Photonics Dictionary

The Higgs boson is a fundamental particle associated with the Higgs field, a field that permeates the universe and is responsible for giving mass to other fundamental particles through the mechanism...

In plano work, that property of a surface determining that it is convex and contacts a flat test glass at its center.

A term used to describe a photograph, film or television picture where the values for black and white areas are at or near their limits, thereby giving the maximum degree of difference between them.

High dynamic range (HDR) refers to a technology that allows for a broader and more dynamic range of luminosity in visual content, such as images or videos. It is particularly associated with displays...

High harmonic generation (HHG) refers to a nonlinear optical process in which intense laser light interacts with a gaseous medium, typically an atom or a molecule, to produce harmonics of the...

Also known as HCS, an analytical method designed to collect statistically relevant amounts of quantitative data on many parallel cell populations or processes within cells through the combination of...

Extensive data storage in the form of bits, with the use of high-resolution photographic materials and optics, and generally a laser.

Distortion of the high frequencies of a signal. In television, the term generally applies to frequencies above the 15.7 kHz line frequency.

A screen with a reflected or transmitted light beam that is confined to a much smaller bundle than was received by the screen, thereby resulting in a higher luminance.

A superthin, highly reflective mirror.

Optical fiber in which the attenuation exceeds the normally acceptable level for long-haul or data communications use.

A filter possessing one transmission band that extends from a cutoff frequency other than zero to frequency at infinity.

A very high bandwidth communication line often used in fiber optics.

A cloud chamber designed to maintain the gas within it at a high pressure as a means of reducing the range of the high-energy particles and, subsequently, increasing the chances of observing...

A satellite-borne remote sensing device capable of transmitting images at 10 and 20 m resolution from an altitude of 830 km, each sensor covering a ground area of 60 km, by means of a folded...

A high-sensitivity camera is a type of camera designed to perform well in low light conditions, capturing clear and detailed images with minimal noise. These cameras typically feature advanced sensor...

The holographic recording of sequences of high-speed phenomena. With a multiple beam laser, multiple holograms that depict rapid events can be formed on a single medium.

A high-speed motion camera, also known as a high-speed camera or slow-motion camera, is a specialized imaging device designed to capture fast-moving events or phenomena at extremely high frame rates....

A camera designed to record at rates exceeding 50 fps. For frame rates up to about 500 fps, an ordinary pull-down mechanism can be used. From 500 to 1000 fps, the film must be moved continuously, the...

Photography involving the recording of events that occur too fast to be perceived by the human eye or recorded by conventional photographic techniques. See high-speed movie camera; high-speed...

A method of producing x-ray exposures as short as 0.03 µs; the primary application is in ballistic radiography.

A shutter actuated by means other than mechanical springs for timings on the order of nanoseconds. The shutter is used in the photography of rapid moving objects or events.

A still camera with a shutter capable of opening for a time as short as a fraction of a microsecond. An electronically operated Kerr cell often is employed.

An electron tube whose electrical characteristics will not be affected by gaseous ionization because of its high degree of evacuation. Also known as a hard tube.

An imaging device whose technology contributes three specific advantages: ability to study large solid specimens that exhibit behavior in bulk; conduction of in situ studies of radiation damage; and...

The portion of a reproduced image having the greatest luminance.

A fish-eye lens designed to photograph cloud formations over the entire visible sky.

A system of Japanese origin that utilizes Fresnel lenses and a fiber optic network to transmit sunlight to otherwise inaccessible areas.

A null optic in the form of a concave spherical mirror; used for the test and evaluation of a hyperboloidal aspheric surface.

Histochemical staining is a laboratory technique used in biology and medicine to visualize specific chemical components within biological tissues. This technique involves the application of various...

A graphic representation of a distribution function such as frequency by means of rectangles whose widths represent the intervals into which the observed values' range is divided and whose heights...

Histology is the branch of biology and medicine that involves the study of the microscopic structure of tissues and organs at the cellular and subcellular levels. It is a field that focuses on the...

Techniques used in biology to produce microradiographs of cells, tissues or small organisms.

The dip or gap in the profile of a laser beam's line width when it is both homogeneously and inhomogeneously broadened. When an inhomogeneously broadened spectral line is saturated by incident light,...

An infrared-transmitting optical fiber with a hollow core; it can be square, round or rectangular in cross section. Capable of carrying high laser power but subject to high bending losses.