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Meadowlark Optics - Wave Plates 6/24 MR 2024

8,726 terms

Photonics Dictionary

asymptotic spectral reflectance

The unchanging nature of spectral reflectance as vegetational density increases to the point where additional increases in leaf area index or biomass do not cause a change in the spectral reflectance.

asynchronous transfer mode

A method of data multiplexing that can provide large, instantaneous bandwidths for busy traffic while permitting slow traffic to use that bandwidth between bursts. Very short, fixed-length packets or...

asynchronous transmission

A mode of data transmission whereby each bit of information is generated separately, with some stop/start code to indicate the interval between bits.

atomic time

ATARS

advanced tactical air reconnaissance system

ATDM

Asynchronous Time Division Multiplexing

ATE

automatic test and evaluation

ATLIS

automatic tracking laser illumination system

ATM

asynchronous transfer mode

atmos

atmosphere

atmospheric absorption line parameters compilation

Compilation of the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories that contains values of the line parameters of the 1-0 bands of 12C16O. Because of the high accuracy of this record, calculated spectra...

atmospheric attenuation

The reduction in luminance of a light beam due to absorption and scattering as it passes through the atmosphere.

Atmospheric Correction Now

The Atmospheric Correction Now software (ACORN) is a tool used in remote sensing and satellite imagery processing. Its primary function is to correct satellite imagery for atmospheric effects that...

atmospheric inhomogeneities

Localized variations in the purity and the index of refraction of the atmosphere.

atmospheric optics

The analysis of the properties of radiation, such as light, when acted upon by variations in the atmosphere. Blue and red skies, along with ice halos, glories, coronas and rainbows can all be...

atmospheric refraction correlation

Formulaic compensation to correct laser ranging data for the effects of horizontal refractivity gradients; it requires the horizontal pressure and temperature gradient at laser sites, which are...

atmospheric turbulence

Irregularities and disturbances in the atmosphere that are of particular interest because they induce random temporal and spatial phase and amplitude fluctuations that destroy the optical quality and...

atmospheric window

A range of wavelengths within which radiation transmitted through the atmosphere suffers relatively little absorption by atmospheric gases.

atom optics

The area of optics in which the wave nature of a particle is exploited to carry out very accurate interferometry and other optical techniques with atoms instead of photons. In this process, particles...

atomic absorption spectrometer

An atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) is an analytical instrument used to determine the concentration of specific chemical elements in a sample by measuring the absorption of light at...

atomic absorption spectroscopy

The analysis of the atomic structure of a sample by means of a source radiation that is absorbed and emitted by the sample with lines corresponding to the number and arrangement of atoms. Generally a...

atomic clock

An atomic clock is a highly precise timekeeping device that uses the vibrations or oscillations of atoms as a reference for measuring time. The most common type of atomic clock uses the vibrations of...

atomic emission spectrometry

Spectrometric analysis of the distinct and characteristic spectra of atoms of elements. The atoms are energized to emit radiant energy, which, when dispersed by a prism or diffraction grating,...

atomic fluorescence spectroscopy

The analysis of fluorescence emitted by discrete atoms, in flames, that have absorbed radiation from an external source. It is used to study the physical and chemical processes that arise from...

atomic force microscope

An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging and measurement instrument used in nanotechnology, materials science, and biology. It is a type of scanning probe microscope that...

atomic scattering factor

The efficiency of scattering by an atom in a particular direction, expressed as: where AA is the amplitude of the wave from the atom and AE is the amplitude of the wave from a free electron.

atomic time

Any system of time measurement that is based on atomic resonances. The transition times between the hyperfine levels of cesium-133 have been accepted as the international standard.

ATP

acceptance test plan; Advanced Technology Plan

ATR

attenuated total reflectance; automatic target recognition

attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy

Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry to obtain IR spectra of samples. It is particularly useful for analyzing solid and liquid samples without...

attenuation

Attenuation refers to the gradual loss or reduction of intensity, force, or magnitude of a particular property as it propagates through a medium or travels over a distance. This concept is prevalent...

attenuation coefficient

The rate of diminution of average optical power and the sum of the scattering and absorption coefficients.

attenuation constant

The real part of the axial propagation constant for a particular mode. The attenuation coefficient for the mode power is twice the attenuation constant.

attenuation meter

A device used to measure power loss in fiber optic connectors, cables or systems.

attenuation-limited power

In fiber optics, the limitation on performance imposed by the amplitude of a received signal rather than distortion.

attenuator

An attenuator is an electronic or optical device used to reduce the power or intensity of a signal without significantly affecting its waveform or other characteristics. Attenuators are commonly used...

attitude -> pitch

In positioning, rotation about an axis normal to the line of sight. Also known as attitude.

atto

In the SI system, prefix meaning 10-18.

attoampere

An attoampere (aA) is a unit of electric current in the International System of Units (SI). It is equal to one quintillionth (10-18) of an ampere. The ampere, symbolized as "A," is the base unit of...

attosecond photonics sources

Attosecond photonics sources refer to devices or systems that generate extremely short pulses of light on the order of attoseconds (1 attosecond = 10-18 seconds). These ultrafast light pulses are in...

attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy

Attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAP) is an advanced technique in ultrafast spectroscopy that allows scientists to study the dynamics of electronic processes occurring on extremely...

ATWL

acoustic traveling wave lens

angstrom unit; astronomical unit

audiovisual

Concerned with the transmission and reception of both sight and sound. An audiovisual system communicates pictorial images and audio signals.

Auger effect

The radiation-free transition that takes place within an ion, in which inner-shell vacancies in neutral atoms are filled by outer-shell electrons, thereby transferring energy to other electrons,...

Auger electron spectroscopy

The energy analysis of electrons released in a secondary step following initial excitation or ionization.

augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates digital information, typically in the form of computer-generated graphics, images, or data, with the real-world environment in real-time. AR...

aureole

The indistinct, less luminous portion lying immediately outside an electric arc whose spectrum often differs from that of the core.

aurora

The strongest light emitted by the Earth's upper atmosphere. It most often can be viewed in the Arctic as the aurora borealis, and in the Antarctic as the aurora australis.

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 transition in oxygen.

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