8,726 terms
Photonics Dictionary
circumzenithal arcThe halo phenomenon of a brightly colored arc having the colors of the rainbow and lying parallel to the horizon.
CIScompensated imaging system
CLcathodoluminescence
CLAcenter line averaged
claddingThe low-refractive-index material that surrounds the core of an optical fiber to contain core light while protecting against surface contaminant scattering. In all-glass fibers, the cladding is...
cladding glassIn fiber optics, the glass that is found around the glass core of the fiber, and that has a lower refractive index than the fiber.
cladding modeA mode that is confined by virtue of a lower-index medium surrounding the cladding. Cladding modes, in the terminology of mode descriptors, are equivalent to cladding rays in the terminology of...
cladding mode stripperA mechanism or device, especially a coating with a refractive index equal to or slightly greater than that of an optical fiber's cladding, that removes modes propagating through the cladding by...
cladding rayA ray that is reflected into the core of an optical fiber from the outer surface of the cladding.
CLASPclosed-loop adaptive single parameter
classification durationFor a laser, the maximum exposure time that the laser design allows; 0.25 seconds for a Class 2 laser.
Clayden effectThe desensitization of the first photographic exposure after it has been subjected to high-intensity radiation.
cleaning equipmentIn optics, degreasers or ultrasonic arrangements used for removing pitch, cement or polishing material from lenses during manufacture. It also may refer to manual cleaning devices used immediately...
cleanroomAn area in which airborne particulates can be monitored and controlled so that given size particles do not exceed a specified concentration, thereby eliminating potential dysfunctions in gyroscopes,...
clear apertureThe limited light-gathering area of an optical system. The area is normally restricted to an edge or outer surface of an individual component. Also known as free aperture or objective aperture. The...
clear eye distanceIn a visual optical system, the axial distance from the last mechanical surface of the eyepiece to the exit pupil.
clear filter -> compensating glassAlso known as clear glass or clear filter. The clear glass plate is used to simulate a filter, in converging or diverging light, to maintain focus.
cleared outDenoting a finished circular edge. A decentered lens is adjusted on a centering chuck so that its image runs true, and the lens is then edged. A circular edge is one that has been cleared out....
clearingAlso called shining. Grinding and polishing one surface of a blank to permit a more thorough examination for quality.
cleavage planesNaturally occurring planes in crystalline substances that provide easy points for separation.
CLEOConference on Lasers and Electro-Optics
CLFcapacitive loss factor
clinical photographyThe application of photography, with the exception of radiography, to obtain pictures of parts or the whole of a patient to make a diagnosis.
clinometerAn instrument for measuring the vertical angle of an object. It usually contains an accurately made protractor, a sensitive level bubble, and a sighting device, such as a small telescope.
CLIPcellular logic image processor
clippingA defect in an optical system that prevents rays from reaching their intended destination; it can be caused by an undersized aperture, a baffle out of position, etc. In imaging applications, removing...
clockA signal, generated by an oscillator, that provides the means of synchronization of operations in a data communications network.
closed-circuit television systemA television system that does not broadcast television signals but transmits them over a closed circuit.
closed-loop adaptive single parameterA closed-loop system that compensates for thermal blooming by optimizing only one parameter: the amplitude of the phase correction.
closingIn morphological image processing, a series of dilations followed by the same number of erosions.
CLSMconfocal laser scanning microscope
CLUcentral logic unit
CLUTcolor look-up table
CLVconstant linear velocity
cmcentimeter
cm/scentimeter per second
CMAchannel multiplier array
CMLcurrent mode logic
CMMcoordinate measuring machine
CMOScomplementary metal-oxide semiconductor
CMOS -> complementary metal-oxide semiconductorComplementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) refers to a technology used in the fabrication of integrated circuits, particularly semiconductor devices like microprocessors, memory chips, and image...
CMOS cameraA CMOS camera refers to an imaging device that employs a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor to capture digital images. CMOS cameras have become ubiquitous due to their low...
CMOS image sensorA CMOS image sensor, short for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor, is a type of semiconductor device used to capture visual information and convert it into electrical signals for...
CMOS quantitative polymerase chain reaction systemThis type of miniaturized system, referred to as CMOS qPCR, combines microfluidic technology with an ultralow-light CMOS bio-optical sensor with LEDs as the optical excitation source to achieve...
CMOS/SOScomplementary metal-oxide semiconductor/silicon on sapphire
CMPchemical mechanical polishing
CMScladding mode suppression
CNCcomputer numerical control
CNETCentre National d'Etudes de Telecommunications (France)
CNNconvolutional neural network
Photonics Dictionary