Register
Sign In
Suppliers
Products
Categories
Handbook
Dictionary
Careers
Resources
Photonics Spectra
BioPhotonics
Vision Spectra
Virtual Events & Summits
Educational Institutions
Add/Update Your Listing
Exhibitor Listing Portal
Become an Exhibitor
Buyers' Guide Print Edition
Marketplace Help
Subscribe
Advertise
Suppliers
Products
Categories
Handbook
Dictionary
Careers
Resources
Photonics Spectra
BioPhotonics
Vision Spectra
Virtual Events & Summits
Educational Institutions
Add/Update Your Listing
Exhibitor Listing Portal
Become an Exhibitor
Buyers' Guide Print Edition
Marketplace Help
Register
Sign In
Photonics Marketplace
Suppliers
Products
Handbook
Institutions
Dictionary
Show Filters
Hide Filters
Type
Definitions
Abbreviations/Acronyms
Browse by Letter
#
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
1,977 terms
Photonics Dictionary
Clear All Filters x
optics x
energy-sharing laser
A laser that distributes its output power among two, three or four optical fibers simultaneously.
entrance pupil
In a lens or other optical system, the image of the aperture stop as seen from object space.
entrance slit
The entrance slit, also known simply as the slit, is an essential component in optical instruments such as spectrometers and monochromators. It is a narrow opening or aperture through which light...
environmental range
The maximum to minimum range of temperature, pressure, humidity, vibration and biological conditions under which an optical component or system can function and be stored. The range required depends...
EOID
electro-optic identification
EOIS
electro-optic imaging system
EOLM
electro-optic light modulator
EOPC
electro-optic phase change
EOS
Earth observation satellite; electro-optic system; European Optical Society
EOSPC
electro-optic signal processing computer
epoxy
Common name for a variety of adhesives used for lens bonding, fiber optic splicing and other photonics applications. The term is actually a prefix denoting the presence of an epoxide group in a...
equilibrium length
The length of optical waveguide needed to attain equilibrium mode distribution for a specified excitation condition.
equilibrium mode distribution
The condition in a multimode optical waveguide in which the relative power distribution among the propagating modes is independent of length.
equivalent air path
When a block of glass (prism, window, filter, etc.) is placed into a converging light bundle, it increases the physical distance to the point of focus. The equivalent air path for that block of glass...
equivalent focal length
->
focal length
The focal length of a lens is the distance between the lens's optical center (or principal point) and the image sensor or film when the lens is focused at infinity. In simple terms, it is the...
equivalent wavelength
In surface height measurement of optics with steep slopes, the use of two short visible wavelengths to synthesize a longer, equivalent wavelength.
erbium-doped fiber amplifier
An optical fiber that can be used to amplify an optical input. Erbium rare earth ions are added to the fiber core material as a dopant in typical levels of a few hundred parts per million. The fiber...
erbium-doped fiber laser
An erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) is a type of laser that uses an optical fiber doped with erbium ions (Er³+) as the gain medium. These lasers are widely used in telecommunications, medical...
erect image
An image, real or virtual, whose spatial orientation is identical to that of the object. The image obtained at the retina with the assistance of an optical system is said to be erect when the...
error function
A single number, defined by the computer program or the user that expresses the performance of an optical system. Also known as merit function and defect function, the error function comprises...
etalon
An etalon is an optical device that consists of two parallel reflecting surfaces separated by a precise and known distance. It operates based on the principle of optical interference and is used to...
etaloning
Etaloning is an optical phenomenon that occurs in imaging systems, particularly in devices such as spectrometers, interferometers, and cameras. It is characterized by the appearance of interference...
ETOM
electron trapping optical memory
evaporation coating
Coating carried out in a sealed chamber evacuated by a mechanical pump in series with an oil diffusion pump to a pressure less than 10-4 mm of mercury, measured by a vacuum gauge. At such a low...
exciter lamp
A small incandescent lamp whose intense beam is focused on the optical soundtrack of a motion picture film. The soundtrack modulates the beam, which in turn is detected by a photocell that produces...
exit angle
The angle between a light ray emerging from an optical system and the optical axis of that system.
exit pupil
In a lens or other optical system, the image of the aperture stop as seen from image space.
exposure
In optics, the total radiant energy incident on a surface-per-unit area. It is equal to the integral over time of the radiant flux density. Also known as radiant exposure.
extramural absorption cement
A cement used to reduce crosstalk in fiber optic bundles or plates.
extreme ultraviolet
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. EUV radiation has wavelengths between 10 and 124 nanometers, which...
extrinsic fiber loss
A type of optical fiber loss resulting from the misalignment of fibers in a splice or connector.
eye distance
->
eye relief
Also termed eye distance. The distance between the vertex of the last optical surface of a visual optical system and the system's exit pupil.
eye relief
Also termed eye distance. The distance between the vertex of the last optical surface of a visual optical system and the system's exit pupil.
eye tracker
An optical device used to monitor movement of the human eye.
eyepiece
Also known as ocular. The lens system used between the final real image in a visual optical system and eye. It acts as an image magnifier. Many types of eyepieces are known; e.g., the Huygens used in...
f-Theta lens
An f-theta lens, also known as an f-theta scan lens or simply an f-theta lens system, is a specialized optical component used in laser scanning systems, particularly in laser marking, engraving, and...
F-center
->
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of crystallographic defect in a crystalline structure that introduces color to the...
Fabry-Perot cavity
An optical resonator in which feedback is accomplished by two parallel planes. In diode lasers, the planes are obtained by cleaving, polishing, etching, etc.
face-pumped laser
A device in which slab geometry internally compensates for thermal-optic distortion; the solid host material -- glass or Nd:YAG -- is in the form of a rectangular slab with plane parallel faces. The...
faceplate
->
fiber optic faceplate
A plate made up of thousands of glass fibers arranged parallel to one another, i.e., in a coherent bundle, and fused together so that it is hermetically tight. It transfers an image from one plane to...
far-field diffraction pattern
The diffraction pattern of a source such as a light-emitting diode, injection laser diode or the output end of an optical waveguide observed at an infinite distance from the source.
far-infrared laser
A laser with output over a wide range of wavelengths spanning the far-infrared region of the spectrum (30 to 1000 µm); typically, it consists of a metal or dielectric waveguide one to two...
Faraday configuration
Describes incident radiation propagating parallel to an externally applied magnetic field in magneto-optical experimentation.
Faraday effect
The Faraday effect, named after the English scientist Michael Faraday, is a phenomenon in physics where the polarization plane of light is rotated when the light passes through a transparent medium...
farbe
->
color center
A color center, in the context of materials science and condensed matter physics, refers to a specific type of crystallographic defect in a crystalline structure that introduces color to the...
fast axis collimation lens
A FAC lens, or fast axis collimation lens, is an optical component used in laser diode systems to collimate the fast axis of laser emission. Laser diodes emit light in two main axes: the fast axis,...
FC connector
The fiber optic connector standard for Nippon Telephone & Telegraph (NTT) installations, developed with Nippon Electric Co. (NEC).
femtosecond laser
A femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds, where one femtosecond is equal to 10-15 seconds. These lasers are capable of...
fiber axis
The mechanical centerline through the core of an optical fiber.
fiber bandwidth
The lowest frequency at which the magnitude of the fiber transfer function decreases to a specified fraction of the zero frequency value. Often, the specified value is one-half the optical power at...
<
1
2
3
...
10
11
12
13
14
...
38
39
40
>
Photonics Dictionary
Need Help?
Explore Our Content
News
Features
Latest Products
Webinars
White Papers
All Things Photonics Podcast
Videos
Our Summits & Conferences
Industry Events
Bookstore
Join Our Community
Subscribe
Advertise
Become a member
Sign in
Contribute a Feature
Suggest a Webinar
Submit a Press Release
Mobile Apps
About Us
Our Company
Our Publications
Contact Us
Career Opportunities
Teddi C. Laurin Scholarship
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
©2024 Photonics Media
100 West St.
Pittsfield, MA, 01201 USA
[email protected]
We use cookies to improve user experience and analyze our website traffic as stated in our
Privacy Policy
. By using this website, you agree to the use of
cookies
unless you have disabled them.