Photonics Dictionary: W

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wave optics

Also referred to as physical optics - the area of optics in which the wave nature of light is essential when defining its propagation. To exploit the wave phenomena of light, one must interact light...

w-type fibers -> double-clad fiber

Double-clad fiber (DCF) is a specialized optical fiber that features two concentric cladding layers surrounding a core. The design of double-clad fibers allows them to be used in various...

wave plate

An optical element having two principal axes, slow and fast, that resolve an incident polarized beam into two mutually perpendicular polarized beams. The emerging beam recombines to form a particular...

wavefront reconstruction -> holography

Holography is a technique used to capture and reconstruct three-dimensional images using the principles of interference and diffraction of light. Unlike conventional photography, which records only...

waveguide dispersion

For each mode in an optical waveguide, the term used to describe the process by which an electromagnetic signal is distorted by virtue of the dependence of the phase and group velocities on...

wedge filter

An optical filter so constructed that the density increases progressively from one end to the other, or angularly around a circular disc.

wedge spectrograph

A spectrograph in which the flux density transmitted through the entrance aperture is regulated by an optical wedge or similar device.

wedge

An optical element having plane-inclined surfaces. Usually the faces are inclined toward one another at very small angles. Wedges divert light toward their thicker portions, and may be circular,...

whispering gallery mode

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) refers to a phenomenon in wave physics, particularly in optics, where waves, such as light or sound waves, are trapped and circulate along the periphery of a curved...

white-light hologram -> rainbow hologram

Essentially, a hologram of a hologram, in which the first-generation hologram is masked with a narrow slit. During image reconstruction, the slit operates as the exit pupil in image space. The...

white-light interferometer -> optical profiler

Also known as a white-light interferometer. Measures surface texture and shape from nanometer-scale roughness to millimeter-scale step heights. A standard arrangement includes an illumination source,...

Wiener spectrum -> optical power spectrum

Also known as the Wiener spectrum or the noise power spectrum, the optical power spectrum is a fundamental quantity in film-screen image quality evaluation. It is a means of describing image content...

window

1. A piece of glass with plane parallel surfaces used to admit light into an optical system and to exclude dirt and moisture. 2. A particular region of the electromagnetic spectrum that has been...

Winston cone

Specified curved optic intended for maximum collection of light, including off-axis rays, before leaving the exit aperture.

working distance

In microscopy, the clear distance between the specimen being viewed and the first optical element of the objective lens.

write once, read many (WORM)

An optical data storage device that permits the user to store data (write) and play it back (read), but not to erase or change the stored material.

Photonics DictionaryW

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