Photonics Dictionary: S

Scalar diffraction theory is a simplified approach used to describe the propagation of electromagnetic waves, particularly light, as they encounter obstacles or apertures. It is termed "scalar"...

In coherence theory, an optical law put forth by physicist Emil Wolf that explains the behavior of light as it travels away from its source over large distances in space. Light spectra are assumed to...

A camera that consists of a concave spherical mirror with an aspheric plate situated at the center of curvature of the mirror. The purpose of the plate is to correct the spherical aberration of the...

A scientific CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera is a type of digital camera specifically designed for scientific imaging applications. It employs CMOS sensor technology, which...

Scientific complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (sCMOS) refers to a type of image sensor technology specifically designed for scientific and industrial imaging applications. Unlike traditional...

The large, usually flat surface onto which an image is projected for viewing. May be reflecting or transmitting (rear projection).

1. In glass, a solid inclusion having a small diameter. 2. A particular, single crystal that, after undergoing the Czochralski method, evolves into large single crystals.

A photoconductive cell consisting of a layer of selenium on a substrate whose electrical resistance varies with the illumination falling on the cell. Selenium cells have been replaced largely by...

A variation of tomography, which is a means of visualizing any one of a large set of parallel planes in the patient. A series of x-ray pictures taken from different angles results in developed...

A servo, short for servomechanism or servo motor, is a closed-loop control system that precisely controls the position, velocity, or acceleration of a mechanical component, typically in response to...

Silicon carbide (SiC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric current is applied to them. These LEDs are made using silicon carbide as the...

A computer architecture used in parallel processing whereby the processing elements are directed by a single, central control unit; generally used for large numbers of relatively simple processing...

Referred to as SWCNTs, these cylindrical nanostructures composed of a folded sheet of graphene can be used as near-infrared markers for small animal multiplex imaging. Emitting at different...

A singulated die refers to an individual semiconductor chip that has been separated or singulated from a larger wafer. This term is commonly used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. ...

Sisyphus cooling is a technique used in atomic physics to achieve ultracold temperatures of atoms or molecules by exploiting the periodic motion of particles in optical traps or lattices. The name...

An aperture, usually rectangular in shape, with a large length-to-width ratio, and a fixed or adjustable shape through which radiation enters or leaves an instrument. The aperture is generally small...

A lens that exhibits spherical aberration when used at large aperture settings, and that forms an image with a slightly blurred outline.

A photographic objective that uses the thick meniscus principle to obtain its power. It is designed to photograph small fields at large apertures.

The relationship between different wavelengths of light generated by a source, which may affect the spectral distribution of the light as it travels great distances in space; put forth by physicist...

Spatio-temporal optical coherence tomography (ST-OCT) is an advanced imaging technique that combines the principles of optical coherence tomography (OCT) with spatio-temporal modulation methods to...

A technique for obtaining improved resolution of images produced by large telescopes and distorted by the effects of atmospheric turbulence. Many individual exposures are recorded at high speeds by a...

Spectral flow cytometry is an advanced flow cytometry technique that expands the capabilities of traditional flow cytometry by utilizing spectral information from fluorochromes to enhance...

Spin coating is a widely used technique in the fabrication of thin films and coatings, particularly in microelectronics, optoelectronics, and nanotechnology. It involves depositing a liquid precursor...

A semiconductor laser that operates in the infrared and that is pumped with strong pulses of radiation from a second laser. Dependent on quantum-mechanical principles, it can be tuned over a large...

A method of evaluating image quality whereby a large number of rays are traced through a lens from a single object point, and their intersections with the focal plane are plotted and analyzed.

A type of laser used when a great amount of power is required. Avoiding the bulk of large numbers of optical lenses, this instrument offers high-output intensity and a small emitting region at...

A passive coupler that distributes signals from one or several inputs among a larger number of output waveguides arranged schematically as a star configuration.

Technique that provides two stereographic views of an object that are larger than the object itself, by means of mutually inclined lens axes or nominal separation of axes of parallel lenses.

The process of creating a large, panoramic image by aligning and joining a set of smaller images. Image processing is used to obscure the edges between the smaller images, producing a seamless...

Observed phenomenon in laser pulses in which a large number of excited electrons are created and in which multiphoton processes have produced seed electrons, and excited neutral atoms are...

Superluminal transmission refers to the hypothetical process of transmitting information faster than the speed of light, which is commonly denoted as superluminal or faster-than-light (FTL)...

A large table with an accurately designed plane surface used to test other surfaces, or to provide a true surface for accurately locating a testing fixture. Most commonly made of granite.