Photonics Dictionary: D

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...

A metal coil or coils wrapped around the outside of the neck of a cathode-ray tube. Current passing through the coils produces a magnetic field, which can be used as an alternative to deflection...

Observed electroluminescence of zinc sulfide phosphors when excited by an electric field. This effect is the basis for the alternating-current phosphor panel technology.

A high-reflectance coating consisting of alternating layers of quarter-wave film of a higher refractive index and lower refractive index than the substrate. Such coatings can be made very specific to...

Diffraction is a fundamental wave phenomenon that occurs when a wave encounters an obstacle or aperture, causing the wave to bend around the edges and spread out. This effect is most commonly...

A general term referring to the situation in which an image is not a true-to-scale reproduction of an object. The term also is used to connote the temporal alteration of the signal's waveform shape....

A spectrophotometer that measures the amount of ozone in the atmosphere through a comparison of solar energy at two wavelengths in the ozone's absorption band. This comparison is achieved by...

In the context of materials science and semiconductor physics, doping refers to the intentional introduction of impurities into a semiconductor material in order to alter its electrical properties....

The magnitude, expressed in cycles per second, of the alteration of the wave frequency observed as a result of the Doppler effect.

A signal traveling from transmitter to receiver that has an altered frequency due to the Doppler effect.