qualities of linearity, sensitivity and spectral responsivity used in FTIR...
Mach-Zehnder interferometer
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer is an optical device used to measure the phase difference between two collimated beams of...
phototransistor
A solid-state device similar to an ordinary transistor except that incident light on the PN junctions regulates the response...
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...
ternary
Made up of three components; for instance yttrium, aluminum and garnet (YAG).
lambertian surface
A perfectly diffusing surface; the intensity of the light emanating in a given direction from any small surface component is...
lens mount
The metal tube that maintains the optical components of a lens in proper relationship. Some lenses are mounted in metal...
image transducer
Any arrangement of a bundle of optical fibers that alters the shape of the image. For example, by systematic regulation of...
anomalous photoconductivity
A spectral phenomenon in which the degree of the photoresponse of an illuminated semiconductor is determined by the...
ultrahigh frequency
The frequency band from 300 to 3000 MHz. The corresponding wavelengths are from 10 to 100 cm.
laser peening
Laser peening is a surface enhancement technique used to improve the mechanical properties of materials, particularly...
Fredholm integral
The mathematical formula that proves that any linear operator for which the impulse is known can be wholly characterized...
acousto-optic tunable filter
A bulk crystalline optic which permits the propagation of light through a volume of index altered material. The variation in...
time domain
The time domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to describe signals in terms of their behavior over...
normal
Sometimes referred to as the surface normal or 'surface norm'; the normal is an axis that forms right angles with a surface...
transducer
A transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields,...
metal component
An accurate metal prism or plane parallel plate that is cemented to an optical element and remains with it during a series...
baseband response function
 epitaxial
Epitaxial refers to the growth of a crystalline layer on a crystalline substrate in such a way that the orientation of the...
CCD image sensor
A CCD image sensor, or charge-coupled device image sensor, is a type of electronic device used to convert optical images...
machine learning
Machine learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on the development of algorithms and...
relative detector response
A plot showing how the response (ability to detect a signal) varies with wavelength. D(l).
quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
spectrometric analysis
The analysis of spectra and their components, determined from their measurements.
freeform optics
Freeform optics refers to the design and fabrication of optical surfaces that do not follow traditional symmetric shapes,...
Compton scattering
The phenomenon observed by A.H. Compton in 1923 -- that some scattered radiation possesses a longer wavelength and...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and...
active-matrix display
A type of liquid-crystal display in which each display element contains an active component, such as a thin-film transistor,...
photographic sensitometry
The measurement of the responsivity of photographic media and of the relations between exposure and density of developed...
optofluidics
Optofluidics is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles from optics and fluidics to create devices and systems...
optics of material
The area of optics that deals with the interaction of light with a given material. The optical properties of material are...
zoom lens
An optical system of variable focal length, the focal plane remaining in a fixed position. This result is achieved by moving...
nonlinear optical crystal
An optical crystal that possesses a strong nonlinear dielectric response function to optical radiation. A material with a...
InGaAs photodiode
An InGaAs photodiode refers to a photodetector device that is constructed using a semiconductor material composed of a...
RTSP protocol
RTSP, or real-time streaming protocol, is a network control protocol designed for controlling streaming media servers. It is...
grating substrate
The substrate upon which a diffraction grating will be ruled. It must be dimensionally stable, and the surface must be...
dichroic coating
A dichroic coating, also known as a dichroic filter or dichroic mirror, is an optical coating designed to selectively...
Faraday rotation
The effect discovered by Faraday in 1845 whereby nonoptically active materials or substances become capable of rotating the...
photomultiplier tube
A photomultiplier tube (PMT) is a highly sensitive vacuum tube that detects and amplifies low levels of light. It is widely...
Lummer-Gehrcke plate
A high-resolution spectroscopic device commonly used in the early 20th century as a component of double-beam...
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...
sputtering
A vacuum deposition method in which the coating material (target) is removed from the surface of the coating source...
becquerel
Activity of a radionuclide having one spontaneous nuclear transition per second.
spectrometric oil analysis
An analytical technique used to determine, identify and localize impending malfunctions. It is based upon quantitative and...
holographic interferometry
The interferometric analysis of a complex object by utilizing the three-dimensional hologram. By causing a laser beam to...
tachometer
An instrument designed to measure the rate of rotation of components, such as shafts.
laser optics
Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...
thermal lensing
Distortion of an optical component as a result of heat, which can influence the divergence and the mode quality of a beam...
diamondlike carbon film
A very hard, highly transparent coating based on forms of carbon, used to protect optical components from abrasion and...
Lorentz force
The force acting upon a charged particle as it moves in a magnetic field, proportional to the particle's charge and velocity.
modulation spectroscopy
A method of spectral analysis in which some property of the sample is varied and the corresponding change is measured. The...
in vitro
In vitro is a Latin term that translates to "in glass." In scientific contexts, particularly in biology and medicine, it...
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
electron multiplication charge-coupled device camera
An EMCCD (electron-multiplying charge-coupled device) camera is a type of scientific camera specifically designed for...
grinding and polishing machinery
Machinery used to grind and finish a component, such as a lens or prism, to a desired precision. Usually such machines carry...
diode laser
A diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate coherent light....
Laue pattern
The photographic record of the diffracted beams formed when heterogeneous x-rays emerging from a pinhole or slit impinge...
differential interference contrast microscopy
Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, also known as Nomarski interference contrast microscopy, is an optical...
optical component
One or more optical elements – typically cemented together - in an optical system that are treated as a single group;...
nondestructive testing
Any testing method for materials and components that does not damage or destroy the test sample. Some of the methods used...
point spread function
The point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...
label-free
Label-free refers to a technique or method that does not require the use of additional labels, tags, or markers to detect or...
substrate
A substrate refers to a material or surface upon which another material or process is applied or deposited. In various...
quantum well
A quantum well is a structure in quantum mechanics that confines particles, such as electrons or holes, in one spatial...
ion-beam sputtering
Ion-beam sputtering (IBS) is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique used for depositing thin films onto substrates. It...
integration time
Integration time, in the context of optics, imaging systems, and sensor technology, refers to the duration over which a...
internal transmittance
The ratio of the radiant power transmitted to the second surface of a medium to the corresponding radiant power that has...
metabolic imaging
Metabolic imaging refers to the visualization and quantification of metabolic processes within living organisms, tissues, or...
solar simulation
The simulation of solar radiation in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum for the analysis of extraterrestrial sunlight and...
epitaxial deposition
Epitaxial deposition is a process used in semiconductor manufacturing and materials science to grow a thin crystalline...
stadimetry
The determination of distance based upon the known size of an object and the size of its image at the image plane of an...
ferroelectric domain
The region of a ferroelectric crystal where spontaneous polarization is uniformly directed.
Einstein shift
A shift in the direction of the red in the spectral lines of light which, defined by the relativity theory, will have...
resonator
A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance, which is a phenomenon that occurs when an external force or...
test glass
A transparent block shaped accurately to reverse curvatures of the components it is used to test. By contacting an...
Lorentz oscillator model
The Lorentz oscillator model is a theoretical model used in physics to describe the response of a charged particle (such as...
extraordinary ray
A ray that has a nonisotropic speed in a doubly refracting crystal. It does not necessarily obey Snell's law upon refraction...
liquid crystal
Liquid crystals are a state of matter that exhibits properties intermediate between those of conventional liquids and solid...
catastrophic optical damage
The darkening of the laser facet of a semiconductor laser diode. It can be prevented by placing the component in a...
histology
Histology is the branch of biology and medicine that involves the study of the microscopic structure of tissues and organs...
ladder diagram
A diagram that shows actual component signals and the basic wiring configuration of a relay logic circuit.
image converter
An electron tube that employs electromagnetic radiation to produce a visual replica of an image produced on its cathode....
optical noise
Optical noise refers to undesirable fluctuations or disturbances in an optical signal that can affect the quality or...
spectral signature
A spectral signature, in the context of remote sensing and spectroscopy, refers to the unique pattern or characteristic...
null process
Commonly performed in spectroscopy, the optical null process is a method for radiation detection whereby physical detectors...
quantum key distribution
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method of secure communication that utilizes principles from quantum mechanics to...
Rayleigh scattering
Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon that occurs when light waves interact with particles or molecules that are much smaller...
nonlinear optics
Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics that studies the optical phenomena that occur when intense light interacts with a...
optical parametric oscillator
A laser-pumped crystal with nonlinear optical properties inside of an optical resonator in which the output generates...
scanning
The successive analysis or synthesizing of the light values or other similar characteristics of the components of a picture...
macula lutea
The small central portion of the human retina that is responsible for providing the clearest, and most distinct aspects of...
cold-light illumination
A means of illumination from which the infrared component has been removed by absorption or reflection filters within the...
dewetting
Dewetting is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where a thin film or coating spontaneously undergoes a process of...
optical materials
Optical materials refer to substances or compounds specifically chosen for their optical properties and used in the...
cylindrical lens
A cylindrical lens is an optical component that has different curvatures along its two orthogonal axes, resulting in a shape...
photoelectron holography
A technique proposed for studying the atomic structure of crystals by measuring the interference pattern generated when the...
gamma
A numerical value representing the degree of contrast in a television picture: the exponent of the power law used to...
Kevlar
E.I. duPont's trade name for an aramid yarn used as a strength member in the jacket of fiber optic cable.
long-wave infrared
Long-wave infrared (LWIR) refers to a specific range of the infrared spectrum. Infrared radiation is divided into three main...
Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering is a phenomenon in physics where an incident electromagnetic wave (usually light) interacts with...
brightness resolution
The degree to which a pixel in a digital image represents the analog brightness of the corresponding point in the original...
synchrotron
A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses magnetic fields to steer charged particles, typically electrons or...
standard thermal profile
In infrared imaging systems used for mass screening of printed circuit boards or other quality control applications, an...
fluorophosphate glass
A special laser glass made primarily of fluoride compounds that exhibits extremely low refractive index and allows greater...
massive optics
Optical components exceeding 24 in. in diameter. The components are usually glass, acrylic or polystyrene and are used for...
neuromorphic vision sensor
A neuromorphic vision sensor is a type of imaging device designed to mimic the structure and functioning of the human visual...
microring resonator
A microring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
broadband filter
A broadband filter is an electronic or electromagnetic device designed to pass a range of frequencies or signals within a...
attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy
Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry to obtain IR spectra of samples....
nodal points
Of all the rays passing through a lens from an off-axis object point to its corresponding image point, there is always one...
fiber Bragg grating
A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is a type of optical filter that is inscribed or "written" into the core of an optical fiber. It...
optical manufacturing tools and machinery
Optical manufacturing tools and machinery encompass a wide range of equipment, instruments, and systems used in the...
stealth
That characteristic which makes a weapon system less visible to radar, optical, acousto-optic, infrared and other military...
laser line filter
A narrow linewidth optically transmissive or reflective component intended for use with a highly monochromatic or single...
computer numerically controlled grinding
Computer numerically controlled (CNC) grinding is a manufacturing process that utilizes computerized controls and precision...
thermocouple
A device composed of dissimilar metals that, when welded together, develop a small voltage dependent upon the relative...
optical path difference
The relative path difference (or phase shift) traveled between two rays that pass through different mediums from the same...
rare earth dopants
Rare earth dopants refer to elements from the lanthanide series, also known as rare earth elements, that are intentionally...
lithium fluoride
A crystal often used for windows and refracting components in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared. Characteristically,...
wafer
In the context of electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, a wafer refers to a thin, flat disk or substrate made of a...
discrete spectrum
A spectrum of component wavelengths whose values are separate from each other.
optical coatings
Optical coatings are thin layers of materials applied to optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, filters, and prisms,...
feedback compensation
The placement of a device or an additional circuit into a feedback control system to improve its response in relation to a...
vertical imbalance
The difference in base up or down prism power at corresponding points located on the two lenses of a pair of spectacles.
long-pass filter
A long-pass filter is an optical filter that allows longer wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking or...
scattered light filter
A specific type of filter designed to reduce the amount of light scattered by reflections from the edges of optical...
laser trimming
The use of lasers in tailoring of such components as thin-film resistors. The process improves speed and accuracy.
camera chain
The term sometimes used to describe the sequential arrangement of components in a video system -- from transmitter to...
etalon
An etalon is an optical device that consists of two parallel reflecting surfaces separated by a precise and known distance....
frequency domain
The frequency domain is a concept used in signal processing and analysis to represent signals and data in terms of their...
reagent
A reagent is a substance or compound that is used in a chemical reaction to bring about a specific transformation or to...
liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...
brightfield
Brightfield refers to a type of microscopy and imaging technique in which the specimen is illuminated with a white light...
blackbody source
A blackbody source, often simply referred to as a blackbody, is a theoretical or practical physical object that absorbs all...
Kerr effect
The Kerr effect, named after the physicist John Kerr who first observed it in 1875, is a nonlinear optical phenomenon where...
phototransistor tachometer
A tachometer consisting of a light source, rotating perforated wheel and phototransistor to measure the rates of rotation of...
Er:YAG laser
An Er:YAG laser is a type of solid-state laser that uses a crystal made of erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet...
optical density
A measure of the transmittance through an optical medium. Optical density equals the log to the base 10 of the reciprocal of...
red, green, blue
RGB stands for red, green, blue, which are the primary colors of light used in additive color mixing. The RGB color model is...
CMOS camera
A CMOS camera refers to an imaging device that employs a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor to...
frequency response
custom lapping and polishing services
Custom lapping and polishing services involve specialized processes used to improve the surface finish and dimensional...
FTIR spectrometer
FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectrometer is a powerful analytical instrument used to obtain an infrared spectrum of...
duplet lens system
An optical system having two sets of components separated by an air space, while successive lenses in each set are cemented...
laser pattern generation
Production of a repeated image of a transmitted beam through a diffractive optical element such as a holographic card or...
detector array
A detector array refers to a collection of individual detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional grid or matrix format....
photodynamic inactivation
Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a therapeutic approach that utilizes the combination of light, a photosensitizer, and...
lateral shearing interferometer
A lateral shearing interferometer is an optical device used in interferometry to measure phase differences between two beams...
photoelectric mixing
Also known as light beating. The mixing of two narrowband optical components to produce an AC component in the photocurrent...
Babinet absorption rule
The rule stating that positive uniaxial crystals have greater absorption with respect to the extraordinary component of...
MEMS fiber optic switch
A MEMS fiber optic switch is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device designed to selectively route optical signals...
ferroelectric materials
Ferroelectric materials are a type of dielectric materials that exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, meaning they...
blocking shaper
A convex, concave or flat cast iron form that is used to shape a soft mold block of optical components.
optical combiner
An optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...
thin-film circuit
A circuit whose passive components are deposited on a given substrate by sputtering or vacuum processes.
Hypalon
E.I. duPont's trade name for a material used in the jacket of fiber optic cables. It is flame-retardant, thermally stable...
probe card
A probe card is a testing device used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry to evaluate and test the electrical...
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...
nonlinear optical materials
Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
infrared detector
An infrared detector is a device that is used to detect and measure infrared radiation, which lies beyond the visible...
test cube
A device used to detect elevation, pyramid and resolution errors in prisms and other components by bringing them into...
SELFOC fiber
Derived from "self-focusing,'' Nippon Sheet Glass Co. (NSG) of Japan's trade name for graded-index fiber rods with parabolic...
Pockels
In optics, the Pockels effect refers to the phenomenon where the refractive index of a material changes in response to an...
edge detection
In image processing, the location of edges by employing templates that respond to the first or second derivative of...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
machine vision lens
A machine vision lens is a specialized optical lens designed for use in machine vision systems, which are used for automated...
sine wave response
optical filter
An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...
aptamer
An aptamer is a short, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecule that can bind to a specific target molecule with high affinity...
thermophotovoltaic
Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) refers to a technology that converts heat energy into electricity using the principles of...
profilometry
Measurement of surface roughness or quality through the use of a diamond-pointed stylus connected to a coil in an electric...
fiber optic transceiver
A fiber optic transceiver, often simply referred to as an "optical transceiver," is a device used in fiber optic...
knife-edge scanning microscope
An imaging device originally created to image whole mouse brain volumes at microscopic resolution. The main component of the...
homogeneous
That property of a substance that determines that all components of volume are the same in composition and optical...
polymer
Polymers are large molecules composed of repeating structural units called monomers. These monomers are chemically bonded...
microscope stage
The component of a microscope on which the sample or slide to be examined is placed. Depending on the design of the...
electronic flash unit
A small xenon-filled tube with metal electrodes fused into the ends. The gas flashes brilliantly when a condenser is...
stimulated emission
Radiation similar in origin to spontaneous emission but determined by the presence of other radiation having the same...
Mylar
E.I. duPont's trade name for a polyester film. The most practical beamsplitter for use beyond the 15-µm wavelength...
silver-disc pyrheliometer
An instrument that uses a blackened silver-disc reflector with a shutter to create temperature fluctuations that are...
footprint
1. The sector of the Earth's surface registered upon a remote sensing device in a satellite. 2. The amount of space occupied...
spectrograph
An optical instrument for forming the spectrum of a light source and recording it on a film. The dispersing medium may be a...
phase contrast microscopy
Phase contrast microscopy is an optical microscopy technique that enhances the contrast of transparent and colorless...
laser diode module
A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...
cold finger
A cryogenically cooled component incorporated into the Dewar of an infrared detector assembly to maintain the sensing...
optical gate
An optical gate typically refers to a device or system that controls the transmission of light, allowing it to pass through...
otoscope
An otoscope is a medical device used by healthcare professionals, particularly ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists,...
instantaneous field of view
Instantaneous field of view (iFOV) is a term commonly used in the context of remote sensing, imaging systems, and optical...
moiré deflectometry
An optical interference technique widely utilized as a method of nondestructive testing when determining the ray deflection...
horopter
The locus of the points in the field of binocular vision that are observed singly. The images of these points correspond to...
optoelectronic
Pertaining to a device that responds to optical power, emits or modifies optical radiation, or utilizes optical radiation...
very low frequency
The frequency band from 3 to 30 kHz. The corresponding wavelengths are from 10 to 100 km. (VLF).
optical testing instrument
An optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...
modulated grating hologram
A computer-generated, phase-and-amplitude, off-axis hologram made by a multi-exposure technique that uses three computer...
optical cements and adhesive
Optical cements and adhesives are specialized materials used in the assembly and bonding of optical components in optical...
two-photon polymerization
Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a technique used in additive manufacturing, specifically in the field of 3D printing. It...
modulator
A modulator is a device or component that modifies a carrier signal in order to encode information for transmission over a...
atmospheric optics
The analysis of the properties of radiation, such as light, when acted upon by variations in the atmosphere. Blue and red...
time-correlated single photon counting
Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) is a technique used in photon counting applications, particularly in the...
optical Fourier transform
The optical Fourier transform is a mathematical operation applied to optical signals that involves transforming a spatial...
Amici prism
Also known as roof prism. A type of prism designed by G.B. Amici. It consists of a roof edge produced upon the long...
anisotropy
Anisotropy refers to the property of exhibiting different values or characteristics when measured in different directions....
organic light-emitting diode
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a type of light-emitting diode (LED) technology that utilizes organic compounds to...
nanopositioning
Nanopositioning refers to the precise and controlled movement or manipulation of objects or components at the nanometer...
bayonet coupling
A coupling mechanism designed to quickly lock a connector into an adaptor or a lens into a lens mount. Typically coupling is...
read screen
The transparent component of an optical reader that transmits the image rays of the characters to be read.
photocathode luminous sensitivity
The responsivity of a photocathode to luminous energy equal to the ratio of the photoelectric emission to the incident...
image orthicon
A camera tube widely used in television broadcasting. It consists of three sections within a single vacuum envelope. 1. A...
gloss
Property of a surface which, because of directional reflection, is responsible for the degree to which reflected highlights...
magneto-optical photonic crystal
A photonic crystal that comprises magneto-optical material such that the optical response of the device depends on the...
near-infrared spectroscopy
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the...
attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy
Attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAP) is an advanced technique in ultrafast spectroscopy that allows...
magnification
The ratio of the size of the image of an object to that of the object. The ratio of the linear size of the image to that of...
infrared light-emitting diode
An infrared light-emitting diode (IR LED) is a semiconductor device that emits infrared light when an electric current...
intravital microscopy
Intravital microscopy is an imaging technique used to visualize biological processes within living organisms, typically in...
Pockels cell
A device containing an electro-optic crystal and using the Pockels effect. A voltage applied across the crystal generates...
diffraction-limited lens
A lens with aberrations corrected to the point that residual wavefront errors are substantially less than one-quarter the...
resonance
Resonance can be defined in various contexts, including physics, chemistry, and music. Here are definitions for resonance in...
Beer's law
Transmittance of a stable solution is an exponential function of the concentration of the absorbing solute.
freeform mirrors
Freeform mirrors refer to reflective optical components that deviate from traditional symmetric or rotationally symmetric...
error correcting code
The addition to the information signal in communications of redundant bits that enable the originally encoded message to be...
input/output
I/O stands for input/output. In computing, it refers to the communication between a computer system or program and its...
photoresist
Photoresist is a light-sensitive material used in photolithography processes, particularly in the fabrication of...
monochromator
A monochromator is an optical instrument used to isolate and select a narrow range of wavelengths from a broader spectrum of...
mixed signal oscilloscope
A mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) is a type of electronic test instrument that combines the capabilities of both a...
motion controller
In optics, a motion controller refers to a device or system that precisely controls the movement of optical components, such...
integrated optical circuit
An optical circuit, either monolithic or hybrid, composed of active and passive components, used for coupling between...
optical fiber optic switches
Optical fiber optic switches are devices used in optical fiber communication systems to selectively route optical signals...
infrared optic
Infrared optics refer to optical components and systems designed to manipulate and control infrared (IR) light, which lies...
x-ray tube target
Also known as an anticathode. An electrode or electrode section that is focused upon by an electron beam and that emits...
second-harmonic generation
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine...
quantum efficiency
Quantum efficiency (QE) is a measure of the effectiveness with which a device or system, typically in the context of...
step response
The observed time dependence of the transmittance of a step of radiation through a given medium.
holographic optical element
A component used to modify light rays by diffraction; the HOE is produced by recording the interference pattern of two laser...
extrinsic detector
A photodetector composed of a semiconductor material whose responsive properties can be altered by the addition of...
network interface card
A network interface card (NIC), also known as a network adapter or LAN adapter, is a hardware component that allows...
optical constructor
A system of modular mechanical components for building precision optical systems. The basic equipment includes a variety of...
isolator
In the context of electronics and optics, an isolator refers to a device that allows the transmission of signals in one...
camera tube target
The storage surface of an electron beam tube that is scanned by an electron beam to generate an output-signal current...
germanium crystal
Germanium crystal refers to a crystalline form of the element germanium (Ge), which is a metalloid and semiconductor...
optical bottle
A term referring to an optical force field used to trap and stabilize particles acted upon by a force such as laser light.
electroless plating
The deposition of a metallic coating, usually nickel, on a component by chemical means rather than by electroplating; the...
gas photocell
A photoemissive cell having an inert gas added to its envelope. Subsequent ionization of the gas increases the responsivity...
biomarker
A biomarker, short for biological marker, refers to a measurable and quantifiable indicator of a biological condition,...
mode beating
In optics, "mode beating" refers to an interference phenomenon that can occur in laser systems with multiple longitudinal...
self-phase modulation
Self-phase modulation (SPM) is a nonlinear optical phenomenon that occurs when an intense laser beam passes through a...
V-groove
A V-shaped channel pressed or etched into a substrate, in which, for example, optical fibers may be placed to create an...
charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a type of electronic image sensor used in various imaging devices, including digital...
photographic thermometry
The photographic recording of the heat radiation emitted from various points on the object as corresponding density...
soft mold blocking
Blocking by means of a pitch ring, pitch button or a totally pitched block. Pitch, containing a soft filter, may be used...
ophthalmoscopy
Also referred to as fundus photography, ophthalmoscopy is the dioptrical study of the various interior components of the eye...
phototheranostics
Phototheranostics, a portmanteau of "photo" (light), "therapy," and "diagnostics," refers to an emerging field that combines...
detector-Dewar assembly
A detector-Dewar assembly typically refers to a combination of a detector and a Dewar flask used in scientific instruments,...
pigtail
A short length of optical fiber permanently fixed to a component and used to couple power between it and the transmission...
absorption index
The absorption index represents the imaginary component of the complex index of refraction, and not the real component. The...
linear positioning stage
A linear positioning stage, also known as a linear stage or translation stage, is a precision mechanical device used to...
linear optics
Linear optics refers to the study and manipulation of light in a linear and deterministic manner, where the response of...
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...
elasto-optic effect
A change in the refractive index of an optical fiber caused by variation in the length of the fiber core in response to...
optical phase distortion
Optical phase distortion refers to a phenomenon where the phase of an optical wavefront is altered as it propagates through...
optical design software
Optical design software refers to specialized computer programs used by optical engineers, physicists, and designers to...
spectral response
Measure of a detector's signal during exposure to radiation of a constant power level and varying wavelength.
Poincaré sphere
A reference sphere used to represent all possible states of polarization. All linear polarizations will lie on the equator...
diffraction efficiency
Diffraction efficiency is a measure of how effectively a diffractive optical element (DOE) or diffraction grating directs...
transponder
A receiver-transmitter device that automatically transmits a signal when the proper interrogating signal is received.
boresight
The alignment process that makes the optical axes of two related systems parallel to each other. Also, making the optical...
vapor degreasing
A method of cleaning and drying coated optical components. The cooled parts are placed in a container above a boiling...
responsive element
 metamerism
In colorimetry, the phenomenon in which spectrally different radiations produce the same color sensation for a given...
pushbroom scanning
Pushbroom scanning is a technique used in remote sensing and imaging systems, particularly in satellite and aerial sensors,...
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...
propagation constant
For an electromagnetic field mode varying sinusoidally with time at a given frequency, the logarithmic rate of change, with...
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...
photoplethysmography
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a non-invasive optical technique used to detect changes in blood volume in tissues. It...
Michelson stellar interferometer
An interferometer constructed to be positioned on a telescope to measure the angular separation of the components of double...
Maxwell triangle
A diagram used to represent the trichromatic variables of the components in a three-color combination.
sunlight recorder
An instrument consisting essentially of a photoelectric cell filtered to respond to a specified wavelength region, an...
Peltier cooler
A Peltier cooler, also known as a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) or thermoelectric module, is a solid-state device that uses...
phase mask
In optics and photolithography, a phase mask refers to a device that modifies the phase of light waves passing through it....
integrated optics
A thin-film device containing miniature optical components connected via optical waveguides on a transparent dielectric...
optical design and engineering services
Optical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and...
phase constant
With respect to a traveling plane wave at a known frequency, the space rate of decrease of phase of a field component in the...
thermal interface materials
Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are substances or compounds used to enhance the thermal conductivity between two surfaces...
optical comparator
Typically used for the examination of manufactured or engineered parts, an optical gauging device, in which a backlight is...
photoconductive film
A film of material that exhibits varying conductivity based upon its absorption of varying amounts of photon radiation.
four-level laser
A solid-state laser consisting of active atoms or ions of a transition metal, rare-earth metal or actinide, imbedded in a...
phase-modulated sensor
A phase-modulated sensor is a type of sensor that uses modulation of the phase of a signal to measure changes in a physical...
minimum angle of deviation
The smallest angle through which light is bent by an optical element or system. In a prism, the angle of deviation is a...
styrene acrylonitrile
A copolymer of styrene and acrylic used in molded optical components; it has a high refractive index and a low coefficient...
plasmonics
Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
threshold current
The minimum driving current corresponding to lasing threshold at a specified temperature. (Ith).
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...
ultraviolet microscopy
The study and photographing of microscope specimens in ultraviolet light; using an optical microscope containing fluorite...
sapphire
Sapphire can refer to either a gemstone or a specific type of crystalline material commonly used in various industrial...
grating beamsplitter
A grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...
piezoelectric motion systems
Piezoelectric motion systems are mechanical systems that utilize piezoelectric materials to generate controlled motion or...
infrared lens
An infrared lens is an optical component specifically designed and optimized for transmitting, focusing, or manipulating...
Deslandres diagram
A diagram in which the variable frequencies of a spectral band system are plotted corresponding to ascending values of the...
system on chip
Abbreviated SoC. A single chip containing all the electronic circuits required for a complete, working product. SoCs are...
cross dispersion
Recombination of only the light that is correctly dispersed by the first stage of a polychromator through its wide...
light dispersion
The process whereby white light is separated into its component wavelengths. Light beams of different wavelengths are...
optogenetics
A discipline that combines optics and genetics to enable the use of light to stimulate and control cells in living tissue,...
moiré topography
Contour mapping technique that involves positioning a grating close to an object and observing its shadow on the object...
multi-axis alignment
Multi-axis alignment refers to the process of aligning or adjusting components or systems in multiple spatial dimensions or...
stereoscopic photography
The photographing of a scene from positions corresponding to the locations of both eyes. A viewing device is used to present...
embedded vision
Embedded vision refers to the integration of computer vision technologies into various embedded systems, devices, or...
electrostatic deflection
The deflection of an electron beam by the action of an electrostatic field that has a component perpendicular to the...
photonic crystals
Photonic crystals are artificial structures or materials designed to manipulate and control the flow of light in a manner...
mode
1. The characteristic of how light propagates through a waveguide that can be designated by a radiation pattern in a plane...
transfer function
The complex function, H(f), equal to the ratio of the output to input of the device as a function of frequency. The...
bandgap
In semiconductor physics, the term bandgap refers to the energy range in a material where no electronic states are allowed....
responsivity
The gain that occurs between light intensity incident on a CCD given by the photocurrent produced.
electro-optic modulator
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is a device used to modulate the amplitude, phase, or polarization of light waves using an...
indium phosphide
Indium phosphide (InP) is a compound semiconductor material composed of indium (In) and phosphorus (P). It belongs to the...
custom optic
A custom optic refers to an optical component that is designed, manufactured, and tailored to meet specific requirements or...
dual inline package
A package for electronic components that is suited for automated assembly into printed circuit boards. The DIP is...
coherent fiber bundle
A coherent fiber bundle (CFB), also known as a coherent fiber optic bundle, is an assembly of multiple optical fibers...
camera tube
The electron beam tube of a television camera that converts an optical image into a pattern of electrostatic charges and...
optical glass
Optical glass refers to a type of glass specifically engineered and manufactured for use in optical components and systems,...
luma
The luminance portion of a composite video signal, i.e., the portion of the signal that corresponds to the brightness of the...
die bonding
Die bonding is a critical process in semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics assembly, where a semiconductor die or...
optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is a branch of electronics that focuses on the study and application of devices and systems that use light...
GRIN lens
A GRIN (gradient index) lens is a type of optical lens that utilizes a gradient in refractive index across its volume rather...
relative brightness
A figure of merit corresponding to the amount of light seen by a viewer through binoculars. A higher number indicates a...
photochromic
Photochromic refers to a property exhibited by certain materials, typically organic compounds or dyes, which undergo...
clear aperture
The limited light-gathering area of an optical system. The area is normally restricted to an edge or outer surface of an...
fiber optic cable assembly
A fiber optic cable assembly refers to a complete unit consisting of optical fibers, connectors, protective jackets, and...
fused quartz and silica
Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...
electro-optic transistor
A transistor designed to respond to either light or electrical signals.
microchannel plate
A microchannel plate (MCP) is a specialized electron multiplier device used in various applications such as particle...
time-to-amplitude converter
A time-to-amplitude converter (TAC) is an electronic circuit that converts a time interval between two events into an...
hybrid circuit
Any integrated circuit that also makes use of one or more discrete components; frequently used to describe circuits that...
fluorescent screen
A fluorescent screen refers to a phosphorescent or fluorescent-coated surface that emits visible light when exposed to other...
photon drag effect
The induction of an electric field in a semiconductor by an incident laser beam. The technique has rapid response time at...
etaloning
Etaloning is an optical phenomenon that occurs in imaging systems, particularly in devices such as spectrometers,...
quantum noise
Noise generated within an optical communications system link that has both internal (dark current) and external (background...
ordinary ray
The ray that has an isotropic speed and maintains a uniform polarization in all propagation directions when traveling in a...
television transmitter
An electronic device used to encode video and audio signals of a television camera into radio waves that are broadcast to...
calcium indicator
A calcium indicator is a molecule that is sensitive to changes in calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations in biological systems....
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
luminous efficiency
Ratio of radiant flux weighted according to V(l), the spectral luminous efficiency, to the corresponding radiant flux.
reflectance estimate
The output of spectral channels written as an integral function of known solar irradiance, atmospheric transmittance and...
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...
accelerometer
An accelerometer is a sensor or transducer that measures the rate of change of velocity of an object, or in simpler terms,...
ocular accommodation reflex
The eye's involuntary reaction in the process of accommodation. This reflex is most dramatic in response to looking at a...
half bandwidth
The term half bandwidth (HBW) generally refers to the width of a spectral band or frequency range at half of its maximum...
integrated laser
A type of laser for which a large number of the components can be fabricated in or upon a single substrate.
superfluorescence
The process in which the normal rate of fluorescent emission from a substance is enhanced by virtue of the optical gain of...
optical bistability
The phenomenon that can render an optical resonator the equivalent of a semiconductor flip-flop. A bistable device will...
luminescence
Luminescence is the emission of light that occurs without the involved substance undergoing a significant increase in...
flexible display
A flexible display refers to a type of electronic visual display that is designed to be bendable, foldable, or rollable,...
direct-vision prism
An assembly of multiple prisms that disperses incident light into its spectral components without deviating light at the...
Polarization Imaging
A subsurface imaging technique based upon the polarization of light reflected off an object. The polarization of reflected...
additivity of luminance
The luminance of a mixture of lights is the sum of the luminances of the component lights in the mixture.
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,...
remote inspection
Remote inspection refers to the process of inspecting, evaluating, or monitoring assets, equipment, infrastructure, or...
integrated photonics
Integrated photonics is a field of study and technology that involves the integration of optical components, such as lasers,...
free-electron laser
A free-electron laser (FEL) is a type of laser that generates coherent, high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by using a...
laser plasma
A plasma produced by the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a material surface. Production of ionized particle with...
epitaxial equipment
Epitaxial equipment refers to a set of specialized tools and systems used in the process of epitaxy, which is the growth of...
equalized-response densitometer
A densitometer having a receiver that indicates when a desired radiation level has been attained.
absorption hologram
A hologram formed when the light of the illuminating beam is absorbed in correspondence with the recording exposure. In...
polymerase chain reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used molecular biology technique used to amplify a specific segment of DNA...
prelasing
When uncontrolled laser energy leaks from a laser cavity prematurely, it causes serious damage to optical components and...
phototoxicity
Phototoxicity refers to the harmful effects caused by exposure to light, particularly intense or ultraviolet (UV) light, on...
tracking system
A controlled motion system that may use a telescope, camera or antenna to follow accurately a satellite, missile, vehicle or...
near-field scanning
A measurement technique used to determine the spatial distribution profile of an electrical or optical quantity of interest...
tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
A spectroscopic technique that combines the high chemical specificity of Raman scattering and signal sensitivity provided by...
discrete
An individual circuit component, complete in itself, such as a resistor, diode, capacitor or transistor. It is used as an...
electron-gun system
An electron-gun system is an assembly used to generate and control a focused beam of electrons. Electron guns find...
Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor
The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is an optical device used for measuring the wavefront aberrations of an optical system....
responsive quantum efficiency
The number of electrons emitted per photon incident upon a photodetector.
Nd:YAG laser
Nd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain...
histochemical staining
Histochemical staining is a laboratory technique used in biology and medicine to visualize specific chemical components...
adaptation
Spontaneous changes to the visual system making it more or less sensitive to light.
complementary metal-oxide semiconductor
Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) refers to a technology used in the fabrication of integrated circuits,...
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...
aversion response
Eye blink or head movement in response to bright light. Aversion responses such as blinking are sufficient protection from...
amplified spontaneous emission
Broadband radiation emitted by a laser that does not transmit through the optical element. It can be removed by filtering.
aspheric mirror
An aspheric mirror is an optical mirror surface that deviates from the shape of a perfect sphere, having a non-spherical...
symmetry operation
Any systemic process that ultimately reassembles all the system's components into their initial alignment, or an arrangement...
modulation transfer function analysis/measurement equipment
MTF analysis/measurement equipment refers to instruments and tools used to measure and analyze the modulation transfer...
machine vision
Machine vision, also known as computer vision or computer sight, refers to the technology that enables machines, typically...
phase distrortion
Phase distortion refers to a change in the phase relationships between different frequency components of a signal. In the...
servomechanism
A closed-loop system that is constantly adjusted in response to input signals generated within the system.
adaptive optics
Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of...
photodetector
A photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical...
photoelectric effect
The emission of an electron from a surface that occurs when a photon impinges upon the surface and is absorbed. This effect...
frequency comb
A frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with...
cathode radiant sensitivity
Cathode radiant sensitivity refers to the ability of a photocathode to convert incident radiant energy, typically in the...
radiometry
Ratiometry is a technique used in various scientific fields, particularly in analytical chemistry and biochemistry, to...
thermography
Thermography is a technique that involves the use of an infrared imaging device, called a thermal camera or infrared camera,...
optical coherence tomography imaging system
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics and biomedical research to obtain...
silicon photodiode
A silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector...
Pechan prism
A prism made up of two air-spaced components. It has the ability to revert, and not invert, an image, and can be used in...
front-cell focusing
A method of focusing an optical system by moving the front component (the lens closest to the subject) to change the...
Einstein coefficients
Three proportional coefficients labeled Am, Bmn, and Bnm, that respectively characterize the rate of spontaneous emission,...
passive-matrix OLED display
An OLED display formed by creating an array of OLED pixels connected by intersecting anode and cathode conductors arranged...
polarization dependent loss
In passive optical components, loss that varies as the polarization state of the propagating wave changes. Expressed as the...
MSM photodiode
A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode is a type of photodetector that consists of metal electrodes on a semiconductor...
corner cube
A corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light...
time-lapse optical coherence tomography
Time-lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) refers to a medical imaging technique that captures a series of sequential OCT...
piezoresistance
Piezoresistance is a phenomenon in materials science and physics where the electrical resistance of a material changes in...
emission spectrum
An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light...
pedestal component
Present in photocurrent burst, it is the low frequency pulse that corresponds to the light scattered from the beams in the...
head-up display
An optical system that superimposes a synthetic display providing navigational or weapon-aiming information on a pilot's or...
Rayleigh line
That element of a spectrum line in scattered radiation having a frequency equal to that of the corresponding incident...
astronomical telescope
An astronomical telescope is a type of optical instrument designed to gather and magnify light from distant celestial...
absorption peak
An absorption peak refers to a sharp increase or spike in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a particular...
compression molding
A method of producing large volumes of plastic optical components in which powdered or sheet plastic is pressed between...
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...
optical assembly
An optical assembly refers to a collection of optical components that are carefully arranged and aligned to perform a...
optical bench
A support for optical parts comprising a solid bed that permits precise longitudinal movement of one component relative to...
packet
The finite amount of electrical charge generated in response to incident radiation and transferred from one storage element...
galvanometric scanner
A galvanometric scanner, also known as a galvanometer scanner or galvo scanner, is a type of optical scanning device used to...
Wiener experiment
After putting a thick photographic emulsion on a front-faced mirror, and exposing the emulsion to monochromatic incident...
depth of focus
The range of image distances that corresponds to the range of object distances covered by the depth of field.
automated optical inspection
Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a technology used in manufacturing processes, particularly in electronics, to...
comb filter
A filter that passes a series of wavelength regions that are at equal distances from one another, such that its output...
reflective spectroscopy
Reflectance spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the reflective properties of materials across various wavelengths of...
crystal lattice
A regular, periodic, geometric array of points corresponding to the positions of the atoms in a perfect crystal.
gas phototube
A phototube having increased response due to the addition of a quantity of gas.
thick-film circuit
A microcircuit whose passive components consist of a ceramic-metal combination deposited on a given substrate by screening...
glass spectrograph
A spectrograph having glass as its refracting component and used in cases where speed and high dispersion are not required....
antiresonance
Literally the opposite of resonance, antiresonance occurs when any variation in excitation frequency results in an increased...
logic-to-light device
A fiber optic component or system designed in such a way that it can be operated by people without specialized knowledge of...
near-infrared camera
A near-infrared (NIR) camera is an imaging device designed to capture images in the near-infrared region of the...
very high frequency
The frequency band from 30 to 300 MHz. The corresponding wavelengths are from 1 to 10 m. (VHF).
lock-in amplifier
A lock-in amplifier is a specialized electronic instrument used to extract and measure small signals embedded in noise or...
aberration
A departure from ideal paraxial imaging behavior. The distortion of an optical field wavefront as it is propagated through...
passive optical component
A device that responds to incident light but does not generate light.
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...
Laurent polarimeter
A Laurent polarimeter is an instrument used in optics for measuring the rotation of plane-polarized light caused by...
optical coherence tomography
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used in medical and scientific fields to capture...
topological photonics
Topological photonics is a branch of physics and optics that explores the application of topological concepts to the...
radiographic amplifier screen
A solid-state panel of the photoconductor-electroluminescent type. The photoconductive layer, sensitive to x-rays, is coated...
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
impurity level
In the context of optical materials, the term "impurity level" refers to the presence of foreign atoms or molecules within...
image plane
A plane in which an image is formed. A real image formed by a positive lens would be visible upon a screen located in this...
APD detector
An APD detector, or avalanche photodiode detector, is a type of photodetector used to detect light or optical signals by...
sector disc
A disc, having opaque and transparent sectors or sectors with unlike reflectances, that is rotated at a specific rate to...
photonic cavity
A photonic cavity, also known as an optical cavity, is a structure that confines electromagnetic radiation within a certain...
radiation pyrometer
Also known as radiation thermometer. A pyrometer in which the radiant intensity from the source to be measured is used to...
inertial confinement fusion
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a method of achieving nuclear fusion, a process where two atomic nuclei combine to...
environmental range
The maximum to minimum range of temperature, pressure, humidity, vibration and biological conditions under which an optical...
second-order nonlinear optical properties
Second-order nonlinear optical properties refer to a class of phenomena exhibited by certain materials in response to...
peripheral response
In a charge-coupled device, the detection of charge collected by the transport register rather than by the image-sensing...
photochromism
The reversible change in the absorption spectrum of certain compounds upon irradiation with a given wavelength of light.
spatial light modulator
A spatial light modulator (SLM) is an optical device that modulates or manipulates the amplitude, phase, or polarization of...
photolithography
Photolithography is a key process in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and...
cutoff wavelength
1. In detector technology, the long wavelength at which detector response falls to a set percentage (usually 20 or 50...
unit of error
A unit of measurement in a rangefinder corresponding to 12 s of arc in the apparent field.
phase-contrast generation
Microscopy technique to convert the phase structure of the wave transmitted or reflected by the specimen into a...
astronomical mirror
An astronomical mirror, also known as a telescope mirror or primary mirror, is a key component of a reflecting telescope. It...
planform bonding
A manufacturing process used to construct substrates for large optical components. Used with IR materials, planform bonding...
black level
The level of the television picture signal that corresponds to the maximum limit of black peaks.
mirror mount
A mirror mount is a mechanical device used to secure and precisely position mirrors in optical systems. Mirrors are...
surface electromagnetic waves
Waves that propagate along the interface between two different media without radiation with exponentially decaying...
nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy
Nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy is a microscopy technique that combines the principles of photonic...
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
replicated optics
Optical components, usually reflectors, produced using proprietary techniques that transfer the precision of a master to a...
paraffin oil
A saturated compound of carbon and hydrogen used as a liquid coating material for optical components in high-power laser...
neutron radiography
The nondestructive analysis and recording of industrial components based on the absorption of relatively low-energy neutrons...
pyroelectric infrared detector
Unlike the thermocouple or bolometer, the pyroelectric infrared detector is a current source with an output proportional to...
jig allowance
Also called coating jig allowance. That margin on an optical component that is outside the clear aperture for use in holding...
swarf
The material removed during diamond machining of glass components.
mounting cement
An adhesive used to hold optical components in their mounts. It may be a thermoplastic or chemical-hardening substance.
sol-gel
A gelatinous fluid that can be used as a porous thin-film coating for optical components, including laser beam collimators,...
single-photon avalanche diode
A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is a specialized type of photodetector designed to detect extremely weak optical...
ferroelectricity
The phenomenon whereby certain crystals exhibit spontaneous electric polarization. It is analogous with ferromagnetism.
laser damage threshold
The laser damage threshold refers to the maximum level of laser intensity that a material can withstand without experiencing...
FC connector
The fiber optic connector standard for Nippon Telephone & Telegraph (NTT) installations, developed with Nippon Electric...
azimuthal polarization
Azimuthal polarization refers to a specific polarization state of light where the electric field vector of the...
Mie scattering
Mie scattering, named after the German physicist Gustav Mie, refers to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation (such as...
CMOS image sensor
A CMOS image sensor, short for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor, is a type of semiconductor device used...
digital camera
A digital camera is a device that captures and records still images or video in digital format. Unlike traditional film...
nonselective sensor
A radiometric device or system having uniform responsivity relative to all of the radiation parameters, or relative to one...
meta-optics
Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
laser lithotripsy
Laser lithotripsy is a medical procedure that uses laser energy to break down or fragment stones in various parts of the...
ultraviolet photomicrography
The photographic recording that uses ultraviolet radiation to irradiate the microscope sample being examined and to form an...
metasurfaces
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...
eutectic
The material that has the lowest possible constant melting point of any possible combination of the same components.
zero-order filtering
The removal of the zero-order component of the Fourier spectrum distribution of an object with a small, opaque absorber or...
edge-emitting LED
An edge-emitting light-emitting diode is a type of LED structure where light emission occurs primarily along the edge of the...
magnon
A magnon is a quasiparticle representing a quantized spin wave in a magnetic material. In other words, it is a collective...
hard seal
The process of sealing laser components by means of frit seals, welding or bonding rather than using epoxy.
retrofocus lens
Also known as reversed telephoto lens. A lens consisting of an ordinary objective with a negative component near its front...
TO package
Housing that resembles a small metal can for a semiconductor component, photodetector or similar device.
edge response
Intensity distribution in the image of an edge. The gradient of the edge-response curve is a measure of the image quality of...
radar display
The spontaneous visual presentation of radar information by electronic traces on a cathode-ray tube.
luminaire
A complete unit containing a light source, globe, reflector, housing, socket and other necessary components for lighting.
electric lamp
Any lamp whose emission of radiant energy is dependent upon the passage of an electrical current through the emissive medium.
breakout cable
A breakout cable, also known as a fan-out cable or breakout assembly, is a type of cable that combines multiple individual...
absorption line
The wavelength or frequency corresponding to an absorption resonance with a given molecular or atomic species. The line...
attosecond photonics sources
Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of...
digital twin
A digital twin refers to a virtual representation or digital counterpart of a physical object, system, or process. This...
excimer laser coronary angioplasty
Excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) refers to a medical procedure used in the treatment of coronary artery disease....
dispersing prism
A prism or series of prisms used to disperse a beam of radiant energy of mixed wavelengths into its spectral components.
rod
The light-sensitive cells on the retina of the eye that are responsible for low-resolution, peripheral vision.
flying spot microscope
A microscope that uses a flying spot scanner, directed through the eyepiece, as a light source to determine the features of...
correspondence theory
Bohr's formulation that every new theoretical principle must correspond to the salient classical predecessor. The principle...
flat pack
A slab-shaped, very low profile package for electronic components; often used when printed circuit boards must be closely...
modulation transfer function
Also called sine wave response and contrast transfer function. The modulation transfer function is the ratio of the...
polystyrene
A plastic used in molded optical components. Styrene elements can be combined with acrylic elements to produce achromatic...
compensator
An optical element that measures the phase difference between two components of elliptically polarized light to correct for...
temporal response
Characteristic of deflected light power defined as the quadratic invariant function of the video signal amplitude.
mode-locked lasers
Mode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...
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...
deep learning
Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that involves the use of artificial neural networks to model and solve complex...
mirror lens
An image-forming system having curved mirrors in place of transparent glass components. Mirror lenses are commonly used for...
single-molecule FRET
Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a specialized technique in biophysics and molecular...
absorbing wedge
A doped or absorbing transparent medium cut or molded into a wedge in order to measure the real and imaginary components of...
photochromatic compound
A chemical compound that exhibits a reversible change in its absorption spectrum upon irradiation with given wavelengths of...
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite characterized by its standardized size and modular design. CubeSats are...
three-level laser
A laser having a material, such as ruby, that has an energy state structure of three levels: the ground state (1) wherein...
selective laser melting
Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that belongs to the powder bed...
indium
Metal used in components of the crystalline semiconductor alloys indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), indium gallium arsenide...
tip-enhanced Raman scattering
Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a powerful technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhanced spatial...
nanophotonics
Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...
whispering gallery mode
Whispering gallery mode (WGM) refers to a phenomenon in wave physics, particularly in optics, where waves, such as light or...
magnetic fluid
A fluid having three components: a carrier fluid, magnetite particles suspended by Brownian motion and a stabilizer to...
b integral
Calculates the exponential growth of the least stable spatial frequency in a laser beam, and is the numerical equivalent of...
incident ray
A ray of light that falls upon or strikes a surface of an object such as a lens. It is said to be incident to the surface.
autocollimator
An autocollimator is an optical instrument used for measuring small angular deviations with high precision. It operates on...
Mossbauer effect spectroscopy
Spectroscopy characterized by the Mossbauer effect - recoilless emission and absorption of nuclear gamma radiation- which...
laser reflow soldering
Use of a laser to solder joints by melting the solder coatings on the mating components.
step index profile
A profile of an optical component, usually a fiber, in which the core is of uniform refractive index and the cladding or...
fluctuation spectroscopy
A technique developed to measure the molecular weight of macromolecules by analyzing the spontaneous fluctuations that occur...
germanate glass
A type of glass used in near-infrared optical components, in which germanium is used as a cation instead of silicon.
interferometer
An instrument that employs the interference of lightwaves to measure the accuracy of optical surfaces; it can measure a...
color sensitometry
The detection and analysis of the relative response of a material to light over the range of wavelengths.
field lens
1. A lens situated at or near the plane of an internal image to project the aperture of a previous objective or erector upon...
cyanocrylate cement
Adhering material used to glue optical components that transmit in the infrared. It is easily dissolved by acetone.
tolerancing
The determination of the degree to which a manufactured component can deviate from its ideal specifications of material and...
smear
A lack of resolution in a television image as a result of smear ghosts or an insufficiently high video-frequency response....
component
1. A constituent part. It may consist of two or more parts cemented together, or with near and approximately matching...
spectrometry
The study and measurement of spectra and their components.
diamond-turned optic
Diamond turning refers to a precision machining process used to produce complex optical components, particularly lenses and...
photoresponse nonuniformity
Noise created by patterns imaged on a CCD surface. Pixel sensitivity is altered by responsivity during illumination.
fold
1. A flaw in a blank caused by folding the blank's surface during its formation. 2. The change in the direction of a...
sensitometry
Primarily the measurement of photographic sensitivity of certain materials such as photographic film. It refers to the...
phase-only filter
A type of matched filter that responds only to the phase of incoming light; the output has a much greater intensity than...
fiber optic gyroscope
A fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) is a type of gyroscope that uses the interference of light waves to detect changes in...
air bearing
A support device in which a column or chamber of air permits the free travel of a mobile part. In optical mounting and...
biostimulation
The action of a biological system responding to a single or multiple coherent particles of light produced from a laser...
flow cytometry
Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology and medicine for the quantitative analysis of the physical and...
atomic absorption spectrometer
An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical...
autofocus system
A means of adjusting the sharpness of an image automatically, with a sensor for estimating distance or contrast and a drive...
internet of things
The internet of things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other objects...
magnetorheological finishing
Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...
diffuser
An optical diffuser is an optical component or material designed to scatter or diffuse light that passes through it. It is...
electron telescope
An instrument that serves to produce an enlarged electron image on a fluorescent screen by focusing an infrared image of a...
crystal filter
A bandpass filter with piezoelectric crystal components for the passage or impedance of electrical signals of various...
burn-in
The operation of a laser diode or other component prior to its use in its intended application, as a means of testing and...
safelight
Filtered light to which photographic or other photosensitive materials are not responsive; used to illuminate darkrooms when...
vibrational transition
A vibrational transition refers to a change in the vibrational energy of a molecule. Molecules consist of atoms that are...
micro-robotics
Micro-robotics refers to the field of robotics that involves the design, development, and application of miniature robotic...
photoimmunotherapy
Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is a medical treatment approach that combines elements of phototherapy and immunotherapy to target...
hysteresis
This term literally means "to lag behind.'' It is quite often used to describe the residual effect that remains after...
interferometric modulator display
Interferometric modulator display (IMOD) is a type of display technology used in electronic devices, known for its energy...
laser cavity
A laser cavity, also known as an optical cavity or resonator, is a fundamental component of a laser system. It is a confined...
white level
The state of a carrier signal that corresponds to maximum picture brightness in a television system.
rectangular scanning
A two-dimensional scanning process, in which a slow sector scan, propagated in one direction, is superimposed at right...
alpha laser
A 2-million W, 2.7-µm-wavelength hydrogen-fluoride laser used as a directed energy weapon.
cone
1. A solid figure whose base is a circle and whose sides taper upward evenly to a point or apex. Light rays diverging from...
stable resonator
A laser resonator in which a mode oscillating between the mirrors will converge upon the laser's longitudinal axis.
terahertz
Terahertz (THz) refers to a unit of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum, denoting waves with frequencies between 0.1...
light-beating spectroscopy
The spectroscopic analysis of optical line shapes and frequency shifts, using the technique of light beating; i.e., the...
hyperchromic shift
Hyperchromic shift refers to an increase in the absorption of light, leading to a higher absorbance, often observed in...
spontaneous transition probability
The probability that an atom in one state will move spontaneously to a lower state within a given unit of time.
gamma ray
The spontaneous emittance of electromagnetic radiation by the nucleus of certain radioactive elements during their quantum...
two-dimensional response kernel
Characteristic of an acousto-optic modulator, defined by the overlap integral of the incident light and sound field...
trichromacy
The basis of color vision in the human eye. Three types of cones have been identified, each having a unique spectral...
diamond turning
Diamond turning, also known as diamond machining or diamond cutting, is a precision machining process used to produce...
fluorophore
A fluorophore is a molecule or a portion of a molecule that has the ability to emit light upon excitation by an external...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The...
optical switching
Optical switching refers to the process of controlling the routing or transmission of optical signals within a network using...
lens
A lens is a transparent optical device that focuses or diverges light, allowing it to pass through and form an image. Lenses...
endoscope
An endoscope is a medical device used for visualizing and examining the interior of hollow organs, body cavities, or...
ospin
Opsins are a group of light-sensitive proteins found primarily in the retinas of vertebrate and invertebrate eyes, as well...
focal power
In a symmetrical optical system this is a measure of the influence of the system upon the focus of a pencil of rays passing...
laser oscillator
Contains the light or beam path within a laser device. The oscillator uses reflective optical components that are oriented...
beam expander
A system of optical components designed to increase the diameter of a radiation beam. Usually an afocal system.
spectroscope
In a general sense, any one of a class of instruments used to disperse radiation, visible or invisible, into its component...
current transient
A sudden, brief increase in current or voltage in a circuit that can damage sensitive components and instruments. Preventive...
gray
1. A measure of absorbed dose, equal to the energy imparted by ionizing radiation to a mass of matter corresponding to 1 J...
laser drift
Laser drift typically refers to a phenomenon where the frequency or wavelength of a laser source gradually changes over...
PIN photodiode
A PIN photodiode is a type of photodetector or semiconductor device used to convert light signals into electrical signals....
transverse mode
In the context of optics and lasers, a transverse mode refers to a specific spatial pattern of the electric field within the...
auto-iris lens
A device for automatic exposure control in which a motor-driven diaphragm adjusts the aperture in response to a signal from...
fiber optic preform
A fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It...
insertion loss
The total optical power loss caused by the insertion of an optical component such as a connector, splice or coupler into a...
lasing threshold
The lowest excitation power level at which a laser's output is mainly the result of stimulated emission rather than...
bolometer
A thermometric instrument used for the detection and measurement of radiant energy. Its essential component is a short...
intensity-modulated sensor
A type of fiber optic sensor that responds to a change in the intensity of received light caused by the displacement or...

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