Photonics Dictionary: T

The study of the optical properties of living tissue. Increased understanding of the behavior of light in this varied, turbid medium, especially its scattering and absorption characteristics, is...

In optics, a shape often given to the leading edge of a projectile. In any side view it appears as a pointed arc, while any cross section perpendicular to its long axis appears as a circle.

Optical aberration such that image magnification varies with ray distance from the optical axis in a radial distortion.

A device for extracting a portion of the optical signal from a fiber.

There are three types of telecentric lenses: -Image-space telecentric lenses are those in which the aperture stop is located at the front focus, resulting in the chief rays being parallel to the...

An afocal optical device made up of lenses or mirrors, usually with a magnification greater than unity, that renders distant objects more distinct, by enlarging their images on the retina.

A telescope lens is a primary optical component of a telescope system that gathers and focuses light to form an image. It is typically a curved, transparent piece of glass or other optical material...

The material favored for study of interaction of high-acoustic intensities with free carriers. Tellurium is the semiconductor with the largest piezoelectric constants. Tellurium oxide is the material...

A terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz frequency range, typically spanning from about 0.1 to 10 terahertz (THz),...

An optical matrix that does not require perfection in both states of the crosspoint, so that all the optical switches can be tap-off devices in which a fraction of the optical energy is transferred...

Distortion of an optical component as a result of heat, which can influence the divergence and the mode quality of a beam passing through the component.

The instrument used to collect thermal radiation information on an object by scanning. It consists basically of a detector, a photoconductive element that converts incident radiation to an electrical...

A material used in the jacket of fiber optic cables.

Thin-film coatings are layers of material applied to the surface of an object or substrate, typically to modify its optical, electrical, or mechanical properties. These coatings are composed of thin...

Thin-film deposition equipment refers to machinery and tools used in the process of depositing thin layers of material onto a substrate surface. This technique is commonly employed in various...

Three-photon microscopy is an advanced imaging technique that belongs to the family of multi-photon microscopy methods. It is used in biological and medical research to capture high-resolution images...

1. In visual perception, the minimum value of stimulus that can be perceived on the average. 2. In optical detection systems, that signal level at which the probability of detection is 50 percent.

Protective material surrounding the cladding of an optical fiber that allows the fiber no play within it.

The elongation of a transmitted data pulse through a fiber optic due to the chromatic dispersion of the fiber material.

See optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR).

Time-lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) refers to a medical imaging technique that captures a series of sequential OCT scans over time, allowing for the dynamic observation and monitoring of...

A laser fitted with up to eight optical fibers that transmit the energy to different workstations in turn.

A Ti:sapphire laser is a type of solid-state laser that utilizes a titanium-doped sapphire crystal as the gain medium. The name Ti:sapphire comes from the combination of titanium (Ti) as the dopant...

In fiber optics, the annular region between two concentric circles; used to specify fiber cladding and core sizes.

Topological photonics is a branch of physics and optics that explores the application of topological concepts to the behavior of light in photonic systems. Drawing inspiration from the field of...

A lens having one or more toric surfaces. A toric surface is one having a maximum power in one meridian and a minimum power in a perpendicular meridian. In ophthalmic optics, toric lenses are used to...

1. The process of following an object's movement; accomplished by focusing a radar beam on the reticle of an optical system on the object and plotting its bearing and distance at specific intervals....

A transducer is a device or component that converts one form of energy into another. It is commonly used in various fields, including electronics, acoustics, and instrumentation, to facilitate the...

A process used to control thickness and parallelism precisely during the production of plane-parallel plates. Elements are cemented to a blocking tool and their upper surfaces are polished. A second...

The decrease in power that occurs when an optical beam or signal is transmitted through a system.

In optics, the conduction of radiant energy through a medium. Often denotes the percentage of energy passing through an element or system relative to the amount that entered. See transmission...

In fiber optic communications, a light source whose beam can be modulated and sent along an optical fiber, and the electronics that support it.

In optics, the changing of the relative curves of a lens without changing its refractive value.

The method used to measure the index profile of an optical fiber by placing it in an interferometer and illuminating the fiber transversely to its axis.

In the context of optics and lasers, a transverse mode refers to a specific spatial pattern of the electric field within the cross-section of a laser beam. These modes represent the different...

A technique used to measure the mode-field diameter of an optical fiber by scanning one fiber past another at a distance of five microns or less.