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6,178 terms

Photonics Dictionary

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pyroelectric pulse detector

A current-source thermal detector used to detect and study the pulses obtained from particular lasers.

pyrometer -> optical pyrometer

An instrument for determining the temperature of a hot object by examining the color spectrum of the visible light it gives off and comparing it to the known temperature and wavelength spectrum of...

quadratic phase terms

Conceptual formulas that characterize both the transmittance functions of lenses and propagation in the Fresnel zone.

quantum detector

A photodetector in which an electrical charge is produced when incident photons change electrons within the detecting material from nonconducting to conducting states. See photoconductive detector;...

quantum photodetector -> photodetector

A photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical signal. Photodetectors are widely used in various applications, ranging from...

quantum repeater

A quantum repeater is a crucial component in quantum communication networks, designed to extend the range over which quantum information can be transmitted. Quantum information, typically carried by...

quantum-limited operation

Operation in which the minimum detectable signal is set because of variations in the average signal current; e.g., quantum noise.

quarter-wave plate

A plate made of a double-refracting crystal having such a density that a phase difference of one-quarter cycle is formed between the ordinary and extraordinary elements of light passing through.

quartz plate

A crystalline-quartz plate designed according to specifications but having its two major faces parallel.

quaternary

Made up of four elements; for instance, gadolinium, scandium, gallium and garnet (GSGG).

radiant intensity

The radiant energy emitted within a time period per unit solid angle, usually measured in watts per steradian.

radiation counter

An instrument used to recognize and identify incident radiation by the ionizing or stimulating properties of the radiation.

radiation detector

Any of the many devices used to detect the presence of radiation from a specific region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

radiation pattern

Relative power distribution as a function of position or angle.

radiation pyrometer

Also known as radiation thermometer. A pyrometer in which the radiant intensity from the source to be measured is used to calculate its temperature. The usual detector is a thermocouple, thermopile...

radiation temperature

The temperature of a complete radiator that has a total radiant emittance identical to that of an unknown resource.

radio telescope

An instrument designed to collect naturally formed extraterrestrial electromagnetic radiation within the radio frequency range of the spectrum in amounts sufficient to be measured.

radioactivity detector

An instrument used to detect radioactive materials: alpha particles or helium nuclei; beta particles or free electrons; and gamma rays, which are x-rays of very short wavelength. They may be detected...

radiometer

A device used to measure the intensity of radiant energy.

Raman scattering -> Raman scattering

Raman scattering, also known as the Raman effect or Raman spectroscopy, is a phenomenon in which light undergoes inelastic scattering when interacting with matter, such as molecules, crystals, or...

Raman scattering

Raman scattering, also known as the Raman effect or Raman spectroscopy, is a phenomenon in which light undergoes inelastic scattering when interacting with matter, such as molecules, crystals, or...

Raman shifter

A device that changes the frequency of light by inducing the Raman effect on a beam passing through it.

rapid access system

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.

raster

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

raster image processor

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

raster scan display

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

Raster scanning

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...

raster unit

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

ratiometer

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

ray intercept plot

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.

Rayleigh criterion of resolving power

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...

Rayleigh interferometer

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...

Rayleigh scattering

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...

read-write capability

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

read-write head

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

reconstructed image

An image that appears when a hologram is illuminated by a suitable light source, generally a laser beam.

rectilinear system

An optical system that is corrected for distortion and spherical aberration and therefore forms the image of a straight line as a straight line.

reference white

The light from a nonselective diffuse reflector due to the standard illumination of the scene to be televised.

reflectance estimate

The output of spectral channels written as an integral function of known solar irradiance, atmospheric transmittance and camera spectral responsivity, and the unknown spectral reflectance.

reflectance spectrophotometer

An instrument that spectrally analyzes the flux reflected from a material. The reflected flux may be total, diffuse or specular. Often the instrument measures the reflectance factor instead of the...

reflected light meter

An exposure meter that indicates the amount of light reflected from the subject of interest.

reflected ray

The light ray leaving a reflecting surface, indicating the path of light after reflection.

reflected ultraviolet photography

A photographic method used to obtain an image of a subject by means of its reflectance of incident ultraviolet radiation. An ultraviolet source is used to irradiate the subject, while the reflected...

reflecting galvanometer

A galvanometer having a small mirror that is mounted on a moving element and that reflects a light beam onto a scale.

reflecting telescope

A telescope that uses a reflecting objective to focus an image of a distant object at a focal point.

reflectometer

An instrument for measuring reflectance.

refracted near-field scattering method -> refracted ray method

The technique for measuring the index profile of an optical fiber by scanning the entrance face with the vertex of a high numerical aperture cone and measuring the change in power of refracted...

refracted ray

A light ray that has had its direction altered because of its traversing an air-to-glass interface at some angle. In an optical waveguide, a ray that is refracted from the core into the cladding.

refracted ray method

The technique for measuring the index profile of an optical fiber by scanning the entrance face with the vertex of a high numerical aperture cone and measuring the change in power of refracted...

refracted wave

A wave of radiation that has undergone refraction.

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