Photonics Dictionary

Design and engineering consulting services refer to professional services provided by specialized firms or individuals to assist clients in various aspects of product development, system design, or...

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

A laser device used to establish a location or target usually for detection by an impact source e.g. missiles and guided munitions. Laser designation sources utilize a system configuration which is...

Optical design and engineering services involve the development, customization, and optimization of optical systems and components to meet specific performance requirements and application needs....

Optical design software refers to specialized computer programs used by optical engineers, physicists, and designers to simulate, model, analyze, and optimize the performance of optical systems and...

Biomimicry, or biomimetic design, is the practice of emulating natural processes, systems, and structures found in biological organisms to solve human problems or create innovative technologies. It...

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional objects layer by layer from a digital model. This technology allows the creation of...

3D profiling, also known as three-dimensional profiling, refers to the process of capturing, analyzing, and visualizing the three-dimensional shape, geometry, and surface characteristics of objects...

Abaxial spherical aberration, also called oblique spherical aberration, refers to a specific type of optical aberration that occurs in lens systems. It is a form of spherical aberration that affects...

An Abbe-Porro prism, often referred to simply as a Porro prism, is an optical prism used in binoculars and other optical instruments to invert and reverse an image. It is named after the Italian...

An ablative wall flashlamp typically refers to a type of flashlamp used in certain high-energy laser systems. Components include: Flashlamp: This is a device that produces an intense pulse...

An abridged spectrophotometer refers to a simplified or compact version of a traditional spectrophotometer, which is a scientific instrument used to measure the intensity of light at different...

Absolute colorimetric refers to a color management rendering intent used in color profiles and conversion processes, particularly in the context of printing and digital imaging. Absolute...

The absolute luminance threshold is the lowest luminance level of a light source or illuminated object that can be detected by the human eye under specific conditions. This threshold represents the...

Absolute white is a term used in color science and imaging to describe a reference white point that represents the brightest, most neutral white achievable. It serves as a standard for measuring and...

An absorbing wedge is an optical device used to control the intensity of light passing through it by absorbing a portion of the light. It is typically used in experiments and optical systems where...

An absorption lens is a type of optical lens that not only focuses or diverges light but also significantly absorbs certain wavelengths of the incident light. This dual function makes it different...

AC thin film electroluminescent (ACTFEL) display devices are a type of flat-panel display technology that uses electroluminescence to produce visible light. Structure: They consist of a thin...

An accelerometer is a sensor or transducer that measures the rate of change of velocity of an object, or in simpler terms, it measures acceleration. Accelerometers are widely used in various...

The acceptance pattern, often used in the context of antennas and optical systems, refers to the spatial distribution of the sensitivity or responsiveness of a device to incoming signals or light....

Accessible emission typically refers to the portion of emitted radiation (light, particles, etc.) from a source that can be effectively detected, measured, or utilized by an observer or device. This...

Accessible radiation refers to the portion of radiation from a source that can be reached or detected by humans, instruments, or devices under specific conditions of use. This term is often used in...

Achirality refers to the property of a molecule or object that is superimposable on its mirror image. In other words, an achiral molecule or object does not exhibit chirality, meaning it does not...

An achromat, in the context of optics, refers to a type of lens or lens system designed to reduce chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon where different colors of light...

An achromatic lens is a type of optical lens designed to minimize chromatic aberration, which is the inability of a lens to focus all colors of light to the same convergence point. Chromatic...

In color perception and vision an achromatic point refers to a color stimulus that appears neutral or without hue, often perceived as a shade of gray. It represents a point in color space where the...

An achromatic prism is a type of prism designed to separate white light into its component colors (spectrum) without causing chromatic aberration. Unlike regular prisms, which disperse light but also...

An acoustic surface wave, often abbreviated as ASW, is a type of mechanical wave that travels along the surface of a material, such as a solid or a liquid, rather than propagating through its volume....

Acoustical holography is a technique used to visualize and analyze sound fields in three-dimensional space. It involves capturing the complex spatial distribution of acoustic waves, much like how...

An acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is a device that utilizes the interaction between sound waves and light waves to modulate or control the intensity, frequency, phase, or direction of laser beams. It...

Acrylic refers to a type of synthetic polymer material known for its versatility, clarity, and durability. It is commonly used in a wide range of applications due to its beneficial properties. Here...

Actinic focus refers to the point or plane within an optical system where ultraviolet (UV) light or other actinic radiation converges to form the sharpest possible image. Here are the key aspects: ...

Actinic glass is a type of glass specifically designed to filter or block ultraviolet (UV) light and other forms of actinic radiation. UV filtering: Actinic glass effectively absorbs or...

An actinometer is a device used to measure the intensity of radiation, particularly solar radiation or light, often with a focus on its ability to cause photochemical reactions. Here are the key...

An active infrared (IR) system is a type of technology that uses infrared radiation actively emitted and detected by sensors for various purposes. Here are the key features and applications of active...

In the context of a laser diode, the active region is a critical part of the device where the primary light generation occurs. Laser diode active region: The active region in a laser diode is...

An active-cavity radiometer is a highly sensitive instrument used to measure radiant energy (power per unit area), often in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The key features of an active-cavity...

An active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display is a type of flat-panel display technology that combines the active matrix addressing scheme with organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)....

An actuator is a mechanical or electromechanical device that is responsible for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. It converts various forms of energy (such as electrical, hydraulic,...

Adaptive deconvolution is a computational method that aims to improve the resolution and fidelity of signals or images that have been degraded by known or unknown factors, such as blur, noise, or...

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a manufacturing process that involves creating three-dimensional objects by adding material layer by layer. This is in contrast to...

The additivity of luminance refers to a principle in visual perception and color theory where the perceived brightness of a combination of light sources or colors is the sum of the brightness of each...

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) refers to a set of safety features and technologies designed to assist drivers in the driving process and enhance overall vehicle safety. These systems use...

Camera designed for the imaging of the earth's surface in order to obtain high quality aerial images

Film designed especially for the needs and conditions encountered in aerial photography. It is produced in a variety of widths, lengths and emulsions.

An AI system-on-chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that integrates hardware components optimized for performing AI computations efficiently. These components typically include: AI accelerators:...

An instrument designed to measure angles in azimuth; used in general topographic work and military gunnery.

A category of systems designed to communicate a photo taken from the air (e.g., aircraft, balloon, satellite) to a ground station. It can be done by direct television transmission of the photo, or by...

Also known as roof prism. A type of prism designed by G.B. Amici. It consists of a roof edge produced upon the long reflecting face of a right-angle prism. Used as an erecting system in elbow and...