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8,726 terms

Photonics Dictionary

superluminal transmission

Superluminal transmission refers to the hypothetical process of transmitting information faster than the speed of light, which is commonly denoted as superluminal or faster-than-light (FTL)...

superluminescent light-emitting diode

An emitter based on stimulated emission with amplification but insufficient feedback for oscillation to build up.

superradiance

Directional and coherent radiation pulses that result from an ensemble of coherently prepared states in an optical medium.

superreflector

A reflector having a surface that has been superpolished to reduce residual sleeks and scratches and microroughness so that its scatter coefficient is low. Its surface is said to have a low-scatter...

superresolution

Superresolution refers to the enhancement or improvement of the spatial resolution beyond the conventional limits imposed by the diffraction of light. In the context of imaging, it is a set of...

supertwisted birefringent effect display

A liquid crystal display using the material in its supertwisted nematic phase; the birefringence of the liquid crystal results in a characteristic yellow or blue color, unless corrected.

supertwisted nematic phase

A form of liquid crystal in which the 90° twist of the twisted nematic phase has been increased to 180° or more, resulting in higher contrast and a wider viewer angle in the display.

supplementary lens

A meniscus that is often fitted before a camera lens to permit focusing on near objects.

suprathermal ion detector

A mass spectrometer used to detect ions formed by photo- and charge-exchange ionization of gases, such as those in the lunar atmosphere.

surface

1. In optics, one of the exterior faces of an optical element. 2. The process of grinding or generating the face of an optical element.

surface analysis by laser ionization

(SALI) A type of spectroscopy in which neutral atoms or molecules are ionized by an excimer laser beam and then measured by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

surface electromagnetic waves

Waves that propagate along the interface between two different media without radiation with exponentially decaying evanescent fields on both sides.

surface error

The departure of an optical surface from its required tolerance or figure.

surface normal -> normal

Sometimes referred to as the surface normal or 'surface norm'; the normal is an axis that forms right angles with a surface that light is incident upon or with other lines. The normal is used to...

surface plate

A large table with an accurately designed plane surface used to test other surfaces, or to provide a true surface for accurately locating a testing fixture. Most commonly made of granite.

surface profile

A representation of the shape of a surface, including any roughness or other irregularities. The profile can be generated by direct measurements, as by a stylus, or by remote measurement, as by an...

surface quality

The specification of allowable flaws in a surface by comparison to reference standards of quality. Two graded sets of surface quality standards are employed. The first denotes defects of a long...

surface quality standards

The standards of MIL-O-13830 set by the US government relative to tolerable surface scratches and other such defects in an optical system. A series of standard glass plates that have been...

surface reflection

Also known as Fresnel reflection. That portion of the incident radiation that is reflected from the surface of a refractive material. It is a function of the refractive index of the material. At...

surface wave

A wave that is guided by the interface between two different media or by a refractive index gradient in the medium. The field components of the wave may exist (in principle) throughout space, even to...

surface-emitting laser diode

A semiconductor laser diode that emits light perpendicular to the active region. The output radiation is taken through the surface as opposed to through a cleaved mirror.

surface-enhanced Raman optical data storage

A technique of optical storage whereby information is encoded by molecular alterations in the interaction between the optical layer and the substrate.

surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that enhances the Raman scattering signal of molecules adsorbed on or near certain nanostructured surfaces. Raman...

surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique that combines the principles of Raman spectroscopy with the enhancement provided by nanostructured metallic surfaces. Raman...

surface-mount device

A surface-mount device (SMD) is an electronic component that is mounted directly onto the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) rather than being inserted into holes drilled in the board (as with...

surface-mount LEDs

Surface-mount LEDs (SMD LEDs) are light-emitting diodes designed for mounting directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs) without the need for leads or wires. Unlike traditional...

surround

A term that describes both the color and intensity of the immediate environment of the object or image being viewed.

surveying instruments

Instruments used for measuring angles and occasionally lengths on the ground. The principal surveying instruments are the level, the stadia telescope, the transit and the theodolite. Laser...

surveyor's level

A small telescope mounted on a tripod and free to rotate about a vertical axis. A spirit level is mounted over the telescope and adjusted so that when the bubble is central, the telescope axis is...

sustaining voltage

In a laser, the voltage necessary to sustain a constant operating current, somewhat less than that needed for start-up.

sievert

SVC

Society of Vacuum Coaters

SVR

slant visibility range

swarf

The material removed during diamond machining of glass components.

SWCNT

single-walled carbon nanotube

swept source optical coherence tomography

Swept-source optical coherence tomography is an imaging technique used in medical diagnostics, particularly in ophthalmology, to visualize and analyze the internal structures of biological tissues,...

swept-source laser

A swept-source laser, also known as a wavelength-swept laser, is a type of laser that rapidly and continuously changes its emission wavelength over time. This continuous wavelength tuning is achieved...

swept-source Raman spectroscopy

swept-source Raman spectroscopy is an advanced analytical technique that combines the principles of Raman spectroscopy with a swept-source laser system. It enables rapid and sensitive chemical...

swindle ghost image

A positive after-image that is maintained for a minute or more.

swing

The length of the oscillation of a grinding or polishing lap.

SWIR

short-wavelength infrared

SWP

short-wave pass

SWR

short-wave radiation

SXT

solar-A soft x-ray telescope

symmetrical lens

A lens system made up of two sets of similar lenses, each of which compensates for many of the aberrations produced by the other. The lens sets are arranged symmetrically on either side of the...

symmetry operation

Any systemic process that ultimately reassembles all the system's components into their initial alignment, or an arrangement that exactly reproduces the initial relative alignment.

synapse

A synapse is a specialized junction between two neurons (nerve cells) or between a neuron and a target cell (such as a muscle or gland cell). It is the fundamental functional unit of communication in...

sync

Abbreviation of "synchronization.'' In television, the timing signals used to drive the scanning process. Horizontal sync triggers the retracing of the raster line beginning at the left-hand...

synchronous detector

A detector sensitive only to signals close to or at a particular frequency that is the same as the frequency of a control signal applied independently. The synchronous detector also is...

synchronous optical network

A standard for fiber optic telecommunications interfaces, with a 1300-nm data link operating over single-mode fiber at data rates of 52, 155 and 622 Mb/s.

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Photonics Dictionary

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