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Hamamatsu Corp. - Mid-Infrared LED 11/24 HP

8,726 terms

Photonics Dictionary

array processor

In image processing, a specially designed programmable computer peripheral that attaches to the host system for the purpose of more rapid arithmetical calculations than the latter can supply. The...

Arrhenius plot

The plot that expresses a reaction rate vs. the reciprocal of absolute temperature. Often used to describe the thermal characteristics of laser applications such as ablation or annealing.

ARROW

antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide

arsenic trisulfide

A dark red opaque material that is transparent to the infrared beyond 1 µm.

artificial intelligence

The ability of a machine to perform certain complex functions normally associated with human intelligence, such as judgment, pattern recognition, understanding, learning, planning, and problem...

artificial pupil

iris or adjustable radially symmetric opening used for allowing the passage of useful light

artificial radioactivity

Radioactivity formed by the bombardment of stable elements by either neutrons or high-energy, charged particles under regulated conditions.

artificial star

A point source of light used for the test and evaluation of image quality. May be a backlit pinhole in an otherwise opaque sheet placed at an appropriately large distance from the lens being tested.

angular sensitivity

ASAT

antisatellite

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASDSRS

automatic spectrum display and signal recognition system

ASE

amplified spontaneous emission

ASFIR

active swept frequency interferometer radar

ASI

American Standards Institute

ASIC

application-specific integrated circuit

ASII

American Science Information Institute

ASIS

American Society for Information Science

ASK

amplitude shift keying

ASKA

automatic system for kinematic analysis

ASLMS

American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery

ASM

ampere second meter

ASNT

American Society for Nondestructive Testing

aspect of image

The particular orientation of the image, such as normal, canted, inverted or reverted.

aspect ratio

With respect to pictorial displays, the ratio of the width to the height. The television standard in the US is 4:3. High-definition or wide-screen television will have a ratio of 16:9.

aspheric

Not spherical; an optical element having one or more surfaces that are not spherical. The spherical surface of a lens may be slightly altered so as to reduce spherical aberration. Aspheric surfaces...

aspheric lens system

An optical system having one or more lens or mirror components that have nonspherical surfaces. These surfaces, whether reflecting or refracting, serve to advance or retard the incident wavefront,...

aspheric lens

An aspheric lens is a type of lens whose surface profiles deviate from the traditional spherical shape. Unlike spherical lenses, which have a constant curvature across their surfaces, aspheric lenses...

aspheric mirror

An aspheric mirror is an optical mirror surface that deviates from the shape of a perfect sphere, having a non-spherical surface profile. Unlike traditional spherical mirrors, which have a curved...

aspherizing

The modification of the spherical surfaces in an optical system to correct for spherical aberration.

assist gas

A gas, such as oxygen, that improves the speed and efficiency of a laser cutter or welder when applied to the work surface, or an inert gas, such as argon, that helps to clean or shield the work...

astigmatic difference

In an optical system having astigmatism, the distance between the tangential and sagittal image planes.

astigmatic spectral line

In an astigmatic grating, the image of the entrance slit located at the primary focus.

astigmatism

A lens aberration that results in the tangential and sagittal image planes being separated axially.

astigmatizer

A cylindrical lens that may be rotated to distort a bundle of light originating at a point source, to form a line image.

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials

Aston dark space

In the discharge of a vacuum tube, the narrow, nonluminous region that sometimes may be found between the cathode and its glow.

astrometry

The analysis and measurement of celestial bodies, their motions and positions.

astronomical camera

A camera designed to record astronomical objects (e.g., stars, planets, nebulae, galaxies) and their spectra.

astronomical mirror

An astronomical mirror, also known as a telescope mirror or primary mirror, is a key component of a reflecting telescope. It serves as the primary optical element responsible for gathering and...

astronomical observatory

A facility designed for the observation and recording of astronomical phenomena.

astronomical photography

The use of photographs to record astronomical objects and phenomena for purposes of physical observation and measurement of motion, radiation and spectra.

astronomical scintillation

Any irregular motion, variation in intensity or change in color that arises because of atmospheric turbulence during the observation of an astronomical phenomenon or object.

astronomical spectrograph

An instrument that photographs the spectra of an extraterrestrial object.

astronomical spectroscopy

The process of using a spectrograph with a telescope to acquire information on an astronomical object's speed and physical characteristics.

astronomical telescope

An astronomical telescope is a type of optical instrument designed to gather and magnify light from distant celestial objects for observation and analysis. It typically consists of two main optical...

astronomical unit

The unit generally used to express distances within the solar system, and sometimes to measure interstellar distances. Technically, one astronomical unit is the mean distance between the Earth and...

astronomy

The scientific observation of celestial radiation that has reached the vicinity of Earth, and the interpretation of these observations to determine the characteristics of the extraterrestrial bodies...

Astrosital

A glass-ceramic material developed in Russia. Astrosital resembles Zerodur in terms of its ultralow thermal expansion. Other spellings include Astro-Sital and Astro-Sitall.

asym

asymmetric

Photonics Dictionary

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