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Photonics Dictionary: A

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Abbe refractometer
An Abbe refractometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the refractive index of liquids and solids. Named after the German physicist Ernst Abbe, this device operates on the principle of...
absolute refractive index
The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum divided by the speed of light in the medium.
acousto-photorefractive effect
The acousto-photorefractive effect refers to a phenomenon in which acoustic waves (sound waves) interact with light waves (photons) within a photorefractive material, resulting in changes in the...
angle of refraction
The angle formed between a refracted ray and the normal to the surface. This angle lies in a common plane with the angle of incidence. See also Snell's law of refraction.
atmospheric refraction correlation
Formulaic compensation to correct laser ranging data for the effects of horizontal refractivity gradients; it requires the horizontal pressure and temperature gradient at laser sites, which are...
Abbe constant
A dispersion relation defined in order to value the reciprocal amount of dispersion. It is defined as the refractivity over the difference in index values of the shortest and longest visible...
Abbe sine condition -> Abbe sine condition
The Abbe sine condition is a fundamental principle in optical physics that relates to the performance of an optical system, particularly its ability to produce high-quality images free from spherical...
Abbe sine condition
The Abbe sine condition is a fundamental principle in optical physics that relates to the performance of an optical system, particularly its ability to produce high-quality images free from spherical...
absorption index
The absorption index represents the imaginary component of the complex index of refraction, and not the real component. The imaginary component may characterize the attenuation per unit length...
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...
accommodation -> ocular accommodation
Ocular accommodation is the process by which the eye changes its optical power to maintain a clear image (focus) on an object as its distance varies. This process is essential for seeing objects at...
achromatic prism
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...
achromatism
Achromatism refers to the optical property of a lens, prism, or optical system that minimizes or eliminates chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberration is the phenomenon where different wavelengths...
acoustic-optic deflection
Acousto-optic deflection refers to a phenomenon where the trajectory of light is altered by acoustic waves propagating through a material. This effect is utilized in acousto-optic devices, which are...
acousto-optic deflection
The angular change of an incident beam due to vibrational induced refractive index changes within a crystal.
acousto-optic deflector
An acousto-optic deflector (AOD) is a type of device that utilizes the acousto-optic effect to control the direction of light beams. It operates by modulating the refractive index of an optically...
acousto-optic diffraction
Acousto-optic diffraction refers to the process where light passing through an optically transparent material is diffracted due to the modulation of its refractive index by an acoustic wave...
acousto-optic modulation
Acousto-optic modulation refers to the process of using acoustic waves to modulate the properties of light passing through an optically transparent material. This modulation occurs due to the...
acousto-optic modulator
An acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is a device that utilizes the acousto-optic effect to modulate the amplitude, phase, frequency, or polarization of a laser beam or other coherent light source. It...
acousto-optic tunable filter
An acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) is a device that utilizes the acousto-optic effect to selectively filter and transmit light based on its wavelength or frequency. It operates by applying an...
acousto-optic
Acousto-optic refers to the interaction between sound waves and light waves within a material medium, where acoustic waves (sound waves) influence the optical properties of the material. This...
acousto-optics
Acousto-optics is a branch of physics that deals with the interaction of sound waves (acoustic waves) and light waves (optical waves) within a medium. It primarily focuses on phenomena where acoustic...
acuity (visual acuity)
Visual acuity specifically refers to the clarity or sharpness of vision, typically measured by the ability to discern the details of objects at a specific distance. It is a fundamental measure of the...
acuity, visual -> acuity (visual acuity)
Visual acuity specifically refers to the clarity or sharpness of vision, typically measured by the ability to discern the details of objects at a specific distance. It is a fundamental measure of the...
acute bisectrix
The term acute bisectrix is used in mineralogy and crystallography to describe a specific optical property of minerals, particularly in relation to their crystal structure and light behavior. ...
angle of deviation
The angle through which a ray of light is deviated by a refracting or reflecting surface, or a prism; the angle between an incident ray and the refracted or reflected ray.
anisotropy
Anisotropy refers to the property of exhibiting different values or characteristics when measured in different directions. In various fields, including physics, materials science, and geology,...
anomalous dispersion
Dispersion that occurs when the medium's index of refraction decreases as the frequency of the propagating light increases. For a given medium, some wavelength ranges may produce anomalous dispersion...
anomalous propagation
Irregular propagation of a wave due to variations in the medium's density or refractive index.
antiguide
A waveguide that has a core with a lower refractive index than the refractive index of the cladding. This structure can limit the power of the transmitted beam by removing unwanted radiation, for...
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...
AR
Abbe refractometer; acoustic radiometer; acoustic resonance; active region; alpha ray; amplitude ratio; antireflective; aperture ratio; applied research; argon; aspect ratio; atomic reactor; augmented reality
aspheric lens system
An optical system having one or more lens or mirror components that have nonspherical surfaces. These surfaces, whether reflecting or refracting, serve to advance or retard the incident wavefront,...
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...
atmospheric inhomogeneities
Localized variations in the purity and the index of refraction of the atmosphere.
attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy
Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry to obtain IR spectra of samples. It is particularly useful for analyzing solid and liquid samples without...
autocollimating spectrograph
A spectrograph in which the refracted beam returns almost along the path traveled by the incident beam, and is brought to a focus by the lens that collimates the incident beam.
automatic profiling
In fiber optics, the use of a detector to study the range of refractive indices achieved at various wavelengths. This information is calculated electronically to establish the divergence between...
axial gradient
In gradient index optics, a gradient profile in which the refractive index varies along the direction of light propagation, or optical axis. Axial gradient lenses can be used to correct spherical...
axial vapor-phase deposition
A vapor-phase oxidation process for fabricating graded-index optical fibers. It differs from outside vapor phase deposition in that the preform is developed radially rather than longitudinally. An...
azimuth angle
1. In astronomy, the angle measured clockwise (eastward) in a horizontal plane, usually from north (true north, Y-north, grid north or magnetic north). 2. With relation to the plane-polarized light...
Photonics DictionaryA

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