Photonics Marketplace

Suppliers Products

Handbook Institutions Dictionary

Show Filters

Hide Filters

Type

DefinitionsAbbreviations/Acronyms

Browse by Letter

Sheetak - Cooling at your Fingertip 11/24 MR

Opto Diode Corp. - PbS &PbSe Detectors 10-24 HP

8,726 terms

Photonics Dictionary

near-field region

The area closest to an aperture or source where the diffraction pattern differs substantially from that observed at an infinite distance, or more specifically, the far field. Also referred to as the...

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 through a pipette and raster scanned across the specimen at a distance less...

near-field scanning

A measurement technique used to determine the spatial distribution profile of an electrical or optical quantity of interest which is provided by multiple scans within the near-field region of a...

near-field walk

In a laser diode, lateral motion of the beam center at the facet when the drive current is changed.

near-infrared camera

A near-infrared (NIR) camera is an imaging device designed to capture images in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The near-infrared spectrum typically extends from about 700...

near-infrared spectrometer

A near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorption, transmission, or reflection of light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum....

near-infrared spectroscopy cerebral oximetry

A monitoring technique used to measure the oxygen saturation levels in the brains of patients, commonly in operating room and neonatal intensive care unit settings. The technique, which is based on...

near-infrared spectroscopy

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that uses the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum to study the absorption of light by molecules in a sample....

near-infrared

The shortest wavelengths of the infrared region, nominally 0.75 to 3 µm.

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 near-ultraviolet (wavelengths ranging from about 300 to 400 nm). A mercury vapor...

nearest neighbor

A resampling and interpolation method that uses only the value of the nearest neighbor pixel, while not considering values from any other neighboring pixels from the source image to determine the...

NEB

noise equivalent bandwidth

NEC

national electric code

NEDT

noise equivalent delta temperature

NEE

noise equivalent energy; noise equivalent exposure

negative absorption

Amplification; the result of the excess of stimulated radiation over absorbed radiation.

negative carrier

The structure that holds the photographic negative in a proper position that is both flat and parallel to the lens plane, as well as being placed in a fixed position that is the right distance from...

negative crystal

A uniaxial, birefringent crystal such as calcite or ruby in which the velocity of the extraordinary ray surpasses that of the ordinary ray. This can also be defined as the index of refraction of the...

negative dielectric anisotropy

State typically studied in liquid crystals in which the dielectric coefficient parallel to the director is less than the dielectric coefficient perpendicular to the director.

negative ghost

A ghost image that has the reverse lightness relations of the original image. This phenomenon is a common optical illusion that takes place in the human visual system, following long exposures to an...

negative glow

In a cold-cathode tube, the luminance between the cathode dark space and the Faraday dark space. In a vacuum tube, the luminance between the Crookes dark space and the Faraday dark space.

negative lens -> diverging lens

A diverging lens is a type of lens that causes parallel rays of light to spread out or diverge. It is thinner in the center than at the edges and is commonly referred to as a concave lens. The most...

negative meniscus lens -> divergent-meniscus lens

A lens with one surface convex and the other concave, the latter having the greater curvature. It also is known as a diverging meniscus lens.

negative stereoscopic image

When a stereo pair of images is switched so that the right eye sees the left image and the left eye the right, the stereo image perceived will be reversed in terms of relative object depth.

negative temperature -> population inversion

The condition in which there are more atomic systems in the upper of two energy levels than in the lower, so stimulated emission will predominate over stimulated absorption. This condition may be...

negative-electron-affinity photocathode

A photocathode having a P-type semiconductor with a work function less than its bandgap. The photocathode can release a hundredfold increase of photoemission in the infrared region.

negative-refraction metamaterial

An artificial material, engineered to have a negative refractive index value, such that light or any other form of electromagnetic radiation bends in the opposite direction than it would in ordinary...

negatron

A negatively charged elementary particle. See electron.

NEI

noise equivalent irradiance

NEMA

National Electrical Manufacturers' Association

nematic phase

A form of liquid crystal with an appearance of moving, threadlike structures, particularly visible when observed in thick specimens with polarized light. During this phase, the molecules of the...

NEMS

nanoelectromechanical systems

neodymium glass

Glass containing small quantities of neodymium oxide that is used as a filter plate in color television or as a lasing medium (Nd:glass) in solid-state lasers.

neodymium:YAG

Literally, neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet. A cylindrical rod of yttrium-aluminum-garnet doped with neodymium that is the active medium of the Nd:YAG laser, a highly serviceable solid-state device...

neon indicator tube

A cold-cathode tube containing neon and designed to visually determine a potential difference or field.

neon tube

An electron tube containing neon gas that uses the transmission of an electric current through the gas to ionize the neon and produce a luminous red discharge.

neoprene

A type of thermoset rubber used to jacket fiber optic cables, including those used in outdoor military installations.

NEP

noise equivalent power

Nernst glower

A Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater based on the Nernst effect. It was invented by the German physicist and...

Nernst light source -> Nernst glower

A Nernst glower, also known simply as a Nernst lamp or Nernst filament, is a type of incandescent lamp or radiant heater based on the Nernst effect. It was invented by the German physicist and...

NET

noise equivalent temperature

network interface card

A network interface card (NIC), also known as a network adapter or LAN adapter, is a hardware component that allows computers to connect to a local area network (LAN) and communicate with other...

neural network

A computing paradigm that attempts to process information in a manner similar to that of the brain; it differs from artificial intelligence in that it relies not on pre-programming but on the...

neurodegenerative

Neurodegenerative refers to a process or condition characterized by progressive dysfunction or loss of structure and function of neurons (nerve cells) in the brain or peripheral nervous system. This...

neuromorphic

Neuromorphic refers to the design and development of computing systems or devices that are inspired by the structure and functioning of the human brain and nervous system. The term is derived from...

neuromorphic vision sensor

A neuromorphic vision sensor is a type of imaging device designed to mimic the structure and functioning of the human visual system. Inspired by the biological principles of the human eye and brain,...

neutral density coating

A coating applied to a neutral density glass that is designed to reduce the amount of light evenly across the transmitted light spectrum with no color distortion. These coatings are designed to...

neutral density filter

A light filter that equally decreases the intensity of all wavelengths of light without altering the relative spectral distribution of the energy.

neutral density wedge

A strip or annulus of glass coated with a semitransparent material such as inconel. The coating thickness, and as a result its transmission, varies linearly as a function of distance. The neutral...

neutral mixture

An additive color mixture that appears to have no hue.

<
1
2
3
...
105
106
107
108
109
...
173
174
175
>

Photonics Dictionary

Need Help?