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crystal grating
A crystal that may serve as a diffraction grating if mounted effectively.
crystal laser -> solid-state laser
A solid-state laser is a type of laser that uses a solid gain medium (as opposed to a liquid or gas) to produce coherent light. The term "solid-state" refers to the fact that the active medium, where...
crystal lattice
A regular, periodic, geometric array of points corresponding to the positions of the atoms in a perfect crystal.
crystal optics
The study of the transmission of radiant energy through crystals, especially anisotropic crystals, and their effects on polarization.
crystal oscillator
An oscillator that uses a piezoelectric crystal to control its frequency.
crystal oven
A temperature-controlled container used to stabilize the temperature and resonant frequency of a crystal found in a crystal-controlled oscillator.
crystal quartz
The naturally occurring crystalline form of silicon dioxide. It is slightly birefringent and exhibits rotary dispersion of light rays transmitted along the crystal axis, both right-hand and left-hand...
crystal spectrograph
A system that applies a crystal as a diffracting agent to photograph the spectrum.
crystal spectrometer
A device designed to measure crystal properties by analysis of crystal diffraction.
crystalline axes
The axes of symmetry in a crystal structure. See also biaxial crystal; uniaxial crystal.
crystalline lens
The internal lens of the eye. It is semielastic to permit changes in its power when focusing on objects at near distances.
crystallite
A small region within a single crystal where the molecules form a perfect lattice.
crystallized glass
Glass of special composition that is melted, formed into desired shapes, and subjected to a high-temperature treatment in which the glass undergoes a stage of nucleic formation, and a second stage,...
crystallogram
The photographic record of the diffraction pattern formed when x-rays pass through a crystal.
crystallography
The analysis of the atomic structures within crystals by means of x-ray diffraction.
cube-corner prism -> corner cube
A corner cube, also known as a corner reflector or retroreflector prism, is a type of optical device used to reflect light or electromagnetic waves back towards their source with minimal deviation in...
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite characterized by its standardized size and modular design. CubeSats are typically used for scientific research, technology demonstration, educational...
cubic convolution
A method of resampling in which a 16-pixel neighborhood around a given pixel from the original image is used to calculate the final brightness value of that pixel in the corrected image.
cup bevel
A bevel produced by grinding with a cup-shaped tool.
Curie temperature
The temperature above which a ferromagnetic material becomes only paramagnetic.
curie
Standard maintained by the International Commission on Radiological Units as a unit of radioactivity defined as the quantity of any radioactive nuclide in which the number of disintegrations per...
curing
The use of chemicals or radiation to induce a desired change in a substance; e.g., some optical adhesives are set by exposure to ultraviolet light and are said to be UV-curing.
current saturation
A condition during laser operation when laser output can no longer be increased by additional electric current.
current transient
A sudden, brief increase in current or voltage in a circuit that can damage sensitive components and instruments. Preventive measures include slow-starter circuits, filtering and static control.
cursor
On a display monitor, a small, mobile rectangle, cross-hair or pointer that locates a feature in an image that is the object of attention, or indicates where the next character will appear in word...
curvature
The measure of departure from a flat surface, as applied to lenses; the reciprocal of radius. Applies to any surface, including lenses, mirrors and image surfaces.
curvature loss -> macrobend loss
In an optical waveguide, that loss attributable to macrobending. Macrobending usually causes little or no radiative loss.
curvature of field
A lens aberration that causes a flat object surface to be imaged onto a curved surface rather than a plane.
curvilinear distortion
A lens aberration in which the focal length varies radially outward from the center of the field. It has the effect of making a straight tangential line in the object appear curved in the image,...
custom optic
A custom optic refers to an optical component that is designed, manufactured, and tailored to meet specific requirements or applications. These optics can include lenses, mirrors, prisms, filters, or...
cut plane
In computer graphics, intersection of a plane with a three-dimensional object to create a sectional view.
cutback technique
A technique for measuring fiber attenuation or distortion by performing two transmission measurements. One is at the output end of the full length of the fiber. The other is within 1 to 3 m of the...
cutoff wavelength
1. In detector technology, the long wavelength at which detector response falls to a set percentage (usually 20 or 50 percent). 2. In fiber optics, the shortest wavelength at which a fiber transmits...
cuton wavelength
In filter terminology, that wavelength where the filter transmission increases beyond 5 percent.
cutting
The process of forming a lens to a given pattern, or of cutting a piece of glass along the line of scratch.
cutting center
The point on a cutting line that will become the geometrical center of the cut lens.
cyanocrylate cement
Adhering material used to glue optical components that transmit in the infrared. It is easily dissolved by acetone.
cyanometer
An instrument designed to measure the proportion of light emitted by a source in the blue region of the spectrum.
cyanometry
The analysis of light in the blue region of the visible spectrum.
cyberspace -> virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment or experience that can be interacted with and explored by an individual using electronic devices, such as a...
cycloidal mass spectrometer
A small mass spectrometer, with a limited mass range, equipped with an analyzer to generate a cycloidal-path beam of the sample.
cyclotron resonance
The tendency of charge carriers to spiral about an axis in a direction identical to that of an applied magnetic field that has an angular frequency formed by the value of the applied field and the...
cylinder axis
In a cylindrical lens, the meridian parallel to the generating lines of the cylindrical surface. In a toric lens, the cylinder axis is the axis of the equivalent cylindrical surface that has been...
cylindrical lens
A cylindrical lens is an optical component that has different curvatures along its two orthogonal axes, resulting in a shape resembling a cylinder. Unlike spherical lenses, which have the same...
cystoscope
An endoscope used for the visual examination of the bladder.
Czerny-Turner design
A form of monochromator optical system consisting of two spherical concave mirrors used in conjunction with a movable diffraction grating.
Czochralski technique
Popular process for silicon and polycrystalline production that consists of an alteration of the original state of a substance; thus, single-crystal materials can be used to form a polycrystal.
D*
A value used to designate the relative sensitivity of a detector. The higher the D* value, the better the detector.
D-star -> D*
A value used to designate the relative sensitivity of a detector. The higher the D* value, the better the detector.
Dall-Kirkham telescope
A telescope similar to the customary Cassegrain telescope, but having a primary mirror that is ellipsoidal and a secondary that is spherical.

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