Optics And Photonics
32 entries in the Optics And Photonics compendium.
IlluminanceMeasure of incident light per unit area weighted for human vision.Intensity (physics)Power transferred per unit area perpendicular to energy propagation.IridescenceColor that shifts with angle, caused by light interference.Linear polarizationLinear polarization confines the electric field to a single plane.LuminancePhotometric measure of luminous intensity per unit area in a given direction.Luminous fluxMeasure of perceived light power weighted by human eye sensitivity.Luminous intensityMeasure of perceived power per unit solid angle.MagnificationMagnification enlarges apparent size without changing physical size or perspective.Moiré patternInterference pattern from overlaid similar patterns.Newton's ringsInterference rings from light between spherical and flat surfaces.Nonlinear opticsBranch of optics studying intensity-dependent optical properties of matter.OpacityMeasure of impenetrability to radiation, especially visible light.Optical aberrationDeviation from ideal image formation in optical systems.Optical depthDimensionless measure of radiant power attenuation through a material.Optical path lengthVacuum distance light travels in the time to traverse a medium.Optical powerMeasure of a lens's ability to converge or diverge light.Phase (waves)Angle-like quantity representing the fraction of a cycle covered.Phase velocitySpeed of a wave's constant-phase surface.Photometry (optics)Branch of optics measuring light as perceived by the human eye.Photonic crystalPeriodic nanostructures that control light propagation via photonic band gaps.PhotonicsBranch of optics applying light in photon form across technologies.Physical opticsBranch of optics studying wave phenomena beyond ray approximation.Planckian locusPath of black body color as temperature changes in chromaticity space.Plane waveA wave model with constant value on perpendicular planes.Ray (optics)Geometrical model of light propagation used in optical analysis.Rayleigh scatteringRayleigh scattering explains why the sky is blue.Reflection coefficientParameter describing wave reflection at impedance discontinuities.Snell's lawLaw describing refraction of light between two isotropic media.Spherical aberrationSpherical aberration degrades image quality in spherical optical systems.Stokes parametersSet of values describing polarization state of electromagnetic radiation.Superposition principleNet response equals sum of individual responses in linear systems.WaveA propagating disturbance that transfers energy through space and time.
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