Photonics Dictionary

In the SI system, prefix meaning 1012. (T).

Electromagnetic radiation with frequencies between 300 GHz and 10 THz, and existing between regions of the electromagnetic spectrum that are typically classified as the far-infrared and microwave...

A terahertz spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyze the properties of materials in the terahertz frequency range, typically spanning from about 0.1 to 10 terahertz (THz),...

Terahertz (THz) refers to a unit of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum, denoting waves with frequencies between 0.1 and 10 terahertz. One terahertz is equivalent to one trillion hertz, or...

A synonym for spatial coherence. See spatially coherent radiation.

An optical matrix that does not require perfection in both states of the crosspoint, so that all the optical switches can be tap-off devices in which a fraction of the optical energy is transferred...

The process of attaching a device to the end of a fiber cable to enable the beam to be transmitted farther, to pass to another device and to avoid reflection.

Made up of three components; for instance yttrium, aluminum and garnet (YAG).

Refers to a notation system using a base of 3 and the numerical characters 0, 1 and 2.

A telescope that produces an erect image. Erection is achieved either by a lens (for a long instrument) or a prism (for a compact instrument). Very small terrestrial telescopes of low power may be of...

The magnetic flux density given by a magnetic flux of one weber per square meter. (T).

A device used to detect elevation, pyramid and resolution errors in prisms and other components by bringing them into contact with the three highly polished, flat, perpendicular surfaces that form...

A transparent block shaped accurately to reverse curvatures of the components it is used to test. By contacting an accurately finished negative lens shape with a newly made positive, the conformity...

The section of crystal symmetry having only one-quarter of the greatest number of faces permitted by the crystal system of which the section is a member.

With respect to crystals, having three mutually rectangular axes, only two of which are equal.

An electron tube that has an anode, a cathode, a control electrode and another electrode (usually a screen grid).

A contraction for "texture element." A base unit used in computer graphics that defines the surface of three-dimensional objects. Texels are obtained from texture memory and represent color to be...

A photoconductive cell that uses thallium oxysulfide as the light-sensitive medium.

An instrument used to record infrared images of large areas. The recorded data are used to produce maps in false color indicating particular themes such as vegetation, cloud cover, temperature...

A precise telescope set on a pair of rotation axes, the horizontal and vertical axes equipped with two divided circles. One circle measures horizontal angles and the other measures vertical angles....

The effect that characterizes an intense laser beam that is passed through an absorbing medium, causing the absorbed energy to produce density changes that can alter the intensity distribution of the...

A technique for detecting free radicals by their electronic spectra. The material to be studied is placed in a temperature-controlled furnace through which radiation is propagated onto a...

Thermal imaging is a technology that detects infrared radiation (heat) emitted by objects and converts it into an image, known as a thermogram, which displays temperature variations in different...

A thermal-infrared camera, often referred to simply as a thermal camera, is a type of imaging device that detects infrared radiation emitted by objects due to their temperature. Unlike traditional...

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are substances or compounds used to enhance the thermal conductivity between two surfaces in contact. These materials are primarily employed in electronic devices,...

Operation in which the minimum detectable signal has its limits set by the thermal noise of the detector, the load resistance and the amplifier noise.

The emission of radiant energy in which the energy emitted originates in the thermal motion of the atoms or molecules of the source material.

A source that emits radiant energy when its molecules or atoms are thermally excited.

A term referring to various processes for forming visible images outside of a camera to be photographed on ordinary film. Unlike regular infrared photography, thermal photography is an indirect...

In a laser, a measure of the device's ability to dissipate internally generated heat.

A diode electron tube that contains a heated cathode.

The emission of free electrons by a rise in temperature of the cathode alone.

A solid-state semiconducting structure (basically one of the bolometers) that changes electrical resistance with temperature. Materially, some kind of ceramic composition is used. A thermistor has...

A material that changes color as it is heated or cooled.