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Photonics Dictionary: A

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A
absolute (kelvin degrees), absorption, acoustic, alpha particle, analog, anode, ampere, amplitude, area, atomic, atomic mass, Helmholtz free energy, mass number, nucleon number
a
atto-
A-O
acousto-optic
A/D
analog-to-digital
aA
attoampere
AA
analog to analog, anti-aliasing (AA optical filter e.g. low pass filter), approximate absolute temperature, atomic absorption
AAAS
American Association for the Advancement of Science
AART
Analog Adaptive Resonance Theory
AAS
American Astronomical Society
Abaxial ray
Ray oriented and assumed to propagate orthogonal to the optical axis
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 condenser
An Abbe condenser is a type of optical component used in microscopy to enhance the illumination of the specimen. Named after the German physicist Ernst Abbe, who developed it in the 19th century, the...
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 illumination
Image of a uniform source through the sample of a microscope image system. Light from the sample plane is reimaged by the objective into the image plane.
Abbe prism
A form of roof prism used to invert an image. The prism has faces cut normal to the optical axis; therefore, the prism may be placed within the optical path of a system and invert the image without...
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...
Abbe sine condition
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...
aberration sensor (wavefront sensor)
An aberration sensor typically refers to a component or feature in optical systems, especially in telescopes or cameras, that detects and quantifies aberrations. Aberrations are imperfections or...
ABG
The ABg model or Harvey-Shack is a method of describing bidirectional scattering from isotropic or polished surfaces.
ablation -> laser ablation
Laser ablation is a process that involves the removal or erosion of material from a target surface using laser energy. This technique is widely used in various scientific, industrial, and medical...
ablation laser systems
Ablation laser systems are specialized devices that use laser energy to remove material from a surface through a process called ablation. This process involves the absorption of laser energy by the...
ablation threshold
The ablation threshold refers to the minimum amount of energy, such as laser energy or intense radiation, required to remove material from a surface through ablation. Ablation itself is the process...
ablative photodecomposition
Ablative photodecomposition refers to a process where a material is broken down or decomposed due to exposure to intense light, typically laser light. In this process, the photons from the laser...
ablative wall flashlamp
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...
Abney effect
The Abney effect, named after its discoverer Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney, refers to a phenomenon in color perception where the appearance of a color is influenced by the brightness of its...
abrasion mark
Optical surface damage due to abrasive rubbing. Abrasion damage affects are less than the thickness of the optical coating layers. Surface investigation may be achieved by aluminization of the coated...
abrasive
Powder used to produce a smooth optical surface through abrasive polishing. Compounds may produce a surface finish specified for each.
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...
ABS
absorbance; acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
abs
absolute value
absolute colorimetric
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...
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 magnification
The value of the distance of distinct vision, minimum focusing distance or near point, divided by the focal length of the lens. Magnification is produced when the optic is placed at its focal...
absolute purity threshold
Least value of color value combinations which gives white light; minimum purity as determined to be white.
absolute refractive index
The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum divided by the speed of light in the medium.
absolute temperature scale
The measurement of heat energy as determined from absolute zero as the zero point on the scale. Increments are identical to the Celsius as well as Kelvin scales.
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...
absorbance
The natural log of the ratio of absorbed intensity over the total intensity which gives a constant value assuming a stable volume as well as energy. In optical physics the absorbance may be defined...
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...
absorptance
Absorptance refers to the fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation (such as light or infrared radiation) that is absorbed by a surface, rather than being reflected or transmitted. It is a...
absorption
Absorption is the process by which a material takes in energy from electromagnetic radiation (such as light, heat, or sound) and converts it to other forms of energy, typically internal energy (such...
absorption band
An absorption band is a range of wavelengths, frequencies, or energies in the electromagnetic spectrum within which a substance absorbs radiation. It appears as a dark band in a spectrum where the...
absorption coefficient, absorption cross section
The transition cross section constant coefficient which defines the transition probability of absorption from ground to a higher level within a given atomic or molecular species. The transition...
absorption hologram
An absorption hologram is a type of hologram in which the image is formed by variations in the absorption of light within the recording medium. Unlike traditional holograms that rely primarily on...
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...
absorption line
An absorption line is a dark line in a spectrum that occurs when a specific wavelength of light is absorbed by atoms or molecules in a medium (such as a gas or a solid) as light passes through it....
absorption meter
A measuring device that uses a light-sensitive cell or detector to determine the amount of light transmitted by a substance.
absorption peak
An absorption peak refers to a sharp increase or spike in the absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a particular wavelength or energy level. It is a distinctive feature in the absorption...

Photonics DictionaryA

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