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lenses Dictionary Terms

periscope
An optical instrument designed to displace the line of sight in a vertical direction. For submarines and other military uses the periscope is a long tube containing prisms at both ends and intervening imaging and relaying lenses. Several anatomical...
internal surface
A nonoptical surface, within lenses and lens mounts, that contributes largely to flare by reflecting light into the image...
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
beam positioner
A device (e.g., prisms, lenses, tubes) used to align a beam in a system.
fluorographic lens
A lens having an extremely high aperture and used in the recording of x-ray fluorescent screen images. It often is specially...
glass marking ink
Ink used for writing on glass, and also for blackening the edges of lenses to prevent reflection. In the latter case, the...
electron micrograph
The photographic recording of images produced by the electrons from an electron microscope. The electron beam carries the...
astronomical telescope
An instrument used to observe celestial bodies. Larger astronomical telescopes use mirrors instead of refracting lenses.
contour projector
An inspection device in which the profile of a mechanical part is projected onto a ground-glass screen at a precisely known...
stereomicrography
Technique that provides two stereographic views of an object that are larger than the object itself, by means of mutually...
achromat
An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration....
shading
1. The sorting of lenses by their color. 2. In an optical system, an irradiance or brightness gradient in the image that is...
Gaussian beam optics
The area of optics that deals with the propagation of Gaussian laser beams in free space, or any general medium - i.e....
optical Fourier transform
The optical Fourier transform is a mathematical operation applied to optical signals that involves transforming a spatial...
interchangeable lens
A lens that has a mount, usually bayonet or screw type in design, that can be used on a camera in place of lenses with the...
symmetrical lens
A lens system made up of two sets of similar lenses, each of which compensates for many of the aberrations produced by the...
astronomical mirror
Generally, a mirror used instead of lenses in astronomical and space applications. It is not limited in size, does not...
monolithic lenslet module
An array of refractive microlenses that are round, square and hexagonal and as small as 15 µm. They are used for...
multiple lens camera
A camera that uses a rotating mirror to project sequential images onto lenses that are arranged in an arc. The reflected...
minimum object distance
Minimum object distance, often abbreviated as MOD, refers to the closest distance at which a camera lens or optical system...
infrared photomicrography
Photographic recording that uses infrared radiation as the light source to form an image of a microscopic object and a...
periscopic lens
Two simple meniscus lenses arranged symmetrically on either side of the aperture stop, providing reduced coma, lateral color...
metalens
A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...
diamond turning
Diamond turning, also known as diamond machining or diamond cutting, is a precision machining process used to produce...
diffusing screen
In printing, a translucent screen used with lenses to provide an even distribution of diffused light.
nanophotonics
Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...
plastic lens
A lens made from transparent plastic material. Lenses over 31/2 in. in diameter are usually machined, ground and polished....
optical bench
A support for optical parts comprising a solid bed that permits precise longitudinal movement of one component relative to...
borescope
A device for the internal inspection of hard-to-get-at mechanical parts, such as rifle barrels, sewer pipes, oil wells, or...
optical constructor
A system of modular mechanical components for building precision optical systems. The basic equipment includes a variety of...
Fresnel lens
A lens resembling a planoconvex or planoconcave lens that is cut into narrow rings and flattened. If the steps are narrow,...
linear receive optics
Linear receive optics typically refers to the optical components and systems used in the reception (detection) of linearly...
Murty interferometer
A form of shearing interferometer that contains a simple wedged (plane-parallel) glass plate with a nonzero optical path...
spherical aberration
Spherical aberration is an optical aberration that occurs when light rays passing through a lens or curved optical surface...
chromatic aberration
Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon that occurs when different wavelengths (colors) of light are refracted by a...
lens system
Two or more lenses arranged to act in conjunction with one another.
Fizeau fringes
Fizeau fringes are interference fringes observed in an interferometer, specifically in a Fizeau interferometer. The Fizeau...
hydrogel
A hydrogel is a three-dimensional network of polymer chains that are hydrophilic, meaning they have a strong affinity for...
diffractive lens
Any optical device that utilizes diffraction in an image-forming capability. Familiar diffractive lenses are zone plates,...
microscopy
Microscopy is a scientific technique that involves the use of microscopes to observe and study objects that are too small to...
axial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the refractive index varies along the direction of light propagation,...
neutralization
In optics, the process of combining two lenses having equal and opposite powers to produce a result having no power.
retroreflecting multipass cell
Two lenses, separated by a distance equal to the sum of their focal lengths, and retroreflecting mirror assemblies, one of...
finished lens molding
A method used to produce precision spherical and aspheric molded glass lenses without grinding or polishing.
aplanatic points
Aplanatic points refer to specific points in an optical system where certain aberrations, such as spherical aberration or...
optical cement
A permanent, transparent, and highly transmissive adhesive capable of withstanding extreme temperatures that is applied to...
injection-mounted assembly
A process by which a plastic cell is molded around a glass lens or lenses to create a mount, eliminating the metal barrel...
image jump
In optics, the term image jump refers to a displacement or shift in the apparent position of an image when a change occurs...
barium fluoride
A relatively hard crystal, highly resistant to excessive energy radiation, that is frequently used for optical windows,...
cell
1. A single unit in a device for changing radiant energy to electrical energy or for controlling current flow in a circuit....
stereo camera
A camera with two taking lenses and synchronized shutters. Two images are recorded simultaneously on separate frames,...
Seidel aberrations
Seidel aberrations refer to a set of monochromatic aberrations in optical systems, named after the German mathematician and...
optical system
A group of lenses, or any combination of lenses, mirrors and prisms, so constructed as to refract or reflect light to...
absorption lens
An optical lens manufactured to control the transmission of light over a specified wavelength range. Low absorption lenses...
Ramsden eyepiece
An eyepiece consisting of two planoconvex lenses of the same focal length, with facing convex surfaces.
ophthalmoscope
Also referred to as a funduscope, an ophthalmoscope is a specialized instrument used by ophthalmologists for observing and...
radiuscope
A microscope to which a beamsplitter and illuminated reticle have been added that is used to measure contact lenses.
metamaterial
Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These...
f-Theta lens
A family of lenses commonly used in scan systems for reading or printing documents. The lens must be designed such that the...
diffractive optics
Optical elements that use diffraction to control wavefronts. Diffractive optical elements include diffraction gratings,...
toric lens
A lens having one or more toric surfaces. A toric surface is one having a maximum power in one meridian and a minimum power...
intermediate image
In an optical system with a series of lenses, images formed prior to the final focal plane.
impurity level
In the context of optical materials, the term "impurity level" refers to the presence of foreign atoms or molecules within...
magnetic lens
An arranged series of coils, magnets or electromagnets disposed in such a way that the resulting magnetic fields generate a...
himawari
A system of Japanese origin that utilizes Fresnel lenses and a fiber optic network to transmit sunlight to otherwise...
trinoscope
A color-television viewing system with three kinescopes, three lenses and three deflection yokes used to form the red, green...
plastic optics
The integration of plastic materials into optical applications. When the materials are refined into lenses, prisms and...
cleaning equipment
In optics, degreasers or ultrasonic arrangements used for removing pitch, cement or polishing material from lenses during...
linear optics
Linear optics refers to the study and manipulation of light in a linear and deterministic manner, where the response of...
rouge
A very fine powdered ferric oxide used in polishing lenses.
vacuum apparatus
Equipment dependent on the effects of a vacuum. The principal applications in optics are in the coating of lenses and...
microcircuit manufacturing
The formation of transistors, diodes, capacitors, resistors and other electronic elements directly on a flake of silicon by...
lens mount
The metal tube that maintains the optical components of a lens in proper relationship. Some lenses are mounted in metal...
telecentric lens
There are three types of telecentric lenses: -Image-space telecentric lenses are those in which the aperture stop is...
uncut
A term describing lenses with both surfaces finished but not yet cut to any form.
dialytic telescope
A telescope that corrects dispersion and spherical aberration through the use of one or more lenses, usually smaller than...
block
A supporting member used to hold optical parts during grinding and polishing. It also describes the assemblage of optical...
brightfield
Brightfield refers to a type of microscopy and imaging technique in which the specimen is illuminated with a white light...
meta-optics
Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
focal length
The focal length of a lens is the distance between the lens's optical center (or principal point) and the image sensor or...
adhesive
An intermolecular substance that serves to hold materials together. Two types are used in the optical industry: one, which...
sun-tracking concentrator
Controlled beam technology that introduces beams of sunlight through holes in a roof that are relayed throughout the...
lenslets
A matrix of miniature lenses, molded or formed onto a common base.
optical phase distortion
Optical phase distortion refers to a phenomenon where the phase of an optical wavefront is altered as it propagates through...
microscope eyepiece
An eyepiece located at the near end of the microscope tube. It often is a simple Huygens eyepiece, but compensating and...
wide-angle lens
A wide-angle lens is a type of camera lens that has a shorter focal length than a standard or normal lens, allowing it to...
optical table
An optical table, also known as an optical bench or an optical breadboard, is a specialized platform used in optics...
catadioptric imaging system
A system that uses both reflection and refraction to achieve its focal power. While the relative powers of the lenses and...
lenticular stereo photography
A type of stereoscopic photography in which a pair of lenses focuses a pair of images, relative to the positions of the two...
polycarbonate
A tough, durable, heat- and cold-resistant optical quality plastic used in injection-molded items such as streetlight...
cardinal points
Focal, nodal or principal points of a lens. If the respective distances of the object and image are measured from the...
spectrograph
An optical instrument for forming the spectrum of a light source and recording it on a film. The dispersing medium may be a...
crown glass
One of the two principal types of optical glass, the other being flint glass. Crown glass is harder than flint glass, and...
electron optics
The control of free electron movement through the use of electrical or magnetic fields, and use of this electron movement in...
optical coatings
Optical coatings are thin layers of materials applied to optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, filters, and prisms,...
stereoscope
A small instrument containing a picture support and a pair of magnifying lenses so arranged that the left eye sees only the...
reflecting objective
An image-forming system that uses mirrors rather than lenses. Such objectives are frequently used for astronomical...
point spread function
The point spread function (PSF) is a fundamental concept in imaging that describes the response of an imaging system to a...
optics
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter...
aplanatic surface
An aplanatic surface is an optical surface that is specifically designed or shaped to minimize spherical aberration and...
semiconductor laser
A semiconductor material which is designed and grown for the efficient production of short wavelength stimulated emission...
aspheric lens
An aspheric lens is a type of lens whose surface profiles deviate from the traditional spherical shape. Unlike spherical...
picking
The process whereby pitch is broken and the lenses or blanks are removed from the block.
quadratic phase terms
Conceptual formulas that characterize both the transmittance functions of lenses and propagation in the Fresnel zone.
lens
A lens is a transparent optical device that focuses or diverges light, allowing it to pass through and form an image. Lenses...
plasmonics
Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
trial sets (ophthalmic)
Sets of lenses (positive, negative and cylindrical) usually mounted in circular rims suitable for slipping into trial...
SELFOC fiber
Derived from "self-focusing,'' Nippon Sheet Glass Co. (NSG) of Japan's trade name for graded-index fiber rods with parabolic...
high-speed movie camera
A camera designed to record at rates exceeding 50 fps. For frame rates up to about 500 fps, an ordinary pull-down mechanism...
triple aplanat
A compound lens consisting of two negative lenses of flint glass. A double-convex lens of crown glass is cemented between...
chalcogenide
Chalcogenide refers to a class of compounds containing elements from group 16 of the periodic table, which includes sulfur...
vertical imbalance
The difference in base up or down prism power at corresponding points located on the two lenses of a pair of spectacles.
holographic optical element
A component used to modify light rays by diffraction; the HOE is produced by recording the interference pattern of two laser...
focused laser scattering
A single-particle scattering technique in which an incident laser beam is tightly focused by means of lenses to yield a...
scanning electron microscopy
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to obtain high-resolution,...
oleophobic
Oleophobic is a term used to describe substances or materials that repel or resist oils. The word oleophobic comes from the...
micro-optics
Micro-optics refers to the design, fabrication, and application of optical components and systems at a microscale level....
duplet lens system
An optical system having two sets of components separated by an air space, while successive lenses in each set are cemented...
cylindrical lens
A lens having at least one surface that is formed like a portion of a cylinder. Cylindrical lenses are used to correct...
rapid rectilinear lens
A double meniscus system in which two achromatized meniscus lenses are arranged symmetrically on either side of the aperture...
inner focusing
In a camera, the movement of one or more lenses behind the front lens, rather than of the front lens itself, to bring the...
diverging lens
A diverging lens is a type of lens that causes parallel rays of light to spread out or diverge. It is thinner in the center...
turret
A rotating plate containing two or more lenses to provide a rapid interchange.
wide-angle distortion
A common aberration in lenses covering large fields of view; it results in images of objects near the edge of the field...
Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor
The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is an optical device used for measuring the wavefront aberrations of an optical system....
stacked-diode laser
A type of laser used when a great amount of power is required. Avoiding the bulk of large numbers of optical lenses, this...
adapter
1. In optics, the housing, usually cylindrical, that contains the lenses and iris diaphragm of a camera. 2. In fiber optics,...
molded lens
A lens with one or both sides fire-polished to its final surface. Lenses for condensers and viewfinders often are made in...
integrated optics
A thin-film device containing miniature optical components connected via optical waveguides on a transparent dielectric...
immersion liquid
Term synonymous with refractive index liquid, but related more to tank or chamber immersion of crystals, fibers, lenses,...
lap
A metal tool used to grind lenses with loose abrasive (see diamond cutting tool). The functional surface of the lap is...
beam shaper
A beam shaper is an optical device or system designed to modify the spatial profile or intensity distribution of a laser or...
optical switching
Optical switching refers to the process of controlling the routing or transmission of optical signals within a network using...
ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the eyes and visual system....
segment width
In spectacle lenses, the lateral measurement of a multifocal segment at its maximum width.
light field
The term light field refers to the spatial distribution of light rays traveling in all directions through a given space. It...
degreaser
A tank with a boiling solvent at the bottom and a ring of cold piping higher up that condenses the liquid and returns it to...
lens disc
A rotating disc that holds several lenses of differing focal length about a diameter. Used to switch lenses in a system...
plasmon ion assisted deposition
Plasmon ion assisted deposition (PIAD) is a technique used in thin film deposition processes, particularly in the production...
calcium fluoride
An optical material used in place of crown glass to produce lenses with extraordinary correction of chromatic aberrations....
magneto-optic readout device
A device using the Kerr effect to read back the signals from mechanically recorded tapes and discs. It consists of a light...
dispersion
Dispersion refers to the phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light travel at different speeds when passing...
telescope
An afocal optical device made up of lenses or mirrors, usually with a magnification greater than unity, that renders distant...
polystyrene
A plastic used in molded optical components. Styrene elements can be combined with acrylic elements to produce achromatic...
allyl diglycol carbonate
Commonly known as CR39, this thermosetting plastic is used in the casting of eyeglass lenses because of its toughness and...
liquid crystal on silicon
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based...
curvature
The measure of departure from a flat surface, as applied to lenses; the reciprocal of radius. Applies to any surface,...
lensless microscopy
Lensless microscopy, also known as computational or holographic microscopy, is an imaging technique that captures and...
lensless Fourier transform hologram
A hologram formed without lenses and with the object and reference points sharing the same plane. In the initial recording,...
transmission electron microscope
A type of microscope that uses magnetic lenses to transmit a beam of electrons through an object; the electrons are then...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and...
binocular magnifier
A device having a pair of decentered lenses, one for each eye, that focuses on a single object as a magnifier. It is often...
condenser
A single positive lens or group of lenses used in a projection system to collect light from a source and cause it to...
optical autocorrelator
An instrument used to test lenses by utilizing the optical transfer function. It consists of a HeNe laser, a beamsplitter...
Erfle eyepiece
A telescopic eyepiece comprising five or six simple lenses in the form of three doublets or two doublets and a singlet.
radial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the index varies in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis....
radius tool
A metal device of convex or concave curvature to which lens castings or semifinished lenses are cemented with only their...
gradient-index profile
The term gradient-index profile refers to a specific type of refractive index distribution within an optical material. In...
dioptrics
The branch of optics that deals with the study of the refraction of light, particularly by the transmitting medium of the...
infrared optical material
The range of materials that, unlike glass, may be used in the infrared. Water-soluble salts, such as cesium iodide, and...
photoelectric scanner
A system mounted a few inches above a moving plane that consists of a light source, lenses and one or more phototubes. In...
Geometrical optics
The area of optics in which the propagation of light is described by geometrical lines (or rays) governed by Fermat's...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
prism binoculars
A pair of telescopes with prismatically erected images, mounted side by side with the eyepieces at the interocular distance...
parfocal lenses
Lenses that have identical flange focal distances and can be interchanged.
mirror lens
An image-forming system having curved mirrors in place of transparent glass components. Mirror lenses are commonly used for...
fish-eye lens
A type of wide-angle lens that has an angular field above 140° and that exhibits barrel distortion. The most commonly...
photon sieve
A photon sieve is an optical device used in the field of optics and imaging. It's designed to focus and shape light,...
stereoscopic distortion
An exaggerated depth appearance in stereo photographs caused by the lenses in the camera being farther apart than the eyes...
lenticular
An array or mosaic of optical surfaces. May be a number of lenses closely packed to form multiple images or many parallel...
apochromat
An apochromat, often referred to as an apochromatic lens or apochromatic objective, is a type of optical system designed to...
telephoto power
The ratio between the focal length of a lens having a longer focal length than that of the standard lens used with a camera,...
Huygenian eyepiece
An ocular having two planoconvex lenses that are formed from similar glass and that are separated by a space equal to half...
optically compensating zoom system
A variable focal length lens system that retains the object in focus as one or more lenses move as a unit along its optical...
process lens
A lens that is symmetrical and designed to work between 1:1 and about 4:1. It covers a field of about ±20° at f/8...
magnetorheological finishing
Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces...
erecting system
Lenses or prisms that serve to erect the image; i.e., to bring the image upright after it has been inverted by the objective.

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