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Alluxa - Optical Coatings LB 8/23
Photonics Marketplace
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Photonics Dictionary

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3D printing
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
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
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...
Abbe-Porro prism
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...
abridged spectrophotometer
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 luminance threshold
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
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...
absorbing wedge
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...
absorption lens
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...
achromat
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...
achromatic lens
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...
achromatic point
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...
acoustic surface wave -> acoustic surface wave
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....
acoustic surface wave
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....
acrylic
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
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
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...
active infrared system
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...
active region
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...
active-matrix OLED display
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)....
additive manufacturing
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...
aerial film
Film designed especially for the needs and conditions encountered in aerial photography. It is produced in a variety of widths, lengths and emulsions.
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and simulate the propagation of optical waves, particularly in the context of wave...
antireflection coating
An antireflection coating (AR coating) is a thin film or coating applied to optical surfaces, such as lenses or windows, to minimize unwanted reflections and increase the transmission of light...
aplanatic points
Aplanatic points refer to specific points in an optical system where certain aberrations, such as spherical aberration or coma, are minimized or eliminated. In an optical system, aberrations are...
aplanatic surface
An aplanatic surface is an optical surface that is specifically designed or shaped to minimize spherical aberration and coma. Spherical aberration is an optical aberration that occurs when light rays...
apochromat
An apochromat, often referred to as an apochromatic lens or apochromatic objective, is a type of optical system designed to minimize chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberration occurs when different...
aspheric lens
An aspheric lens is a type of lens whose surface profiles deviate from the traditional spherical shape. Unlike spherical lenses, which have a constant curvature across their surfaces, aspheric lenses...
aspheric mirror
An aspheric mirror is an optical mirror surface that deviates from the shape of a perfect sphere, having a non-spherical surface profile. Unlike traditional spherical mirrors, which have a curved...
astronomical telescope
An astronomical telescope is a type of optical instrument designed to gather and magnify light from distant celestial objects for observation and analysis. It typically consists of two main optical...
attenuation
Attenuation refers to the gradual loss or reduction of intensity, force, or magnitude of a particular property as it propagates through a medium or travels over a distance. This concept is prevalent...
bandgap
In semiconductor physics, the term bandgap refers to the energy range in a material where no electronic states are allowed. It represents the energy difference between the valence band, which is the...
bayonet coupling
A coupling mechanism designed to quickly lock a connector into an adaptor or a lens into a lens mount. Typically coupling is accomplished by less than a quarter turn of the component being mounted.
beam divider -> beamsplitter
A beamsplitter is an optical device used to divide a beam of light into two or more separate beams, typically by reflecting a portion of the incident light while transmitting the remainder....
beam shaper
A beam shaper is an optical device or system designed to modify the spatial profile or intensity distribution of a laser or light beam. The goal is to transform the incoming beam into a desired shape...
beamsplitter
A beamsplitter is an optical device used to divide a beam of light into two or more separate beams, typically by reflecting a portion of the incident light while transmitting the remainder....
biomimicry
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...
blaze height
Blaze height typically refers to a parameter in the context of diffraction gratings, which are optical devices consisting of a series of closely spaced parallel grooves or slits. The blaze height is...
blur circle
A blur circle refers to the out-of-focus region in an image captured by an optical system. When an object in a scene is not in perfect focus, its image is spread out into a circular shape on the...
broadband dielectric mirrors
Broadband dielectric mirrors, also known as broadband mirrors, are optical coatings designed to efficiently reflect or transmit light over a broad range of wavelengths. These mirrors are constructed...
C-mount lens
A C-mount lens refers to a specific type of lens commonly used in machine vision, surveillance, microscopy, and other imaging applications. The "C-mount" designation refers to the standard interface...
camera shutter
An apparatus, designed for use with a camera, that is used to rapidly open the path from lens to film, to maintain the opening throughout exposure and to close the opening in rapid succession. The...
carbon fullerenes
Carbon fullerenes are a class of carbon-based molecules composed entirely of carbon atoms arranged in a hollow, closed, cage-like structure. The most well-known fullerenes are spherical and are often...
Cassegrain lens system
A two-mirror lens design used in astronomical telescopes, the primary being a parabola, the secondary a smaller hyperbola. The image formed is free of spherical aberration and color and is located...
cathode-ray tube lens
A high-quality, narrow-angle lens of high aperture designed for low magnification in the recording of cathode-ray tube images.
centered curve
The surface curvature designed to reduce the marginal error found in the periphery of a spectacle lens.
ceramics
In optics and photonics, ceramics refer to advanced ceramic materials that possess unique optical properties, making them suitable for various applications involving the manipulation and control of...
chemical sensing
Chemical sensing refers to the detection and measurement of specific chemical compounds or substances in various environments or samples. It involves the use of sensors or analytical techniques to...
chirped mirrors
Chirped mirrors are optical devices designed to manipulate the spectral properties of ultrashort laser pulses. They consist of multiple layers of dielectric coatings deposited on a substrate, where...
chromatic aberration
Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon that occurs when different wavelengths (colors) of light are refracted by a lens or optical system, leading to a failure to focus all colors to the same...

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