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Photonics Dictionary

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crosshairs -> cross wire

Fine lines, wires or threads used in the focal plane of many optical instruments to point out and locate particular objects in the field of view. They were formerly made from a single strand of...

crosstalk

The measurable leakage of optical energy from one optical conductor to another. Also known as optical coupling.

crown glass

One of the two principal types of optical glass, the other being flint glass. Crown glass is harder than flint glass, and has a lower index of refraction and lower dispersion. Both types are used in...

crush strength

The physical limit of an optical fiber or cable to withstand an applied force or weight perpendicular to the axis of the fiber.

crystal

A solid with a structure that exhibits a basically symmetrical and geometrical arrangement. A crystal may already possess this structure, or it may acquire it through mechanical means. More than 50...

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...

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...

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.

curvature loss -> macrobend loss

In an optical waveguide, that loss attributable to macrobending. Macrobending usually causes little or no radiative loss.

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...

CVROS

compact video-rate optical scanner

cyanocrylate cement

Adhering material used to glue optical components that transmit in the infrared. It is easily dissolved by acetone.

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...

Czerny-Turner design

A form of monochromator optical system consisting of two spherical concave mirrors used in conjunction with a movable diffraction grating.

Dammann grating

A Dammann grating is a type of diffractive optical element (DOE) used to create an array of equally spaced, uniform-intensity spots or beams. It is named after its inventor, Dr. Herbert Dammann. The...

damped least squares

An organizational method used in optical design computer programs. The technique produces one number (merit function) to measure the state of correction of an optical system. This number, which is...

dark current

The current that flows in a photodetector when there is no optical radiation incident on the detector and operating voltages are applied.

dark noise

The noise produced in a photodetector when the photocathode is shielded from all external optical radiation and operating voltages are applied.

dark signal -> dark current

The current that flows in a photodetector when there is no optical radiation incident on the detector and operating voltages are applied.

data bus

A system incorporated into fiber optic data communications characterized by several spatially distributed terminals that are served with the same multiplexed signal.

deblocking

The removal of optical elements from a block.

decentering

1. The grinding or edging of a lens so that the geometrical center and optical center do not coincide. 2. The shifting of an optical element from the system's optical axis, sometimes done on purpose...

decentration

In a single element, any lack of coincidence between the optical and the mechanical axes. In a lens system, any lack of coincidence of optical axes of the lens elements that make up that system.

decentration aberration

An aberration occurring in a lens system when one or more of the centers of curvature of the optical surfaces do not coincide with the system's axis.

decision-theoretic character recognition

An approach to optical character recognition based on matching the input character against a set of stored prototypes.

decision-tree classification

A structural method of optical character recognition, used where the input media are variable, as in hand-written or multifont documents. A series of questions (such as "Does the character contain a...

deep multiphoton microscopy

Deep multiphoton microscopy is an advanced imaging technique used in biological and biomedical research to visualize structures and processes deep within tissues with high resolution. It combines the...

deep-ultraviolet laser

A deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser is a type of laser that emits light in the deep ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically with wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm down to 10 nm....

deeply depressed cladding fiber

An optical fiber, usually a single-mode fiber, that has an outer cladding with nearly the same index of refraction as the core and an inner cladding with a very low index of refraction.

defect function -> error function

A single number, defined by the computer program or the user that expresses the performance of an optical system. Also known as merit function and defect function, the error function comprises...

definition

The clarity of an optically reproduced image. Definition is produced by the combination of resolution and acutance.

deflection under static load

For an optical table, the amount of displacement that occurs when a heavy load is placed or moved on the surface. To measure deflection under static load, a 113-kg (250 lb) weight is placed in the...

delay line

A device used to delay transmission of a signal for functions such as memory loops, sequential processing or built-in testing. The delay can be achieved by coiling long lengths of coaxial cable or...

delta error

The term delta error (delta-E) generally refers to the difference or change in error between two values or states. The word "delta" is often used in mathematics and science to represent a change or...

dense wavelength division multiplexing

Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) is an optical communication technique used to increase the data-carrying capacity of optical fiber networks by simultaneously transmitting multiple...

densitometer

1. An instrument used to measure the opacity or density of dyes, pigments or dispersed particles that form an image in or on a medium, such as a photographic film. 2. A device used to measure the...

density -> optical density

A measure of the transmittance through an optical medium. Optical density equals the log to the base 10 of the reciprocal of the transmittance. where τλ is transmittance. In spectroscopy,...

detector noise-limited operation

In optical communication systems, operations in which the amplitude of the pulses, as opposed to their width, determines the distance between repeaters.

detem

A device in which the functions of optical detector and emitter are combined.

DGaO

Deutsche Gesellschaft für angewandte Optik (German Society for Applied Optics)

diamond cutting tool

A tool made by imbedding small particles of diamond in the working edge. In the optical field, the most commonly used diamond tools are glass saws, cup-shaped tools for curve generators, and diamond...

diamond turning

Diamond turning, also known as diamond machining or diamond cutting, is a precision machining process used to produce high-quality optical surfaces and components with extremely tight tolerances. It...

diamondlike carbon film

A very hard, highly transparent coating based on forms of carbon, used to protect optical components from abrasion and chemical damage.

diaphragm

A flanged or plain ring with a restricted aperture, located in an optical system at any of several points, that cuts off marginal light rays not essential to image formation. Diaphragms are used as...

diascope

1. An optical device used for projection of enlarged images of transparencies or lantern slides on a screen. 2. A device designed to hold and backlight transparencies so that their images can be...

diasporometer

In an optical rangefinder, the system of wedges that rotate in opposite directions to aid in the detection of deviation in the image axis.

dichalcogenide

Dichalcogenides are a class of compounds composed of two atoms of a chalcogen element bonded to a single atom of a metal or metalloid element. Chalcogens are the elements in group 16 of the periodic...

dichroic coating

A dichroic coating, also known as a dichroic filter or dichroic mirror, is an optical coating designed to selectively transmit or reflect certain wavelengths of light while simultaneously absorbing...

dichroic mirror

A dichroic mirror, also known as a dichroic beamsplitter or interference filter beamsplitter, is an optical device that selectively reflects or transmits light based on its wavelength. Dichroic...

dichroism

Dichroism refers to the property of certain materials to exhibit different colors or absorbance of light depending on the direction of light propagation or polarization. The term is commonly used in...

Photonics Dictionary

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