Photonics Dictionary

The third dimension (depth or Z-axis) in an imaging system.

1. An optical distance finder that depends on triangulation of two convergent beams on an object from disparate view points. 2. A device that depends on the measurement of time of wave travel from an...

A photographic camera and processing system used to form a usable record of the subject in a short time, usually a few seconds, for immediate analysis.

A double meniscus system in which two achromatized meniscus lenses are arranged symmetrically on either side of the aperture stop, reducing or eliminating distortion, coma and lateral color.

Rare earth dopants refer to elements from the lanthanide series, also known as rare earth elements, that are intentionally introduced into the crystal lattice of a material to modify its properties....

An optical fiber in which ions of a rare-earth element, such as neodymium, erbium or holmium, have been incorporated into the glass core matrix, yielding high absorption with low loss in the visible...

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of seventeen chemical elements found in the Earth's crust, characterized by their unique properties and scarcity relative to other elements. Despite their name,...

Optical glasses containing the oxides of rare earths such as lanthanum to impart a very high refractive index combined with a low dispersive power.

In a gas, the temporary drop in density caused by contact with a sound wave.

The pattern of lines traced by rectilinear scanning in display systems.

In imaging technology, a device that converts raster or line-scan data to pixel form for further processing.

A display in which regeneration takes place serially at a fixed speed in a set pattern through the scan lines.

Raster scanning is a technique used in imaging and scanning systems to systematically capture and process information from a two-dimensional area or surface. It involves moving a sensor or scanning...

The vertical or horizontal distance between two addressable points on a display screen; indicates the basic resolution element of a terminal.

An electronic device that minimizes short-term drift effects and random measurement error inherent in alternate ellipsometric measurement of two signals.

Ratiometry is a technique used in various scientific fields, particularly in analytical chemistry and biochemistry, to measure concentrations or quantities by comparing the intensity of two different...

A term that describes any state of glass before its manufacture as an element.

A geometric representation of a light path through an optical device; a line normal to the wavefront indicating the direction of radiant energy flow.

A graph of the intersections of a fan of rays with the final image plane, plotted as a function of the positions of the rays in the pupil of the system.

Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene. It involves tracing the path of rays of light as they travel through a...

When a lens system with a circular aperture is free of aberrations, the image of a point object will appear as a disc of finite size surrounded by concentric rings. When two points are separated such...

A device that is used to determine the index of refraction of a gas or liquid through the interference patterns formed by two beams of light, one of which has been transmitted by the sample. A single...

The restriction of wavefront error to within a quarter of a wavelength of a true spherical surface to assure essentially perfect image quality.

That element of a spectrum line in scattered radiation having a frequency equal to that of the corresponding incident radiation, due to ordinary or Rayleigh scattering.

A prism system designed to produce a very high dispersion of light.

In the region of a Gaussian beam focus by a diffraction-limited lens, it is the axial distance from the point of minimum beam waist (Wo) to the point where the beam diameter has increased to .

Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon that occurs when light waves interact with particles or molecules that are much smaller than the wavelength of the light. It is named after the British scientist...

Reactive evaporation refers to a process in thin-film deposition where a material is deposited onto a substrate through evaporation, and chemical reactions take place during or after the evaporation...

In chemistry, a device in which a chemical reaction takes place. In electronics, a device that introduces reactance into a circuit.

The transparent component of an optical reader that transmits the image rays of the characters to be read.

An optical storage product that can be used for playback only.

In an optical data storage system, denoting the optical head's ability both to record information and to detect it for playback.

That part of a magnetic or optical tape or disc drive that retrieves data from or records data on the recording media.

A low-power magnifier that usually has a large diameter.

A reagent is a substance or compound that is used in a chemical reaction to bring about a specific transformation or to detect the presence or absence of another substance. Reagents are employed in...

An image that is formed when rays emerging from an optical system all converge to a point on the optical axis. A real image can be seen on a screen in the image space of the given optical system.