8,289 terms
Photonics Dictionary
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LECliquid encapsulated crystal
LEDlight-emitting diode
LED -> light-emitting diodeAn LED, or light emitting diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs are widely used in various applications due to their energy efficiency,...
LEEDlaser-energized explosive device; low-energy electron diffraction
legacy fiberOlder fiber optic cable that may not be suitable for state-of-the-art applications and that is difficult for suppliers to sell.
LEGSlaser electron gamma source
leman prismAn erecting prism that inverts and reverses the image. It displaces the optical axis but does not deviate it.
Lenard tubeAn electron-beam tube designed so that the beam can be carried through a portion of the wall of an evacuated enclosure.
lenticularAn array or mosaic of optical surfaces. May be a number of lenses closely packed to form multiple images or many parallel cylinders used as a projection screen.
lenticular color photographyA type of additive color photography using a lenticular structure impressed on a film base and a camera lens with a filter having three sectors of red, blue and green. Exposure of the film through...
lenticular image dissectionA method of image dissection whereby a lens transfers images onto a lenticular plate that in turn illustrates the images as structures of narrow parallel lines.
lenticular screenA rear or front projection screen composed of minute optical surfaces that introduce a spread to the light beam that conforms approximately to the light distribution requirements of the application.
lenticular stereo photographyA type of stereoscopic photography in which a pair of lenses focuses a pair of images, relative to the positions of the two eyes, onto film through a lenticular screen, which records the images as an...
lenticular stereogramThe stereo image that is recorded by the lenticular, stereo photographic process.
leptonThe generic term describing the class of light particles having no strong interactions.
LETlinear energy transfer
leukocyteLeukocytes, commonly known as white blood cells, are a crucial component of the immune system in vertebrates, including humans. These cells are responsible for defending the body against infections...
levorotaryCharacterizes a substance whose plane of polarization is rotated counterclockwise as the observer looks through the material toward the light source. The rotation is negative.
LFlow frequency
LFBRlaser fusion breeder reactor
LFMlaser feedback microscope; lateral force microscope; longitudinal field modulator
LFOlow-frequency oscillator
LFOSladar fiber optic sensor
LGPlight-gun pulse generator
LGWSlaser-guided weapons system
LHCPleft-hand circular polarization
LIALaser Institute of America
LIBORSlaser ionization based on resonance saturation
LIBSlaser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
LICAPlaser-induced cut and patch
LIDlinear imaging device; laser injection diode; local injection detection
lidarlight detection and ranging
lidarLidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape and...
LIDTlaser-induced damage testing
Lieberkuhn illumination -> oblique illuminationA common technique in microscopy, oblique illumination is one in which the object is illuminated by a light source that is at an oblique angle (on the side) to the optical axis. This technique is...
Liebmann effectThe visual perception of contrasting forms is more difficult if the forms have the same luminance but different chromaticities, than if the forms have the same chromaticity but different luminances.
LIFSlaser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy
lightElectromagnetic radiation detectable by the eye, ranging in wavelength from about 400 to 750 nm. In photonic applications light can be considered to cover the nonvisible portion of the spectrum which...
light adaptationThe ability of the human eye to adjust itself to an alteration in the intensity of light.
light amplifierA device that serves to emit light of the same wavelength as the input light, only with an increase in intensity. It may be a solid-state device comprising photoconductive and luminescent layers...
light balancing filter -> color conversion filterA filter that serves to alter the color temperature and the mired value of the radiation emitted by a source.
light beating -> photoelectric mixingAlso known as light beating. The mixing of two narrowband optical components to produce an AC component in the photocurrent at the optical difference frequency.
light chopper -> optical chopperA mechanical or electrical-electromagnetic device for periodically interrupting or blocking abeam of light for a brief known interval. The three most common chopper types include the tuning fork...
light choppinglight current -> photocurrentThe current that flows through a photosensitive device, such as a photodiode, as the result of exposure to radiant power.
light diffusionLight diffusion refers to the process by which light is scattered or spread out in various directions as it interacts with a medium or material. Unlike direct transmission through a transparent...
light dispersionThe process whereby white light is separated into its component wavelengths. Light beams of different wavelengths are separated from each other by undergoing a different angular deviation. Prisms and...
light fidelityLiFi, short for light fidelity, is a wireless communication technology that utilizes visible light or infrared light to transmit data. Developed as an alternative or complementary technology to...
light fieldThe term light field refers to the spatial distribution of light rays traveling in all directions through a given space. It includes information about the intensity and direction of light rays at...
light filamentPhenomenon caused by an ultrashort and ultra-intense light pulse propagating in a Kerr medium, such as air or water. When the pulse's power exceeds the critical power (approximately 3 GW in air),...
Photonics Dictionary