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Photonics Dictionary: N
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NNewton
nnano-
N, nA symbol used to represent the refractive index. It is commonly used with a subscript to represent the wavelength of light.
N-MCVDnonsymmetrical modified chemical vapor deposition
N-type conductivityIn a semiconductor, the state created by the addition of a dopant that provides excess electrons.
N-type materialA quadrivalent semiconductor material, with electrons as the majority charge carriers, that is formed by doping with donor atoms.
NAnumerical aperture
nAnanoampere
nadirIn a remote sensing system, nadir refers to the point on the ground located vertically below the center of the system. In astronomy, the nadir is the vertical direction that points towards the force...
NAEDnormalized angle error detector
Nagel anomaloscope -> color perception test equipmentEquipment for testing an observer's color vision. Some tests require the identification or ordering of colored samples. The commercially available examples include: the Ishihara plates, on which...
NALMnonlinear amplifying loop mirror
nanoAn SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as...
nanoimprint lithographyNanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a nanolithography technique used for fabricating nanoscale patterns on a substrate. It is a high-resolution, high-throughput process that involves the mechanical...
nanoLEDAn LED (light-emitting diode) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs are commonly used for lighting, displays, and indicators. A NanoLED is on the...
nanometerA unit of length in the metric system equal to 10-9 meters. It formerly was called a millimicron.
nanoparticleA small object that behaves as a whole unit or entity in terms of it's transport and it's properties, as opposed to an individual molecule which on it's own is not considered a nanoparticle.....
nanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopyNanoparticle photonic resonator absorption microscopy is a microscopy technique that combines the principles of photonic resonators and nanoparticle imaging to visualize and study biological samples...
nanophotonicsNanophotonics is a branch of science and technology that explores the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, typically at dimensions smaller than the wavelength of light. It involves the study and...
nanoplasmonicsNanoplasmonics is a branch of nanophotonics that focuses on the study and manipulation of optical phenomena at the nanoscale using plasmonic materials and structures. Plasmonics deals with the...
nanopositioning equipmentNanopositioning equipment in photonics refers to highly precise devices used to control the position of optical components or samples with nanometer-level accuracy. This equipment is critical in...
nanopositioningNanopositioning refers to the precise and controlled movement or manipulation of objects or components at the nanometer scale. This technology enables the positioning of objects with extremely high...
nanostructured glassA unique glass made up of nano-structured materials to create millimeter sized monolithic glass space-variant polarization converters which ultimately alter the way light propagates through and is...
nanotechnologyThe use of atoms, molecules and molecular-scale structures to enhance existing technology and develop new materials and devices. The goal of this technology is to manipulate atomic and molecular...
nanotubeA nanotube, also known as a nanotubule or simply a tube-like structure, is a nanoscale cylindrical structure composed of various materials, including carbon, boron nitride, or other compounds....
NAPMNational Association of Photographic Manufacturers
narcissusA defect in infrared systems that appears as a dark circular area on a displayed image, caused by radiation reflecting into a detector. It can be reduced by low-reflective coatings or by altering the...
narrow bandpass filter -> interference filterA filter that controls the spectral composition of transmitted energy partially by the effects of interference. Frequently, these filters are made up of thin layers of metals and dielectrics,...
narrow-angle dark-field illuminationAn imaging system designed to highlight small deviations in a planar reflective object such as a mirror. The system can be used to detect minute flaws or to image faint marks that are made in the...
narrowband pyrometerAn optical pyrometer that is equipped with a narrow bandpass filter to transmit a limited number of wavelengths to the sensing device.
NASNational Academy of Science
NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASDANational Space Development Agency (Japan)
National Television Systems CommitteeThe code used to describe the United States system of color telecasting.
native fluorescenceThe light emitted from tissues without the use of fluorescent dyes as markers. Because cancerous tissues and normal tissues have differing emission spectra, the native fluorescence can be used to...
NBnarrowband
NBMnarrowband mirror
NCnumerical control
NCGANational Computer Graphics Association
NCIDNational Council for Industrial Defense
NCPMnoncritical phase matching
NCTANational Cable Television Association
NCTRnoncooperative target recognition
NDneutral density
Nd:glass -> neodymium glassGlass containing small quantities of neodymium oxide that is used as a filter plate in color television or as a lasing medium (Nd:glass) in solid-state lasers.
Nd:YAG -> neodymium:YAGLiterally, neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet. A cylindrical rod of yttrium-aluminum-garnet doped with neodymium that is the active medium of the Nd:YAG laser, a highly serviceable solid-state device...
Nd:YAG laserNd:YAG laser refers to a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:Y3Al5O12) as the gain medium. This type of laser emits light at a wavelength of 1064 nm in the...
NDEnondestructive evaluation
NDIRnondispersive infrared
NDROnondestructive readout
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