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8,726 terms

Photonics Dictionary

paraboloidal reflector -> paraboloidal mirror

A concave mirror that has the form of a paraboloid of revolution. The paraboloidal mirror may have only a portion of a paraboloidal surface through which the axis does not pass, and is known as an...

paraffin oil

A saturated compound of carbon and hydrogen used as a liquid coating material for optical components in high-power laser applications. See liquid coating.

parallactic angle

The angular difference in the direction of an object as seen from two points of observation. The angle subtended at the object by the base length of a rangefinder.

parallax

The optical phenomenon that causes relative motion between two objects when the eyepoint is moved laterally. When parallax appears in a telescope between the image and reticle, this indicates the...

parallax panoramagram -> stereo projector

A projector designed to give each of the observer's eyes its own disparate image.

parallel beam -> collimated radiation

Radiation in which every ray from any given object point can be considered to be parallel to every other. This is never completely the case: The light from a star is really diverging, and all...

parallel processing

In imaging, the processing of pixel data in such a way that a group of pixels is analyzed at one time rather than one pixel at a time.

parallel scanning

Parallel scanning refers to a method of acquiring data or images simultaneously from multiple sources or in parallel, rather than sequentially scanning each source one after another. This approach is...

parallel transmission

A mode of data transmission whereby bits of information are carried simultaneously at different frequencies over a single channel.

parallel-plate waveguide

A pair of waveguides with axes normal to the plane and that guide uniform cylindrical waves.

parallel/serial converter

A device that converts data transmitted in the parallel mode to a sequence of bits at a single frequency for output in the serial mode.

parallelogram distortion

In a camera or cathode-ray tube, distortion that is designated by a lateral skewing of the reproduced image.

parametric amplification

Means of amplifying optical waves whereby an intense coherent pump wave is made to interact with a nonlinear optical crystal to produce amplification at two other optical wavelengths. See parametric...

parametric oscillator

A device using a parametric amplifier inside a resonant optical cavity to generate a frequency-tunable coherent beam of light from an intense laser beam of fixed frequency. This device is tuned by...

parasitic oscillation

Oscillation in rod and disc amplifiers that critically limits the achievable energy storage.

paraxial

Characteristic of optical analyses that are limited to infinitesimally small apertures. Also called first-order or Gaussian optics.

paraxial focus

Focus derived from paraxial data.

paraxial ray

A ray that behaves according to paraxial equations; one that lies close to and almost parallel to the optical axis.

parcentered

Description of an optical system in which all the elements are aligned on the same axis.

parfocal

Having coincident focal points.

parfocal eyepiece

One eyepiece of a set having equal distances from their mounting interface to their image plane, permitting freedom to interchange eyepieces without the need to refocus.

parfocal lenses

Lenses that have identical flange focal distances and can be interchanged.

parity

In data transmission, a self-checking code using a separate bit (the parity bit) to assure that all bytes of transmitted data contain either an odd or an even number of bits. Upon receipt, the data...

partial coherence theory

Totally coherent radiation is produced by a purely monochromatic point source. In the real world the energy will have a limited bandwidth and the point source will subtend some angle resulting in...

particle acceleration

Particle acceleration refers to the process by which charged particles, such as electrons or protons, gain kinetic energy and increase their velocity. This acceleration can occur in various natural...

particle image velocimetry

A whole-flow-field technique providing instantaneous velocity vector measurements in a cross-section of a flow that is seeded with micron-sized particles. CCD or CMOS cameras and laser light sheets...

PAS

photoacoustic spectroscopy

pascal

The pressure or stress of one newton per square meter.

Paschen series

An array of lines in the infrared region of the emission spectrum of atomic hydrogen. Their wave numbers are expressed by the equation: where represents the wave number in the reciprocal centimeters,...

Paschen-Runge mounting

A mounting used for large concave gratings, whereby the slit, grating and plate holder lie in the Rowland circle, and the photographic plates lie along a large portion of the circle. In this way, a...

passband -> bandpass

The range of frequencies that will pass through a filter or other device. Synonymous with passband.

passive optical component

Passive optical components are devices or elements used in optical systems that do not require external power or active control to perform their function. These components manipulate light signals...

passive optical network

A passive optical network (PON) is a telecommunications network architecture that uses optical fibers and passive optical components to provide high-speed broadband services to end-users. In a PON...

passive-matrix liquid crystal display

An LCD that has pixels with no internal drive transistors.

passive-matrix OLED display

An OLED display formed by creating an array of OLED pixels connected by intersecting anode and cathode conductors arranged in rows and columns. Electrical power is passed through selected pixels by...

PAT

pointing, acquisition and tracking

path length -> optical path length

In a medium of constant refractive index, the product of the geometrical distance and the refractive index.

path-reversal principle

The criterion maintaining that if light follows a specific path through an optical system, it will, if reversed, traverse that same path in the opposite direction.

pathogen

A pathogen is a biological agent, such as a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or parasite, that causes disease in its host organism. Pathogens have the capability to invade host tissues,...

pathogenesis

Pathogenesis refers to the process by which a disease develops and progresses within an organism. It encompasses the sequence of events and mechanisms that lead to the onset, progression, and...

patina

A thin film or coating that forms on various finished surfaces. On optical surfaces it usually denotes aging.

pattern

A device that determines the lens shape in the cutting or edging phase of fabrication. It also is used to denote the arrangement of markings on a reticle.

Pauli exclusion principle

The number of electrons that can share a principal quantum number by preventing identity between any two electrons' four quantum numbers, thereby permitting the periodic arrangement of the elements.

proton bombardment

PBC

polarization beam combiner

PBX

private branch exchange

photoconductive; printed circuit; personal computer

PCA

photoconductive antenna

PCAOM

polychromatic acousto-optic modulator

PCD

plasma-coupled device

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Photonics Dictionary

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