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wavelength Dictionary Terms

circularly polarized light
A light beam whose electric vectors can be broken into two perpendicular elements that have equal amplitudes and that differ...
reflective spectroscopy
Reflectance spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the reflective properties of materials across various wavelengths of...
linar
Celestial point sources that emit specific wavelengths of radiation that appear on spectral charts as narrow lines. The term...
radiometry
Ratiometry is a technique used in various scientific fields, particularly in analytical chemistry and biochemistry, to...
laser eyewear
Usually consists of a set of filters that attenuate specific wavelengths but transmit as much visible radiation as possible.
photochromism
The reversible change in the absorption spectrum of certain compounds upon irradiation with a given wavelength of light.
optical combiner
An optical combiner, in the context of optics and display technologies, refers to a device or component that combines...
chromatic aberration
Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon that occurs when different wavelengths (colors) of light are refracted by a...
optical switching
Optical switching refers to the process of controlling the routing or transmission of optical signals within a network using...
laser output
The laser output refers to the generated and emitted light produced by a laser system. This output is characterized by...
notch filter
Also referred to as a band-stop or band rejection filter; a notch filter is a filter that is designed to screen out a very...
long-path absorption spectroscopy
The method that, by measuring the absorption along an atmospheric path at wavelengths ranging from two to a continuum, can...
dichroic mirror
A dichroic mirror, also known as a dichroic beamsplitter or interference filter beamsplitter, is an optical device that...
polychromatic acousto-optic modulator
A crystal-based device that combines and adjusts the intensities of multiple wavelengths of laser light in order to obtain...
Mylar
E.I. duPont's trade name for a polyester film. The most practical beamsplitter for use beyond the 15-µm wavelength...
spectral luminous efficiency
Ratio of the radiant flux at a particular wavelength lm to that at any other wavelength l, such that both radiations produce...
blaze height
Blaze height typically refers to a parameter in the context of diffraction gratings, which are optical devices consisting of...
anomalous photoconductivity
A spectral phenomenon in which the degree of the photoresponse of an illuminated semiconductor is determined by the...
monochromator
A monochromator is an optical instrument used to isolate and select a narrow range of wavelengths from a broader spectrum of...
electrical length
Expression of the length of a transmission medium in terms of wavelengths of the propagating wavelength. In general,...
laser active elements
Laser active elements typically refers to the substances or materials within a laser system that play a critical role in the...
near-infrared camera
A near-infrared (NIR) camera is an imaging device designed to capture images in the near-infrared region of the...
wavelength selective mirror
A beamsplitting mirror that reflects as a function of wavelength.
wavelength shifter
A photofluorescent compound that, when used with a scintillating substance, absorbs photons and emits related photons having...
dissonance
In optics, the production of maxima and minima by the superimposition of two sets of interference fringes from light of two...
gallium arsenide phosphide
Gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) is a semiconductor alloy composed of gallium (Ga), arsenic (As), and phosphorus (P). It...
optical flat
A piece of glass, pyrex or quartz having one or both surfaces carefully ground and polished plano, generally flat to less...
resonance fluorescence
In atomic fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence emitted by an atom at a spectral line of a wavelength identical to that of...
optical clock
An optical clock is a highly precise and advanced timekeeping device that relies on the oscillations of electromagnetic...
tristimulus integration
Computation of tristimulus values by integrating or summing, over the visible wavelength region, the product of the relative...
carbon dioxide laser
A gas laser in which the energy-state transitions between vibrational and rotational states of CO2 molecules give emission...
Raman spectroscopy
Raman spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry and physics to study vibrational, rotational, and other...
metasurfaces
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-scale artificial structures, often referred to as meta-atoms or...
near-infrared spectroscopy
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the...
distribution temperature
Temperature of the blackbody having a spectral power distribution approximately proportional to the test source at all...
color sensitometry
The detection and analysis of the relative response of a material to light over the range of wavelengths.
diode laser
A diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate coherent light....
photometry
Photometry is the branch of science that deals with the measurement of light, particularly in terms of its intensity and the...
single-line laser
A laser whose output is limited to a single wavelength.
monochromatic
Composed of one color; having only one wavelength of radiation.
reflective coating
Thin-film coating, single or multilayer, that is applied to a substrate to increase its reflectance over a specified range...
rainbow hologram
Essentially, a hologram of a hologram, in which the first-generation hologram is masked with a narrow slit. During image...
octave
In optics, an octave typically refers to a range of frequencies or wavelengths that spans a factor of 2. In other words,...
sunlight recorder
An instrument consisting essentially of a photoelectric cell filtered to respond to a specified wavelength region, an...
dispersion
Dispersion refers to the phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light travel at different speeds when passing...
electron microscope
A device utilizing an electron beam for the observation and recording of submicroscopic samples with the aid of photographic...
wavelength
Electromagnetic energy is transmitted in the form of a sinusoidal wave. The wavelength is the physical distance covered by...
light
Electromagnetic radiation detectable by the eye, ranging in wavelength from about 400 to 750 nm. In photonic applications...
aspheric mirror
An aspheric mirror is an optical mirror surface that deviates from the shape of a perfect sphere, having a non-spherical...
holographic grating
A holographic grating is a type of diffraction grating that is produced using holographic recording techniques. It consists...
grating spectroscope
A spectroscope having a diffraction grating for the resolution of light of various wavelengths.
flame spectrophotometry
The study of the reflection or transmission properties of specimens as a function of wavelength after they have been excited...
gas laser
One of the first lasers to find practical application. Generally, the pumping mechanism is an electric discharge, although...
ultrafast laser
An ultrafast laser is a type of laser that emits extremely short pulses of light with durations typically on the order of...
ospin
Opsins are a group of light-sensitive proteins found primarily in the retinas of vertebrate and invertebrate eyes, as well...
transmitter central wavelength range
The central wavelength range of a transmitter based on the worst-case scenarios of temperature, manufacturing and other...
diffraction grating
A diffraction grating is an optical component consisting of a surface with a periodic structure of equally spaced, parallel...
light dispersion
The process whereby white light is separated into its component wavelengths. Light beams of different wavelengths are...
long-wave pass filter
A filter that is transparent to longer wavelengths but opaque to shorter wavelengths.
thermophotovoltaic
Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) refers to a technology that converts heat energy into electricity using the principles of...
beat length
A characteristic of optical fiber used to calculate the fiber's ability to maintain polarization. The beat length describes...
spectral response
Measure of a detector's signal during exposure to radiation of a constant power level and varying wavelength.
grating beamsplitter
A grating beamsplitter is an optical device that utilizes the principles of diffraction to split a beam of light into...
zero-order retarder
A quarter- or half-wave retarder made from two plates of quartz, mica or polymer with their fast axes crossed; the...
infrared
Infrared (IR) refers to the region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, but...
synchrotron
A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that uses magnetic fields to steer charged particles, typically electrons or...
equal-energy white
A stimulus that contains equal energy at each wavelength in the visible region of the spectrum.
coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering
A technique whereby two laser beams, one at an excitation wavelength and the second at a wavelength that produces Stokes...
Bragg's law
The law expressing the condition under which a crystal will reflect a beam of x-rays with the greatest amount of distinction...
spectral width
A measure of the wavelength extent of a spectrum.
multijunction device
A photovoltaic device that consists of multiple p-n junctions to produce a greater efficiency when in use than that of...
laser crystal
A laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of...
probe
Acronym for profile resolution obtained by excitation. In its simplest form, probe involves the overlap of two...
nonselective radiator
Also known as a gray body; a nonselective radiator is a thermal radiator that has a constant spectral emissivity with...
spectral irradiance
Irradiance per unit wavelength interval at a given wavelength, expressed in watts per unit area per unit wavelength interval.
ultraviolet-visible spectrometer
Also known as UV-VIS spectrometer, a device that measures the absorbance, reflectance or transmittance of light in the...
short wavelength infrared
Short wavelength infrared (SWIR) refers to the portion of the infrared spectrum that encompasses wavelengths roughly between...
half bandwidth
The term half bandwidth (HBW) generally refers to the width of a spectral band or frequency range at half of its maximum...
x-ray crystal spectrometer
An instrument that measures the wavelengths of an x-ray spectrum by the diffraction of x-rays from a crystal with a given...
spectrophotometric analysis
The detection and measurement of spectral reflectance, spectral transmittance or relative spectral emittance, relative to...
optical pyrometer
An instrument for determining the temperature of a hot object by examining the color spectrum of the visible light it gives...
index of refraction
The ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to the velocity of light in a refractive material for a given wavelength.
broadband dielectric mirrors
Broadband dielectric mirrors, also known as broadband mirrors, are optical coatings designed to efficiently reflect or...
high-index-contrast subwavelength grating
A superthin, highly reflective mirror.
GaAlAs laser
A GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic...
flash photographic density filter
A filter, partially opaque to near-ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation, that may be made by exposing and processing...
blackbody source
A blackbody source, often simply referred to as a blackbody, is a theoretical or practical physical object that absorbs all...
near ultraviolet
The longest wavelengths of the ultraviolet region, nominally 300 to 400 nm.
potassium titanyl phosphate
A crystalline material with a high electro-optic coefficient, capable of operating at short wavelengths, with applications...
infrared camera
An infrared camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera or IR camera, is a device that captures and visualizes the...
reflection grating
A reflection grating is an optical component that consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel reflecting surfaces or...
zero-order transmission grating
A polyethylene grating that transmits the long wavelengths and diffracts shorter wavelengths in controlled directions.
ultraviolet reflectance
Ultraviolet reflectance refers to the ability of a material or surface to reflect UV light. Ultraviolet light is...
optical path difference
The relative path difference (or phase shift) traveled between two rays that pass through different mediums from the same...
terahertz
Terahertz (THz) refers to a unit of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum, denoting waves with frequencies between 0.1...
structural color
Structural color refers to coloration in materials that is not caused by pigments or dyes but is instead a result of the...
multiple wavelength interferometry
A specific form of phase shifting interferometry - commonly referred to as multiple wavelength phase shifting interferometry...
spectral integral density
With respect to color photography, the measurement, at a given wavelength, of the way the color film modulates the radiant...
ultraviolet spectrometer
A spectrophotometer designed for use in the 200- to 380-nm range of the electromagnetic spectrum and equipped with a...
Lyot stop
A physical stop that is conjugate to the entrance pupil and is used primarily to reduce diffraction effects at longer...
stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy
Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) is a superresolution microscopy technique that enables imaging of...
cutoff wavelength
1. In detector technology, the long wavelength at which detector response falls to a set percentage (usually 20 or 50...
Fabry-Perot interferometer
A multiple-beam interferometer, usually consisting of two flat plates, with high reflective ability. The plates are set...
gamma ray
The spontaneous emittance of electromagnetic radiation by the nucleus of certain radioactive elements during their quantum...
very high frequency
The frequency band from 30 to 300 MHz. The corresponding wavelengths are from 1 to 10 m. (VHF).
Twyman-Green interferometer
A testing device that provides a contour map of the emergent wavefront for the observer in terms of the given wavelength of...
rare earth dopants
Rare earth dopants refer to elements from the lanthanide series, also known as rare earth elements, that are intentionally...
calcium indicator
A calcium indicator is a molecule that is sensitive to changes in calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations in biological systems....
frequency summing
A technique used in holography that involves the mixing of lasers of different wavelengths to produce a beam of shorter...
photonic crystals
Photonic crystals are artificial structures or materials designed to manipulate and control the flow of light in a manner...
infrared filter
A filter exhibiting transparency, absorption or reflectance characteristics specifically for spectral control of wavelengths...
double-window fiber
Optical fiber capable of operating at both a shorter and a longer wavelength.
infrared light-emitting diode
An infrared light-emitting diode (IR LED) is a semiconductor device that emits infrared light when an electric current...
radioactivity detector
An instrument used to detect radioactive materials: alpha particles or helium nuclei; beta particles or free electrons; and...
automatic profiling
In fiber optics, the use of a detector to study the range of refractive indices achieved at various wavelengths. This...
iridescence
The rainbow exhibition of colors, usually caused by interference of light of different wavelengths reflected from...
GaN-based LEDs
Gallium nitride-based light-emitting diodes (GaN-based LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric...
dispersing prism
A prism or series of prisms used to disperse a beam of radiant energy of mixed wavelengths into its spectral components.
molecular motor
A molecular motor refers to a nano-sized device composed of organic molecules or other small-scale components that can...
spectropolarimeter
An instrument for plotting the rotatory dispersion of a substance at different wavelengths.
Nd:YAG laser
Nd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain...
infrared light source
An infrared light source is a device that emits light in the infrared spectrum, which lies beyond the visible spectrum of...
laser diode module
A laser diode module is a compact device that incorporates a laser diode, optics, and often other components into a single...
detector array
A detector array refers to a collection of individual detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional grid or matrix format....
holmium laser
Holmium lasers are a type of medical laser that utilizes holmium-doped crystals as the gain medium. The term holmium laser...
infrared photodetector array
An impurity-doped silicon detector array sensitive to long infrared wavelengths, installed in optical collecting systems...
Geometrical optics
The area of optics in which the propagation of light is described by geometrical lines (or rays) governed by Fermat's...
spectral repeatability
Spectral repeatability refers to the consistency and reproducibility of spectral measurements across multiple trials or...
v-coat
A multilayer antireflective thin-film coating, so called because its reflectance rises steeply at wavelengths above and...
x-ray lithography
A method of projecting integrated circuit patterns on a silicon wafer using x-ray wavelengths focused through a special mask.
diffuse-cutting filter
A color filter that is designed to gradually increase or decrease its absorption with wavelength.
mid-infrared camera
A mid-infrared camera is a type of imaging device designed to capture images in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral range,...
light-emitting diode
An LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs...
narrowband pyrometer
An optical pyrometer that is equipped with a narrow bandpass filter to transmit a limited number of wavelengths to the...
excimer laser
An excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet laser that emits short pulses of light in the ultraviolet spectrum. The term...
distributed feedback laser
A distributed feedback laser (DFB laser) is a type of semiconductor laser diode designed to emit coherent, narrow-bandwidth...
Rayleigh criterion of resolving power
When a lens system with a circular aperture is free of aberrations, the image of a point object will appear as a disc of...
spectral power distribution
The relative power emitted by a source as a function of wavelength. It determines the color-rendering properties of the...
wide-field fluorescence microscopy
Wide-field fluorescence microscopy uses either naturally occurring structures or staining with fluorescent tags that are...
common optoelectronics laser detection system
A laser warning and countermeasure system containing a sensor that indicates the direction of a laser beam, and analytical...
dye-polymer optical disc
A type of erasable data storage device that uses a medium deposited on the disc in two layers, each dyed to absorb a...
optical multimeter
An instrument that measures several optical parameters, such as optical power and wavelength, with a single measurement...
second-window cable
Fiber optic cable that operates at the 1300-nm wavelength.
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...
metalens
A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light...
Nernst glower
A Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater...
single-mode waveguide (or fiber)
An optical waveguide in which only the lowest order bound mode, which may consist of a pair of orthogonally polarized...
polychromatic illumination
Light that is a mixture of wavelengths.
blackbody
An ideal body that completely absorbs all radiant energy striking it and, therefore, appears perfectly black at all...
grating prism
A specific, right-angle prism having a transmission grating replicated on its hypotenuse face and used in applications...
second-harmonic generation
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that occurs when two photons with the same frequency combine...
nonlinear optical materials
Nonlinear optical materials are substances that exhibit optical properties that are not linearly proportional to the...
sodium light source
An electric discharge lamp in which the conducting vapor is that of metallic sodium instead of the usual mercury. It emits a...
direct-vision prism
An assembly of multiple prisms that disperses incident light into its spectral components without deviating light at the...
Abbe constant
A dispersion relation defined in order to value the reciprocal amount of dispersion. It is defined as the refractivity over...
spectrophotometer
A spectrophotometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the intensity of light at various wavelengths in the...
mode
1. The characteristic of how light propagates through a waveguide that can be designated by a radiation pattern in a plane...
comparison spectrum
In analysis, a reference spectrum, having predetermined wavelengths, that is used to determine the wavelengths of another...
optical memory
1. The direct storage of data as bits in memory using optical systems and properties. The memory makes use of a laser beam...
absorption
The transfer of energy from an incident electromagnetic energy field with wavelength or frequency to an atomic or molecular...
nonlinear optics
Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics that studies the optical phenomena that occur when intense light interacts with a...
Mie scattering
Mie scattering, named after the German physicist Gustav Mie, refers to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation (such as...
allochromy
Any fluorescence in which the wavelength of the emitted light differs from that of the absorbed light.
lumen
A lumen is a unit of measurement used to quantify the amount of luminous flux, which is the perceived power of light. In...
dispersion-shifted fiber
A dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF) refers to a type of optical fiber designed to minimize the effects of chromatic dispersion,...
diffraction efficiency
Diffraction efficiency is a measure of how effectively a diffractive optical element (DOE) or diffraction grating directs...
optical filter
An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits or blocks specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. Optical...
accumulator
A broadband continuum resonator that confines a wide range of wavelengths. From the optical confinement a single wavelength...
wave number
The frequency of a wave divided by its velocity of propagation; the reciprocal of the wavelength.
self-electro-optic effect device
An optically bistable device used for photonic switching, constructed of a multiple quantum well biased by an external...
whispering gallery mode
Whispering gallery mode (WGM) refers to a phenomenon in wave physics, particularly in optics, where waves, such as light or...
neutral density filter
A light filter that equally decreases the intensity of all wavelengths of light without altering the relative spectral...
nonspectral color
A color whose hue is not produced by a single wavelength in the visible spectrum, but is instead produced by mixing the...
Stokes line
A line of the Raman spectrum that fulfills Stokes' law because it possesses a wavelength that is greater than the radiation...
optical coherence tomography imaging system
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics and biomedical research to obtain...
quantum dot light-emitting diode
QLED stands for quantum dot light-emitting diode. QLED is a display technology that utilizes quantum dots, which are...
FTIR spectrometer
FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectrometer is a powerful analytical instrument used to obtain an infrared spectrum of...
beam profiling
Beam profiling is a technique used to characterize and analyze the spatial intensity distribution of a laser beam. It...
visible spectrum
That region of the electromagnetic spectrum to which the retina is sensitive and by which the eye sees. It extends from...
laser lithotripter
A laser device intended for crushing urinary tract stones so they can be flushed from the body. Light is introduced via...
spectral window
A wavelength region of relatively high transmittance, surrounded by regions of low transmittance.
laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy
A pump-probe technique whereby a single wavelength source may be used in order to excite a given sample to determine...
panchromatic photographic film
Black and white film that has a wavelength sensitivity similar to that of the eye.
mode hopping
Mode hopping in the context of lasers refers to a phenomenon where a laser system abruptly switches from one longitudinal...
optical channel monitor
An optical channel monitor (OCM) is a device used in optical communication systems to monitor and analyze the performance of...
supercontinuum
Supercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the...
fluorescent protein
Fluorescent proteins are proteins that exhibit the property of fluorescence, which is the ability to absorb light at a...
Herschel effect
The decrease in effect in developable density on a photographic plate formed by a second exposure to radiation having a...
multiplexing
The combination of two or more signals for transmission along a single wire, path or carrier. In most optical communication...
erbium-doped fiber amplifier
An optical fiber that can be used to amplify an optical input. Erbium rare earth ions are added to the fiber core material...
attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy
Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry to obtain IR spectra of samples....
far-ultraviolet radiation
That radiation characterized by wavelengths ranging from 0.2 to 0.3 µm in the electromagnetic spectrum.
group index
For a given mode propagating in a medium of refractive index n, the velocity of light in vacuum c, divided by the group...
optical glass
Optical glass refers to a type of glass specifically engineered and manufactured for use in optical components and systems,...
photochromic
Photochromic refers to a property exhibited by certain materials, typically organic compounds or dyes, which undergo...
Ultraviolet-C
Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet radiation with shorter wavelengths than those of visible...
birefringent filter
A filter that transmits light in a series of sharp, widely spaced wavelength bands by its sandwich construction of...
metallic mesh filter
An interference filter in which a very thin metal foil with a periodic array of square holes (inductive mesh) or a thin...
meta-optics
Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication,...
isotopically selected laser spectroscopy
A spectroscopic technique in which an excitation band absorbs laser energy resulting in an electronic transition. The...
photon
A quantum of electromagnetic energy of a single mode; i.e., a single wavelength, direction and polarization. As a unit of...
cathode radiant sensitivity
Cathode radiant sensitivity refers to the ability of a photocathode to convert incident radiant energy, typically in the...
square wave
A wave that changes from one amplitude to the other in a short time compared with the wavelength.
Rydberg atom
The term "Rydberg atom" refers to an atom in a highly excited state where one or more of its electrons are in a Rydberg...
anomalous dispersion
Dispersion that occurs when the medium's index of refraction decreases as the frequency of the propagating light increases....
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...
minimum spot size
The smallest linear diameter to which a laser or other beam of radiant energy is capable of being focused, depending on the...
figure tolerance
The allowable departure from the given figure or geometrical form. It may be described in terms of fringes or wavelengths.
reflective
The term reflective is an adjective that describes the ability of a surface or material to reflect light or other forms of...
photomultiplier tube
A photomultiplier tube (PMT) is a highly sensitive vacuum tube that detects and amplifies low levels of light. It is widely...
H-plane bend
With respect to waveguides, the continuous change in the direction of the axis of the wavelength, during which the axis is...
scatterplate
A flat plate having its surface formed into a random pattern by abrasives. Radiation wavelengths that are longer than the...
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...
multiline
Describing a laser that emits simultaneously at more than one wavelength.
optoacoustic
Optoacoustic, or photoacoustic, refers to a phenomenon and related techniques that involve the generation of acoustic waves...
optical testing instrument
An optical testing instrument is a device or system used to evaluate and measure the performance, quality, and...
elliptically polarized light
A light beam whose electric vectors are broken into two elements of unlike amplitudes that are perpendicular to each other...
laser controlled area
Area in which laser operation occurs and therefore safety requirements are met and regulations are implemented. Lasers...
luminous
Pertaining to electromagnetic radiation as perceived by the eye; that is, with the contributions as wavelengths in the...
fluorescence lifetime imaging
Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is an advanced imaging technique that provides information about the lifetime of...
cuton wavelength
In filter terminology, that wavelength where the filter transmission increases beyond 5 percent.
silicon photodiode
A silicon photodiode is a semiconductor device that converts light into an electrical current. It is a type of photodetector...
dielectric coated grating
A shallow, fine-pitch diffraction grating having a precise dielectric overcoating that experimentally has absorbed...
x-ray analysis
The series of processes used to identify and evaluate crystal structure by using crystalline solids to diffract x-rays. In...
pulsed-dye laser
A laser with a gain medium consisting of an organic dye, which is carbon-based. The dye is mixed with a solvent, allowing...
fused quartz and silica
Fused quartz and silica are closely related materials, both composed primarily of silicon dioxide (SiO2), but they are...
nonlinear scattering
Direct conversion of a photon from one wavelength to a lower energy photon of another wavelength(s) due to inelastic...
ultraviolet microscopy
The study and photographing of microscope specimens in ultraviolet light; using an optical microscope containing fluorite...
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...
wavelength division multiplexing
A system that allows the transmission of more than one signal over a common path, by assigning each signal a different...
achromatic prism
Cemented prisms of differing refractive indices which refract incident light and, due to differing refractive indices, will...
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum....
photoelectric counter
A device used to count objects that pass a given point by allowing each object to obstruct a beam of light falling on a...
free-electron laser
A free-electron laser (FEL) is a type of laser that generates coherent, high-intensity electromagnetic radiation by using a...
reflection
Return of radiation by a surface, without change in wavelength. The reflection may be specular, from a smooth surface;...
primary chromatic aberration
Also referred to as primary color, this is the classic chromatic aberration of a single element caused by the variation of...
waveguide dispersion
For each mode in an optical waveguide, the term used to describe the process by which an electromagnetic signal is distorted...
microwave
An electromagnetic wave lying within the region of the frequency spectrum that is between about 1000 MHz (1 GHz) and 100,000...
metamaterial
Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These...
fluorophore
A fluorophore is a molecule or a portion of a molecule that has the ability to emit light upon excitation by an external...
Förster resonance energy transfer
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a mechanism describing the transfer of energy between two closely spaced...
photoelectron holography
A technique proposed for studying the atomic structure of crystals by measuring the interference pattern generated when the...
axial color
A lens aberration that causes axial light rays having different wavelengths to focus at various points along the axis.
hyperchromic shift
Hyperchromic shift refers to an increase in the absorption of light, leading to a higher absorbance, often observed in...
monochromatic light
Light consisting of a single wavelength or a very narrow band of wavelengths.
multianode microchannel array detector
A photon-counting instrument for use in both space-borne and ground-based photometric and spectroscopic instrumentation....
optical grating
An optical grating, in the context of optics and physics, refers to a device with a periodic structure of closely spaced,...
emissivity
The ratio of an object's radiance to that emitted by a blackbody radiator at the same temperature and at the same wavelength.
normalized frequency
Also referred to as the V number in fiber optics; the normalized frequency is a dimensionless quantity, denoted by the...
electrodeless discharge tube
A device consisting of an airtight quartz tube that holds the material to be analyzed. When a high-frequency electrostatic...
indium gallium arsenide camera
An InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide) camera is a type of imaging device that utilizes InGaAs sensors to capture images in the...
optical parametric oscillator
A laser-pumped crystal with nonlinear optical properties inside of an optical resonator in which the output generates...
spectrofluorometer
An automatic scanning instrument that is used to study a substance's fluorescence over a wide range of wavelengths. It...
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...
vacuum ultraviolet radiation
Radiation whose spectrum runs between 100 and 300 nm. Any work with these wavelengths requires evacuated equipment.
spectral signature
A spectral signature, in the context of remote sensing and spectroscopy, refers to the unique pattern or characteristic...
spectral luminous efficacy
Ratio of the luminous flux in a beam of radiation to the spectral radiant flux in the same beam at a given wavelength.
electronic band edge
The point at which short-wavelength transmission is cut off.
atom optics
The area of optics in which the wave nature of a particle is exploited to carry out very accurate interferometry and other...
microcomb
A microcomb, short for microresonator frequency comb, is a novel photonic device that generates a precise series of evenly...
coherent communications
A fiber optic communications system that works on the principles of homodyning or heterodyning. The transmitting laser...
dual-wavelength spectrophotometry
Spectrophotometry in which radiation of two separate wavelengths, usually one in an absorption band and the other not, pass...
grating spectrometer
A spectrometer that uses a grating to diffract light into specific wavelengths.
PIN photodiode
A PIN photodiode is a type of photodetector or semiconductor device used to convert light signals into electrical signals....
threshold wavelength
The greatest wavelength of radiation for a specified surface for the emission of electrons.
harmonic generation
Harmonic generation refers to a nonlinear optical process in which incoming photons interact with a material and produce new...
lateral color
Lens aberration resulting in image size variation as a function of wavelength. See also chromatic aberration.
excited-state absorption
In laser pumping, parasitic absorption that occurs at certain wavelengths, decreasing pump efficiency and gain.
STED microscopy
STED microscopy, or stimulated emission depletion microscopy, is a superresolution imaging technique in fluorescence...
profile dispersion
In an optical waveguide, that dispersion attributable to the variation of refractive index profile with wavelength. The...
laser optics
Laser optics refers to a broad category of optical components and systems designed for manipulating and controlling laser...
complementary wavelength
Also called complementary dominant wavelength. On a chromaticity diagram, the wavelength on the spectrum locus that lies on...
fluorescence microscopy
Fluorescence microscopy is a specialized optical imaging technique used in biology, chemistry, and materials science to...
tunable laser
Any form of laser; e.g., a dye laser, having an output that can be adjusted over a wide range of wavelengths. Normally the...
superchromatic correction
Correction of an optical system at four separate wavelengths. This correction, longitudinal and lateral, is possible with...
detector-Dewar assembly
A detector-Dewar assembly typically refers to a combination of a detector and a Dewar flask used in scientific instruments,...
germicidal UV
Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) refers to a specific range of UV radiation that has disinfectant properties capable of killing...
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures changes in hemoglobin...
ultraviolet molecular nitrogen laser
A pulsed laser having molecular nitrogen as laser material and a wavelength output of 337 nm in the ultraviolet region. It...
scalar diffraction theory
Scalar diffraction theory is a simplified approach used to describe the propagation of electromagnetic waves, particularly...
divided circle spectrometer
A spectroscope having a divided circle and a means for the rapid reversal of prisms for the measurement of refractive index...
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of...
critical absorption wavelength
That wavelength at which the absorption of a given element or system begins to demonstrate an inconstant value.
InGaAs photodiode
An InGaAs photodiode refers to a photodetector device that is constructed using a semiconductor material composed of a...
silicon carbide light-emitting diodes
Silicon carbide (SiC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric current is...
Bragg method of crystal analysis
A technique in which a beam of x-rays is directed against a crystal, the atoms of which, because of their lattice...
absorption peak
An absorption peak refers to a sharp increase or spike in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a particular...
noise equivalent power
At a given modulation frequency, wavelength, and for a given effective noise bandwidth, the radiant power that produces a...
radiant
Pertaining to electromagnetic radiation, with the contributions at all wavelengths of interest weighted equally.
absorption spectrophotometer
Measures the absorption or sample transmittance over a range of specified wavelengths. Sample may be placed within the...
single-molecule spectroscopy
An advanced technique that allows the detection of one molecule within a crystal or a cell through optical excitation....
ultrasonic
Ultrasonic refers to sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing, typically above...
vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy
A method of spectral analysis using wavelengths between 100 and 300 nm that utilizes both emission and absorption techniques.
photobleaching
Photobleaching is a phenomenon in which the fluorescence of a fluorophore (a fluorescent molecule or dye) is permanently...
optical coatings
Optical coatings are thin layers of materials applied to optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, filters, and prisms,...
direct-vision pocket spectroscope
A small handheld instrument consisting of a slit and collimator that feeds light into a small direct-vision dispersing...
filter
1. With respect to radiation, a device used to attenuate particular wavelengths or frequencies while passing others with...
source correlation
The relationship between different wavelengths of light generated by a source, which may affect the spectral distribution of...
spectral line
A narrow range of emitted or absorbed wavelengths.
spectral centroid
Average wavelength usually determined for light-transmitting devices by taking a weighted average for each wavelength of the...
Lyot filter
A type of filter consisting of a series of birefringent crystals and polarizers invented by French astronomer Bernard Lyot...
resonance absorption (light)
The re-emission of absorbed energy, having the same wavelength as the incident energy, in an arbitrary direction from a...
spectrometer
A kind of spectrograph in which some form of detector, other than a photographic film, is used to measure the distribution...
photodetector
A photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical...
beamwidth
The angular width of a radiation beam. With respect to a conical beam of light, it is the vertex angle of the cone. The...
fiber optic sensor
A fiber optic sensor is a device that uses optical fibers to detect and measure physical, chemical, biological, or...
chromatic resolving power
The ability of the instrument to separate wavelengths that are close together, numerically equal to the ratio of the shorter...
dielectric coating
A high-reflectance coating consisting of alternating layers of quarter-wave film of a higher refractive index and lower...
near-infrared spectrometer
A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection...
heterochromatic light
Radiation consisting of more than a single wavelength in the visible region of the spectrum.
deep ultraviolet
Deep ultraviolet (DUV or deep-UV) refers to a specific range of ultraviolet light with shorter wavelengths than those in the...
hyperspectral imaging camera
A hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide...
optical figure
The amount by which an optical surface deviates from its ideal design value, expressed in wavelengths of light. Optical...
radiation mode
A mode in an optical waveguide whose fields are transversely oscillatory everywhere external to the waveguide. It exists...
chirping
A rapid change, as opposed to a long-term drift, of the emission wavelength of an optical source. Chirping is most often...
scanning spectroradiometer
A spectroradiometer having a means to scan different regions of the light spectrum, providing simultaneous representations...
photodarkening
The effect that the optical losses in a medium can grow when the medium is irradiated with light at certain wavelengths.
electron cyclotron maser
A maser that relies on the fact that electrons in orbital motion in high-magnetic fields will emit energy at the cyclotron...
kinetic cooling
An atmospheric nonlinear process unique to CO2 laser wavelengths, whereby CO2 absorbs 10.6-µm radiation and the CO2...
laser-induced fluorescence
Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is a spectroscopic technique that involves using a laser to excite molecules or atoms,...
equal-energy spectrum
Spectrum characterized by equal energy (power, flux) per unit wavelength interval.
ultraviolet fiber optics
Ultraviolet (UV) fiber optics refers to optical fibers that are designed and optimized for the transmission of ultraviolet...
optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is a branch of electronics that focuses on the study and application of devices and systems that use light...
dominant wavelength
A single wavelength of light that matches the color of a given sample when combined in suitable proportions with white light...
dichroic coating
A dichroic coating, also known as a dichroic filter or dichroic mirror, is an optical coating designed to selectively...
mid-wave infrared
MWIR stands for mid-wave infrared, referring to a specific range of wavelengths within the infrared spectrum. Infrared...
transmission limit
A restricting wavelength above or below which a specified form of radiation is totally almost absorbed by a specified medium.
auroral line
The green line, in the spectrum of the aurora borealis, that has a wavelength of 5577 Å; it is caused by a forbidden...
quantum confinement
Quantum confinement refers to the phenomenon in quantum mechanics where the motion of charge carriers, such as electrons or...
color-translating microscope
A type of compound microscope that uses three visible wavelengths to translate details produced by invisible radiation.
photonic integrated circuit
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a compact and integrated device that incorporates multiple photonic components and...
laser strainmeter
An instrument usually consisting of a very long interferometer, 3 to 800 m, and a laser light source for the study and...
light amplifier
A device that serves to emit light of the same wavelength as the input light, only with an increase in intensity. It may be...
quantum well
A quantum well is a structure in quantum mechanics that confines particles, such as electrons or holes, in one spatial...
material dispersion
The dispersion attributable to the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of the material used in any optical...
impurity level
In the context of optical materials, the term "impurity level" refers to the presence of foreign atoms or molecules within...
absorption spectroscopy
Experimental method of measuring the transmission of a given sample as a function of the wavelength.
near-ultraviolet light source
A light source, such as the sun or an incandescent lamp, that freely penetrates ordinary glass bulbs and emits in the...
Bragg grating
A filter that separates light into many colors via Bragg's law. Generally refers to a fiber Bragg grating used in optical...
magenta
The reddish/purple color that results when equal amounts of blue and red are combined so that no one wavelength dominates.
phototoxicity
Phototoxicity refers to the harmful effects caused by exposure to light, particularly intense or ultraviolet (UV) light, on...
optical bistability
The phenomenon that can render an optical resonator the equivalent of a semiconductor flip-flop. A bistable device will...
optical cements and adhesive
Optical cements and adhesives are specialized materials used in the assembly and bonding of optical components in optical...
holographic microscopy
The holographic recording of a microscopic specimen whereby magnification is achieved by alteration in a wavelength or...
ultraviolet lens
A lens intended for use with wavelengths shorter than about 380 nm. It must be made of quartz, calcium fluoride, lithium...
MEMS fiber optic switch
A MEMS fiber optic switch is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device designed to selectively route optical signals...
echelette grating
A diffraction grating with lines and grooves formed so as to concentrate the radiation of a particular wavelength into one...
parallel scanning
Parallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather...
blue diode laser
A blue diode laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits light in the blue wavelength range of the electromagnetic...
diffraction-limited lens
A lens with aberrations corrected to the point that residual wavefront errors are substantially less than one-quarter the...
photoimmunotherapy
Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is a medical treatment approach that combines elements of phototherapy and immunotherapy to target...
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...
first-order spectrum
The separate spectral lines formed by a diffraction grating that are characterized by one wavelength difference in path...
Dobson spectrophotometer
A spectrophotometer that measures the amount of ozone in the atmosphere through a comparison of solar energy at two...
linear element
A device for which the output electric field is linearly proportional to the input electric field, and no new wavelengths or...
fluorescent screen
A fluorescent screen refers to a phosphorescent or fluorescent-coated surface that emits visible light when exposed to other...
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...
infrared optic
Infrared optics refer to optical components and systems designed to manipulate and control infrared (IR) light, which lies...
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...
MSM photodiode
A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode is a type of photodetector that consists of metal electrodes on a semiconductor...
radial runoff
The deviation from the ideal case where a circular variable filter is located at a given wavelength along a radial line (or...
Sellmeier's equation
An equation that uses the wavelength of light passing through a medium, along with a set of coefficients, to calculate the...
half-wave voltage
That voltage required across a Pockels, Kerr or other electro-optic light modulator to retard one polarization electrical...
solar radiation
Radiation from the sun that is made up of a very wide range of wavelengths, from the long infrared to the short ultraviolet...
Thomson scattering
The scattering of electromagnetic waves by free electrons, whereby the incident radiation and the scattered radiation are of...
long-wave infrared
Long-wave infrared (LWIR) refers to a specific range of the infrared spectrum. Infrared radiation is divided into three main...
hyperspectral imaging
Hyperspectral imaging is an advanced imaging technique that captures and processes information from across the...
absorption line
The wavelength or frequency corresponding to an absorption resonance with a given molecular or atomic species. The line...
microheterogeneous systems
Extremely small organic and inorganic systems of molecules within a substance. In general, systems are colloidal size in...
prism
A prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. It usually has two parallel bases,...
Angstrom coefficient
The coefficient Å in Angstrom's formula for the dispersing coefficient for dust present in the atmosphere. The formula...
etalon
An etalon is an optical device that consists of two parallel reflecting surfaces separated by a precise and known distance....
machine vision lens
A machine vision lens is a specialized optical lens designed for use in machine vision systems, which are used for automated...
secondary color
An aberration that remains after primary color is corrected. Primary color causes the back focus of a lens to vary with...
vacuum ultraviolet source
Any source that emits radiation of wavelengths between 100 and 300 nm. Instruments used to study these sources must be...
N, n
A symbol used to represent the refractive index. It is commonly used with a subscript to represent the wavelength of light.
Stokes' law
Relative to radiation wavelength, the law that states that the wavelength of luminescence stimulated by radiation always...
Fresnel diffraction
1. Also known as near-field diffraction. The field of radiation sent through an aperture in an absorbing screen at large...
abridged spectrophotometer
An instrument that uses optical filtration in order to measure the transmittance for a discrete range or specific number of...
Fresnel number
In a lens, the square of the radius of its aperture divided by the product of the focal length and the wavelength. It...
very low frequency
The frequency band from 3 to 30 kHz. The corresponding wavelengths are from 10 to 100 km. (VLF).
Rayleigh scattering
Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon that occurs when light waves interact with particles or molecules that are much smaller...
biprism
A piece of glass polished flat on one side, with a pair of polished faces that form an angle close to 180° on the other...
Compton scattering
The phenomenon observed by A.H. Compton in 1923 -- that some scattered radiation possesses a longer wavelength and...
quantum efficiency
Quantum efficiency (QE) is a measure of the effectiveness with which a device or system, typically in the context of...
emission spectrum
An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light...
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...
antireflection coating
An antireflection coating (AR coating) is a thin film or coating applied to optical surfaces, such as lenses or windows, to...
absorptivity
The measured change in absorption at a single wavelength while altering experimental parameters such as the incident...
de Broglie wavelength
The concept of the de Broglie wavelength exploits the wave-particle duality of quantum physics by associating all matter (of...
long-pass filter
A long-pass filter is an optical filter that allows longer wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking or...
infrared detector
An infrared detector is a device that is used to detect and measure infrared radiation, which lies beyond the visible...
high harmonic generation
High harmonic generation (HHG) refers to a nonlinear optical process in which intense laser light interacts with a gaseous...
mass spectroscope
An instrument that uses electromagnetic fields to sort out the relative masses of atoms and molecules.The same way an...
near-field scanning optical microscope
A scanning probe microscope that analyzes the surface of a specimen by recording the intensity of light as it is focused...
focused laser scattering
A single-particle scattering technique in which an incident laser beam is tightly focused by means of lenses to yield a...
transversely excited atmosphere laser
Also known as TEA laser. A coherent optical source with a wide wavelength range in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet...
parametric amplification
Means of amplifying optical waves whereby an intense coherent pump wave is made to interact with a nonlinear optical crystal...
photodynamic inactivation
Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a therapeutic approach that utilizes the combination of light, a photosensitizer, and...
achromatic lens
A lens consisting of two or more elements, usually of crown and flint glass, that has been corrected for chromatic...
Wien's displacement law
The formula that gives the wavelength of maximum spectral radiant emittance of a perfect blackbody: λmax =...
discrete spectrum
A spectrum of component wavelengths whose values are separate from each other.
lambda services
Term for service offered by a vendor who leases a particular wavelength to a customer through DWDM technology. Lambda...
quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a type of semiconductor laser that operates based on the principles of quantum mechanics....
atmospheric window
A range of wavelengths within which radiation transmitted through the atmosphere suffers relatively little absorption by...
reciprocal second (Hz)
The fundamental wavelength standard of time or frequency. An atomic standard, it is properly expressed as 9,192,631,770...
alpha laser
A 2-million W, 2.7-µm-wavelength hydrogen-fluoride laser used as a directed energy weapon.
fiber optic spectrometer
A fiber optic spectrometer is a device used for measuring the spectral content of light. It utilizes optical fibers to...
long-wavelength system
In fiber optic communications systems, generally one that operates between 1000 and 1700 nm.
x-ray hardness
The penetrating capacity of x-rays that is an inverse function of the wavelength.
standing wave
The combination of two waves having the same frequency and amplitude and traveling in opposite directions. Standing waves...
atomic absorption spectrometer
An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical...
gray body
A temperature radiator whose spectral emissivity at all wavelengths is in constant ratio (less than unity) to that of a...
Stefan-Boltzmann law
The formula that indicates the total radiation at all wavelengths from a perfect blackbody. W Total = 5.67 x 10-12 T 4(W/cm2)
nonlinear optical effect
A class of optical phenomena that can be viewed only with nearly monochromatic, directional beams of light, such as those...
dispersion formula
All formulas that present the index of refraction as a function of a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. Also called...
emission spectroscopy
A study of the energies and wavelengths of radiation emitted by atoms and molecules when particular physical conditions are...
mode-locked lasers
Mode-locking is a technique used in lasers to produce ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of picoseconds,...
blaze wavelength
The light wavelength for which the direction of reflectance from the groove face is identical to the angle of diffraction...
second-order nonlinear optical properties
Second-order nonlinear optical properties refer to a class of phenomena exhibited by certain materials in response to...
short-wave pass filter
A filter that is transparent to shorter wavelengths, but opaque to longer wavelengths.
spectrophotometry
Study of the reflection or transmission properties of specimens as a function of wavelength.
angstrom
An angstrom, symbolized by the Ångström or Å, is a unit of length used to express atomic and molecular...
half-power point
1. The value on either the leading or the trailing edge of a laser pulse at which the power is one-half of its maximum...
comb filter
A filter that passes a series of wavelength regions that are at equal distances from one another, such that its output...
resonance spectrum
The fluorescent emission spectrum emitted by certain substances following the irradiation of one of these substances with...
fluorescence
Fluorescence is a type of luminescence, which is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other...
laser damage threshold
The laser damage threshold refers to the maximum level of laser intensity that a material can withstand without experiencing...
photochromatic compound
A chemical compound that exhibits a reversible change in its absorption spectrum upon irradiation with given wavelengths of...
photon jet
A photon jet is a narrow, highly collimated beam of light that is formed when light interacts with small dielectric...
infrared lens
An infrared lens is an optical component specifically designed and optimized for transmitting, focusing, or manipulating...
microring resonator
A microring resonator is a compact optical device that utilizes the resonant behavior of light within a small ring-shaped...
calorescence
The production of visible light by infrared radiation whereby the light is produced by heat and not by any direct change in...
spectral
Pertaining to or as a function of wavelength. Spectral quantities are evaluated at a single wavelength.
scanning electron microscopy
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is an advanced imaging technique used in microscopy to obtain high-resolution,...
infrared signal generator
A device that combines electronic and optical techniques to form a monitored infrared signal between 1 and 14 µm. It...
Rayleigh limit
The restriction of wavefront error to within a quarter of a wavelength of a true spherical surface to assure essentially...
laser drift
Laser drift typically refers to a phenomenon where the frequency or wavelength of a laser source gradually changes over...
relative detector response
A plot showing how the response (ability to detect a signal) varies with wavelength. D(l).
ultraviolet
That invisible region of the spectrum just beyond the violet end of the visible region. Wavelengths range from 1 to 400 nm.
eye-safe laser operation
Wavelengths between 400 and 1400 nm (VIS to NIR) are focused onto the retina by the cornea. Because the retina is sensitive...
acousto-optic diffraction
Light diffracted by a solid (usually quartz in crystal or fused form) traversed by acoustic waves. If the ultrasonic...
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...
quantum dots
A quantum dot is a nanoscale semiconductor structure, typically composed of materials like cadmium selenide or indium...
Kirchhoff's law
For any point on a thermal radiator, at thermal equilibrium and for each wavelength, the emissivity in any direction is...
medical lasers
Medical lasers are devices that produce intense beams of light with specific characteristics and properties, which are used...
etaloning
Etaloning is an optical phenomenon that occurs in imaging systems, particularly in devices such as spectrometers,...
data cube
A multidimensional array of values that is commonly used in programming to describe a time series of image data. Each...
deep-depletion CCD
A CCD device for sensing longer wavelengths, such as NIR and IR, that has a deeper depletion region than would be necessary...
photochemical
The term photochemical pertains to chemical processes or reactions that are initiated or influenced by the absorption of...
flame spectrometry
The procedure applied to flame-excited line emissions to determine spectra and wavelengths.
circular dichroism
Circular dichroism (CD) is a spectroscopic technique used to study the structural characteristics of chiral (asymmetric)...
spectral flow cytometry
Spectral flow cytometry is an advanced flow cytometry technique that expands the capabilities of traditional flow cytometry...
vacuum spectrography
The technique of producing spectrograms in wavelengths beyond 120 nm by the use of a diffraction grating and a Schumann...
electromagnetic spectrum
The total range of wavelengths, extending from the shortest to the longest wavelength or conversely, that can be generated...
band head
The measured wavelength of the most distinct edge of a spectral band.
four-wave mixing
A phenomenon that occurs in WDM and DWDM systems when three closely spaced signal wavelengths near the zero-dispersion...
chromophore
A naturally occurring pigment in tissue that may selectively absorb certain wavelengths and can be used to aid in targeting...
multispectral imaging
Multispectral imaging is a technique that involves capturing and analyzing images at multiple discrete spectral bands within...
wave optics
Also referred to as physical optics - the area of optics in which the wave nature of light is essential when defining its...
laser detector
Device that operates by interaction of incident radiation with semiconductor based material in order to produce an...
zero-order reflection grating
A grating that specularly reflects the specified long radiation wavelengths and diffracts the shorter wavelengths off in...
hard x-ray
A type of x-ray that is capable of deep penetration; its wavelength is about 10-8 cm.
mode beating
In optics, "mode beating" refers to an interference phenomenon that can occur in laser systems with multiple longitudinal...
spin-flip Raman laser
A semiconductor laser that operates in the infrared and that is pumped with strong pulses of radiation from a second laser....
spectral bandwidth
The wavelength interval in which radiant intensity is at least 50 percent of the maximum spectral value.
three-photon microscopy
Three-photon microscopy is an advanced imaging technique that belongs to the family of multi-photon microscopy methods. It...
peak spectral emission
The wavelength at which a lamp radiates its highest intensity.
flow cytometry
Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology and medicine for the quantitative analysis of the physical and...
equivalent wavelength
In surface height measurement of optics with steep slopes, the use of two short visible wavelengths to synthesize a longer,...
absorption lens
An optical lens manufactured to control the transmission of light over a specified wavelength range. Low absorption lenses...
spectroradiometer
A spectroradiometer is a device used to measure the intensity of light at different wavelengths across the electromagnetic...
cesium oxide cell
A photoemissive detector sensitive to wavelengths up to 1 µm. It has one sharp maximum of sensitivity at 350 nm and a...
zero-dispersion wavelength
In a single-mode optical fiber, the wavelength that causes material dispersion and waveguide dispersion to cancel each...
ultraviolet lens
A microscope used either to detect selective absorption of various wavelengths by the specimen or to achieve increased...
geometric optics
A field of physics that deals with light as if it truly were composed of rays diverging in various directions from the...
luminosity curve
Plot of spectral luminous efficiency vs. wavelength.
plasmonics
Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free...
ultrahigh frequency
The frequency band from 300 to 3000 MHz. The corresponding wavelengths are from 10 to 100 cm.
peak wavelength
The wavelength at which the radiant intensity of a source is maximum.
fluorescence lifetime
Fluorescence lifetime refers to the average time it takes for a fluorophore, a molecule that absorbs light at one wavelength...
electromagnetic radiation
Radiation emitted from vibrating charged particles. A combination of oscillating electrical and magnetic fields that...
selective transmission
Transmission in different amounts as a function of wavelength, as a result of absorption and scattering, leading to color...
spectrophotoelectric
Characteristic of the relationship between photoelectric activity and the wavelength of incident radiation.
microbending
In optical fiber, sharp but microscopic curvatures that create local axial displacements of a few microns and spatial...
microlithography
A technique for producing micron-size structures on surfaces by using short-wavelength light or electron beams.
near-infrared
The shortest wavelengths of the infrared region, nominally 0.75 to 3 µm.
single-walled carbon nanotubes
Referred to as SWCNTs, these cylindrical nanostructures composed of a folded sheet of graphene can be used as near-infrared...
achromat
An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration....
mandrel wrap test
A means of testing optical fiber for macrobending losses by wrapping the fiber once at very low tension around a mandrel,...
differential absorption lidar
A lidar (light detection and ranging) technique used in pollution monitoring. Two light beams are emitted simultaneously,...
Planck's (radiation) law
The formula describing the spectral radiant emittance of a perfect blackbody as a function of its temperature and the...
hyperspectral resolution
Hyperspectral resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in the spectral information captured by a...
nanophotonics
Nanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at...
filter grating
A grating used as a reflectance filter, particularly in the far-infrared. Small plane gratings, blazed for the wavelength of...
far-infrared grating
A grating with very coarse rulings to match the long wavelengths in the far-infrared region. In the most efficient ruling...
absorption band
A group of frequencies or wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum which exhibits resonance or energy contributions near...
universal wavelength function
One of the four functions that allows the computation of a transparent medium's index of refraction, provided the index has...
laser
A laser, which stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," is a device that produces coherent and...
laser absorption spectroscopy
An experimental research technique by which absorbed or unabsorbed radiation is analyzed in order to characterize and...
selective reflection
The reflection in different amounts as a function of wavelength, as a result of absorption and scattering, leading to color...
quasi-monochromatic light
Single wavelength source with a larger linewidth often containing multiple longitudinal modes.
wavelength meter
A device that measures the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave.
spectroscope
In a general sense, any one of a class of instruments used to disperse radiation, visible or invisible, into its component...
autofluorescence
Autofluorescence refers to the natural emission of fluorescence exhibited by certain biological structures or molecules when...
luminescence
Luminescence is the emission of light that occurs without the involved substance undergoing a significant increase in...
isotope shift
The slight difference in wavelength of an element's given spectral line observed in comparing different isotopes of that...
Franz-Keldysh effect
Observed lengthening in wavelengths of the optical absorption edge of a semiconductor with the application of an electric...
absorption spectrum
Fraction absorption over a specified range of wavelengths.
picosecond spectroscopy
A method of measuring complex sequential photosynthetic reactions by varying the pulse time and wavelength of light...
dispersion-flattened single-mode fiber
A type of glass optical fiber that provides low pulse dispersion over a broad portion of the light spectrum and as a result...
titanium:sapphire laser
A solid-state laser that is continuously tunable in the wavelength region from 700 to 1100 nm. It is suitable for both...
far-infrared laser
A laser with output over a wide range of wavelengths spanning the far-infrared region of the spectrum (30 to 1000 µm);...
spectral radiance
Radiance per unit wavelength interval at a given wavelength, expressed in watts per steradian per unit area per wavelength...
optical spectrum
1.) Generally, the electromagnetic spectrum within the wavelength region extending from the vacuum ultraviolet at 40 nm to...
indium antimonide
A semiconductor material that is used as an infrared detector for light up to 5 µm in wavelength.
excitation potential
The amount of energy required to raise the energy level of an atom; a necessity if the atom is to radiate energy. High...
grating
A framework or latticework having an even arrangement of rods, or any other long narrow objects with interstices between...
dual laser
A gas laser equipped with Brewster windows and concave mirrors (having unlike reflective properties) at each end of the tube...
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and...
GaN distributed feedback lasers
GaN (Gallium Nitride) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers refer to a specific type of semiconductor laser based on Gallium...
infrared radiation source
Any object that emits radiation of a wavelength lying between about 0.75 to 1000 µm. A calibrated secondary source...
diffuse reflectance spectroscopy
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is a nondestructive analytical technique used to investigate the optical properties...
direct-line fluorescence
With respect to atomic fluorescence spectroscopy, the fluorescence that is emitted by an atom at a spectral line of a...
second-harmonic generation microscopy
A nonlinear label-free imaging technique commonly used during surgical procedures for the visualization of collagen fibers...
linewidth
1. The range of frequencies or wavelengths over which radiations are absorbed or emitted in a transition between a specific...
spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is a technique used in the study of interactions between matter and electromagnetic radiation. It involves...
scattering
Change of the spatial distribution of a beam of radiation when it interacts with a surface or a heterogeneous medium, in...
spike filter
A multilayer filter that passes only a narrow band of wavelengths.
femtosecond laser
A femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds,...

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