Photonics Dictionary

An adaptometer is an instrument used to assess the adaptation of the human eye's sensitivity to changes in ambient light conditions. It typically involves exposing the eye to controlled levels of...

Additive color mixing refers to the process of creating colors by combining different wavelengths of light. In this system, red, green, and blue (RGB) are considered primary colors. By mixing varying...

The additive color process refers to the method of creating color by combining different wavelengths of light. This process is fundamental in various applications, particularly in: ...

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a manufacturing process that involves creating three-dimensional objects by adding material layer by layer. This is in contrast to...

The additivity of luminance refers to a principle in visual perception and color theory where the perceived brightness of a combination of light sources or colors is the sum of the brightness of each...

The code signifying the location of the information being sought on a CD-ROM.

Optical addressability refers to the capability to control or manipulate individual elements that emit or modulate light (such as pixels in a display or light sources in an optical network) using...

Optical thin film adhesion specifically refers to the adhesion properties of thin films used in optical applications. Here’s a detailed definition: Thin film materials: Optical thin films...

An intermolecular substance that serves to hold materials together. Two types are used in the optical industry: one, which must be transparent and colorless, to cement lenses together; and a...

Adiabatic laser colorimetry is a technique used to measure the color of materials based on the principle of adiabatic demagnetization. Principle: Adiabatic laser colorimetry relies on the...

The adjacency effect refers to a phenomenon in remote sensing and image analysis where the characteristics of an object or area are influenced by its proximity to other objects or features within the...

The process by which a substance, usually a solid, attracts and retains on its surface the molecules of another substance.

A chemical placed in a solution that will indicate when an excess of a substance or ion has been reached by coloring the precipitate after the chemical itself has been totally adsorbed.

The advanced communication technology satellite (ACTS) was a program developed by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the United States to demonstrate and advance satellite...

A television format with enhanced vertical resolution (400 lines as compared with the standard 330) that, unlike high-definition television, can operate on existing bandwidths and with existing...

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) refers to a set of safety features and technologies designed to assist drivers in the driving process and enhance overall vehicle safety. These systems use...

An accelerator at the Argonne National Laboratory, providing powerful x-ray beams for materials research applications.

An aerial reconnaissance system that can transmit, in near real time, image data recorded by IR and visual-spectrum sensors, providing day, night and foul-weather intelligence.

A glow discharge lamp consisting of a cold cathode and a mixture of inert gases. The intensity of illumination varies with the applied signal voltage. This lamp was commonly used as a source of...

Camera designed for the imaging of the earth's surface in order to obtain high quality aerial images

Film designed especially for the needs and conditions encountered in aerial photography. It is produced in a variety of widths, lengths and emulsions.

The use of photographs taken from the air to construct graphic maps and charts of ground surfaces.

An optical illusion in which distant objects are lighter in tone and less distinct in outline than those closer to the observer because of the atmospheric diffusion of light.

The application of aerial photographs as a means of measurement in map making and surveying.

Photographing of terrain on the ground and objects in the air by cameras mounted in aircraft; utilized in satellites, multispectral scanning and intricate data handling systems.

The use of optical or electronic recording systems to extract information from the terrain, while aloft, for reconnaissance applications.

The creation of a planned sequence of data input that is obtained while airborne for use in aerial photogrammetry and other types of map making and surveying. The data can be photographic, electronic...

The creation of topographical maps and charts from a stereographic record produced through the overlapping of consecutive aerial photographs by more than 50 percent.

A two-phase system consisting of dispersed liquid or solid particles in a gas; examples include dust, smoke and clouds.

In aerial photography, the geometric method of indicating the three-dimensional location of ground points from a pair of aerial photographs.

Transformation of an image, such as a change in position or scale, that does not alter the linearity of the original image.

An optical system with object and image points at infinity. Literally, "without a focal length."

That image remaining on the detector after the primary stimulus has been removed. In the visual system, the after-image commonly appears as the complementary color of the primary stimulus.

The luminosity that remains in a rarefied gas after an electrodeless discharge has traversed the gas.

Agri-photonics refers to the application of photonics technologies in agriculture. Photonics involves the generation, manipulation, and detection of light and other forms of radiant energy whose...

An AI system-on-chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that integrates hardware components optimized for performing AI computations efficiently. These components typically include: AI accelerators:...

A visible laser beam generated coaxially with an infrared or other invisible laser beam to aid in its positioning.

A support device in which a column or chamber of air permits the free travel of a mobile part. In optical mounting and positioning equipment, air bearings are of two types, linear or rotary,...