Photonics Dictionary: R

Rabi oscillations are a fundamental phenomenon in quantum mechanics that describe the periodic and reversible exchange of energy between two quantum states when subjected to an oscillating external...

The spontaneous visual presentation of radar information by electronic traces on a cathode-ray tube.

The analysis of the photographs taken from the radar display of a survey aircraft and used when recording terrain that is obscured by clouds.

A statistical analysis of facts obtained when the intensity of x-ray diffraction is calculated at different angles. In this way, the interatomic distances of gases and liquids can be deduced, with...

A reflecting optic whose reflectivity is a function of the radial distance from the optic axis; can be used to convert a Gaussian beam to one of uniform cross section.

A mode in an optical waveguide whose fields are transversely oscillatory everywhere external to the waveguide. It exists even in the limit of zero wavelength.

Also known as radiation thermometer. A pyrometer in which the radiant intensity from the source to be measured is used to calculate its temperature. The usual detector is a thermocouple, thermopile...

The film used in photographic dosimetry to record the types and amounts of ionizing radiation, such as x-rays and gamma rays, present in an area for a set interval of time. The negative produced by...

Plates of glass containing as many heavy metal oxides as can be dissolved in the glass without causing devitrification. The glass is yellow, very heavy and has a high refractive index. It is almost...

A radioactive element that is placed or injected into a system to obtain an autoradiogram of the system. It is used in a number of fields where standard methods of internal imaging, for example,...

An instrument used to detect radioactive materials: alpha particles or helium nuclei; beta particles or free electrons; and gamma rays, which are x-rays of very short wavelength. They may be detected...

The photographic image of a thin specimen having a radioactive isotope that, formed through contact between the specimen and a photographic plate, displays the distribution of the radioactive...

An x-ray or radium photograph illustrating the nonuniform density of the structure that the rays penetrate.

A solid-state panel of the photoconductor-electroluminescent type. The photoconductive layer, sensitive to x-rays, is coated by the electroluminescent, which gives the visible image. When the former...

A photographic process using x-ray radiation or the g-rays of radioactive materials.

A device used to measure the intensity of radiant energy.

A photograph transmitted by radio waves.

The transmission of photographic images or pictures by radio waves.

The luminescence displayed when particular minerals are irradiated with β-rays and g-rays, after being exposed to nuclear radiation.

Essentially, a hologram of a hologram, in which the first-generation hologram is masked with a narrow slit. During image reconstruction, the slit operates as the exit pupil in image space. The...

The absorption of part of the photon energy by a molecule through which there is a slight energy change and the energy balance moves on.

Raman scattering, also known as the Raman effect or Raman spectroscopy, is a phenomenon in which light undergoes inelastic scattering when interacting with matter, such as molecules, crystals, or...

Raman spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry and physics to study vibrational, rotational, and other low-frequency modes in a system. Named after the Indian physicist Sir C.V. Raman...

Also known as RAMP microscopy, random access multiphoton microscopy is a microscopic technique that uses multiple acousto-optic modulators to enable faster and addressable scanning of 3D cellular...

Essentially, noise that cannot be predicted. Therefore, even if the magnitude of sound or oscillation in a system is known at a given moment, random noise can change in a short time.

A photographic camera and processing system used to form a usable record of the subject in a short time, usually a few seconds, for immediate analysis.

Rare earth dopants refer to elements from the lanthanide series, also known as rare earth elements, that are intentionally introduced into the crystal lattice of a material to modify its properties....

An optical fiber in which ions of a rare-earth element, such as neodymium, erbium or holmium, have been incorporated into the glass core matrix, yielding high absorption with low loss in the visible...

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of seventeen chemical elements found in the Earth's crust, characterized by their unique properties and scarcity relative to other elements. Despite their name,...

The pattern of lines traced by rectilinear scanning in display systems.

Raster scanning is a technique used in imaging and scanning systems to systematically capture and process information from a two-dimensional area or surface. It involves moving a sensor or scanning...

The vertical or horizontal distance between two addressable points on a display screen; indicates the basic resolution element of a terminal.

An electronic device that minimizes short-term drift effects and random measurement error inherent in alternate ellipsometric measurement of two signals.

Ratiometry is a technique used in various scientific fields, particularly in analytical chemistry and biochemistry, to measure concentrations or quantities by comparing the intensity of two different...

Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene. It involves tracing the path of rays of light as they travel through a...

When a lens system with a circular aperture is free of aberrations, the image of a point object will appear as a disc of finite size surrounded by concentric rings. When two points are separated such...

In the region of a Gaussian beam focus by a diffraction-limited lens, it is the axial distance from the point of minimum beam waist (Wo) to the point where the beam diameter has increased to .

Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon that occurs when light waves interact with particles or molecules that are much smaller than the wavelength of the light. It is named after the British scientist...

Reactive evaporation refers to a process in thin-film deposition where a material is deposited onto a substrate through evaporation, and chemical reactions take place during or after the evaporation...

A reagent is a substance or compound that is used in a chemical reaction to bring about a specific transformation or to detect the presence or absence of another substance. Reagents are employed in...

The ability of a vision system to interpret an image in a short enough time to keep pace with most operations.

A nonhomogeneity of index in flat glass that is in the form of an approximately plane layer.

A photodetector mounted in the same package as a laser diode that is positioned to monitor the output from the rear facet of the diode.

With respect to photography, the law stating that the optical density of an exposed emulsion with standard development is a function of just the irradiance and the exposure times.