Photonics Dictionary

A synonym for blackbody or complete radiator.

A surface that has no curvature; a surface that is perfectly flat.

An instrument designed to give precise and rapid detection of changes in tumor growth as well as the location of small tumors by providing a three-dimensional picture of the tissue.

A transmission or reflecting grating with a flat or plane surface requiring a lens or concave mirror to focus the spectrum.

A two-dimensional hologram.

The generation of a grating on a flat surface by means of a series of interference fringes formed by a holographic process. See holographic grating.

An imaginary plane dividing a body into two parts so that each part is the precise mirror image of the other in the plane of symmetry.

A wave whose surfaces of constant phase are infinite parallel planes normal to the direction of propagation.

A light beam whose electric vectors all vibrate in a single fixed plane.

A camera system used for microphotography in which the document to be recorded is on a flat bed, perpendicular to the lens axis. The camera head is located above the copyboard on a column and may be...

A manufacturing process used to construct substrates for large optical components. Used with IR materials, planform bonding permits the joining of several smaller pieces to be used in place of a...

A plano in optics describes a lens, mirror, or other optical component that has one flat (plane) surface. The term is typically used in combination with another term that describes the curvature of...

A lens with one plane surface and one concave surface.

A lens that has one plane surface and one convex surface.

A gas made up of electrons and ions.

A plasma accelerator is a type of particle accelerator that uses electric fields and magnetic fields to accelerate charged particles, typically electrons or ions, by exploiting the motion of charged...

The use of a plasma to induce the formation of oxides in the production of graded-index optical fibers.

A type of flat panel display made up of a layer of gas between two glass plates. The glass is coated with parallel conductors that form cells which, when energized, produce a gas discharge that makes...

Operates with light collectively emitted by the recombination of free electrons and ions in the plasma state.

Introduced into the laser beam from localized fluctuations in current density within the plasma itself. These fluctuations represent macroscopic changes of gain in the laser.

The study of highly ionized gases. Many phenomena not exhibited by uncharged gases are associated with plasma physics.

Plasma's ability to stop the transmission of laser light.

An electron beam gun in which plasma that is generated within a low-voltage hollow-cathode discharge serves as the source of electrons.

Monolithic self-scanning linear image sensor array for multichannel spectroscopy with a spectral range of from 200 to 1000 nm.

Calculated quantity of the entire longitudinal wave of a solid substance's electron gas.

Plasmon ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) is a technique used in thin-film deposition processes, particularly in the production of optical coatings. This method combines two key processes: plasmon...

Plasmonics is a field of science and technology that focuses on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and free electrons in a metal or semiconductor at the nanoscale. Specifically,...

Fiber in which both core and cladding are made of plastic.

The direct cladding used for fused silica cores to create large numerical aperture fibers and used as overcoats to glass-clad fibers to reduce microbend loss and increase mechanical protection.

A lens made from transparent plastic material. Lenses over 31/2 in. in diameter are usually machined, ground and polished. Smaller lenses are usually injection molded, the mount surrounding the lens...

Plastic optical fiber (POF) is a type of optical fiber made from transparent plastic, typically polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate. Unlike traditional glass optical fibers, which are made...

Plastic optics refers to optical components or systems that are made from transparent plastic materials, as opposed to traditional optical components made from glass or other materials. Plastic...

Polishing with a plastic pad.

An optical waveguide having a silica core and a plastic cladding.

Any crystalline material whose length is much less than its measured diameter.

A semiconductor material used in photodetectors, sensitive in the infrared up to 5 µm.

Geometrical partition possible with a sphere that can be four, six, eight, 12 or 20 solid-angle wedges. Each platonic mass is made up of a given number of regular polygonal faces and is classified...

The property exhibited by certain birefringent crystals in which the degree with which they transmit polarized light is different, depending on whether the ray is ordinary or extraordinary. An...