Table of Contents
400 relations: A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field, Abbe number, Absorption spectroscopy, Accommodation (vertebrate eye), Acoustical engineering, Acronym, Adaptive optics, Afterglow, Airborne Laser, Airy disk, Al-Kindi, Albert Einstein, Ames room, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek, Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Rome, Angstrom, Angular resolution, Anterior chamber of eyeball, Anti-reflective coating, Aperture, Aristotle, Ashgate Publishing, Assyria, Astigmatism, Astronomical interferometer, Astronomical seeing, Astronomy, Atmosphere of Earth, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics, Augustin-Jean Fresnel, Averroes, Avicenna, Étienne-Louis Malus, Barcode, Beam divergence, Binocular vision, Birefringence, Black-body radiation, Blind spot (vision), Bloodless surgery, Bohr model, Book of Optics, Boundary element method, Bragg's law, Brewster's angle, Brigham Young University, Brillouin scattering, ... Expand index (350 more) »
A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field
"A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field" is a paper by James Clerk Maxwell on electromagnetism, published in 1865.
See Optics and A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field
Abbe number
In optics and lens design, the Abbe number, also known as the V-number or constringence of a transparent material, is an approximate measure of the material's dispersion (change of refractive index versus wavelength), with high values of V indicating low dispersion.
Absorption spectroscopy
Absorption spectroscopy is spectroscopy that involves techniques that measure the absorption of electromagnetic radiation, as a function of frequency or wavelength, due to its interaction with a sample. Optics and absorption spectroscopy are electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and Absorption spectroscopy
Accommodation (vertebrate eye)
Accommodation is the process by which the vertebrate eye changes optical power to maintain a clear image or focus on an object as its distance varies.
See Optics and Accommodation (vertebrate eye)
Acoustical engineering
Acoustical engineering (also known as acoustic engineering) is the branch of engineering dealing with sound and vibration.
See Optics and Acoustical engineering
Acronym
An acronym is an abbreviation of a phrase that usually consists of the initial letter of each word in all caps with no punctuation.
Adaptive optics
Adaptive optics (AO) is a technique of precisely deforming a mirror in order to compensate for light distortion.
See Optics and Adaptive optics
Afterglow
An afterglow in meteorology consists of several atmospheric optical phenomena, with a general definition as a broad arch of whitish or pinkish sunlight in the twilight sky, consisting of the bright segment and the purple light.
Airborne Laser
An airborne laser (ABL) is a laser system operated from a flying platform, as in the.
Airy disk
In optics, the Airy disk (or Airy disc) and Airy pattern are descriptions of the best-focused spot of light that a perfect lens with a circular aperture can make, limited by the diffraction of light.
Al-Kindi
Abū Yūsuf Yaʻqūb ibn ʼIsḥāq aṣ-Ṣabbāḥ al-Kindī (أبو يوسف يعقوب بن إسحاق الصبّاح الكندي; Alkindus) was an Arab Muslim polymath active as a philosopher, mathematician, physician, and music theorist.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is widely held as one of the most influential scientists. Best known for developing the theory of relativity, Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence formula, which arises from relativity theory, has been called "the world's most famous equation".
See Optics and Albert Einstein
Ames room
An Ames room is a distorted room that creates an optical illusion.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient Northeast Africa.
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece (Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity, that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically related city-states and other territories.
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (Ἑλληνῐκή) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC.
Ancient Greek philosophy
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC.
See Optics and Ancient Greek philosophy
Ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman civilisation from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD.
Angstrom
The angstrom is a unit of length equal to m; that is, one ten-billionth of a metre, a hundred-millionth of a centimetre, 0.1 nanometre, or 100 picometres.
Angular resolution
Angular resolution describes the ability of any image-forming device such as an optical or radio telescope, a microscope, a camera, or an eye, to distinguish small details of an object, thereby making it a major determinant of image resolution.
See Optics and Angular resolution
Anterior chamber of eyeball
The anterior chamber (AC) is the aqueous humor-filled space inside the eye between the iris and the cornea's innermost surface, the endothelium.
See Optics and Anterior chamber of eyeball
Anti-reflective coating
An antireflective, antiglare or anti-reflection (AR) coating is a type of optical coating applied to the surface of lenses, other optical elements, and photovoltaic cells to reduce reflection.
See Optics and Anti-reflective coating
Aperture
In optics, the aperture of an optical system (including a system consisted of a single lens) is a hole or an opening that primarily limits light propagated through the system.
Aristotle
Aristotle (Ἀριστοτέλης Aristotélēs; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath.
Ashgate Publishing
Ashgate Publishing was an academic book and journal publisher based in Farnham (Surrey, United Kingdom).
See Optics and Ashgate Publishing
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: x16px, māt Aššur) was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization which existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC, which eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC to the 7th century BC.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a type of refractive error due to rotational asymmetry in the eye's refractive power.
Astronomical interferometer
An astronomical interferometer or telescope array is a set of separate telescopes, mirror segments, or radio telescope antennas that work together as a single telescope to provide higher resolution images of astronomical objects such as stars, nebulas and galaxies by means of interferometry.
See Optics and Astronomical interferometer
Astronomical seeing
In astronomy, seeing is the degradation of the image of an astronomical object due to turbulence in the atmosphere of Earth that may become visible as blurring, twinkling or variable distortion.
See Optics and Astronomical seeing
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos.
Atmosphere of Earth
The atmosphere of Earth is composed of a layer of gas mixture that surrounds the Earth's planetary surface (both lands and oceans), known collectively as air, with variable quantities of suspended aerosols and particulates (which create weather features such as clouds and hazes), all retained by Earth's gravity.
See Optics and Atmosphere of Earth
Atomic, molecular, and optical physics
Atomic, molecular, and optical physics (AMO) is the study of matter–matter and light–matter interactions, at the scale of one or a few atoms and energy scales around several electron volts.
See Optics and Atomic, molecular, and optical physics
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
Augustin-Jean Fresnel (10 May 1788 – 14 July 1827) was a French civil engineer and physicist whose research in optics led to the almost unanimous acceptance of the wave theory of light, excluding any remnant of Newton's corpuscular theory, from the late 1830s until the end of the 19th century.
See Optics and Augustin-Jean Fresnel
Averroes
Ibn Rushd (ابن رشد; full name in; 14 April 112611 December 1198), often Latinized as Averroes, was an Andalusian polymath and jurist who wrote about many subjects, including philosophy, theology, medicine, astronomy, physics, psychology, mathematics, Islamic jurisprudence and law, and linguistics.
Avicenna
Ibn Sina (translit; – 22 June 1037 CE), commonly known in the West as Avicenna, was a preeminent philosopher and physician of the Muslim world, flourishing during the Islamic Golden Age, serving in the courts of various Iranian rulers.
Étienne-Louis Malus
Étienne-Louis Malus (23 July 1775 – 23 February 1812) was a French officer, engineer, physicist, and mathematician.
See Optics and Étienne-Louis Malus
Barcode
A barcode or bar code is a method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form.
Beam divergence
In electromagnetics, especially in optics, beam divergence is an angular measure of the increase in beam diameter or radius with distance from the optical aperture or antenna aperture from which the beam emerges.
See Optics and Beam divergence
Binocular vision
In biology, binocular vision is a type of vision in which an animal has two eyes capable of facing the same direction to perceive a single three-dimensional image of its surroundings.
See Optics and Binocular vision
Birefringence
Birefringence is the optical property of a material having a refractive index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of light.
Black-body radiation
Black-body radiation is the thermal electromagnetic radiation within, or surrounding, a body in thermodynamic equilibrium with its environment, emitted by a black body (an idealized opaque, non-reflective body). Optics and black-body radiation are electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and Black-body radiation
Blind spot (vision)
A blind spot, scotoma, is an obscuration of the visual field.
See Optics and Blind spot (vision)
Bloodless surgery
Bloodless surgery is a non-invasive surgical method developed by orthopedic surgeon, Adolf Lorenz, who was known as "the bloodless surgeon of Vienna".
See Optics and Bloodless surgery
Bohr model
In atomic physics, the Bohr model or Rutherford–Bohr model is an obsolete model of the atom, presented by Niels Bohr and Ernest Rutherford in 1913.
Book of Optics
The Book of Optics (Kitāb al-Manāẓir; De Aspectibus or Perspectiva; Deli Aspecti) is a seven-volume treatise on optics and other fields of study composed by the medieval Arab scholar Ibn al-Haytham, known in the West as Alhazen or Alhacen (965–c. 1040 AD).
Boundary element method
The boundary element method (BEM) is a numerical computational method of solving linear partial differential equations which have been formulated as integral equations (i.e. in boundary integral form), including fluid mechanics, acoustics, electromagnetics (where the technique is known as method of moments or abbreviated as MoM), fracture mechanics, and contact mechanics.
See Optics and Boundary element method
Bragg's law
In many areas of science, Bragg's law, Wulff–Bragg's condition, or Laue–Bragg interference are a special case of Laue diffraction, giving the angles for coherent scattering of waves from a large crystal lattice.
Brewster's angle
Brewster's angle (also known as the polarization angle) is an angle of incidence at which light with a particular polarization is perfectly transmitted through a transparent dielectric surface, with no reflection.
See Optics and Brewster's angle
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU) is a private research university in Provo, Utah, United States.
See Optics and Brigham Young University
Brillouin scattering
In electromagnetism, Brillouin scattering (also known as Brillouin light scattering or BLS), named after Léon Brillouin, refers to the interaction of light with the material waves in a medium (e.g. electrostriction and magnetostriction).
See Optics and Brillouin scattering
Bubblegram
A bubblegram (also known as laser crystal, Subsurface Laser Engraving, 3D crystal engraving or vitrography) is a solid block of glass or transparent plastic that has been exposed to laser beams to generate three-dimensional designs inside.
Café wall illusion
The café wall illusion, also known as the Münsterberg illusion, is a geometrical-optical illusion in which the parallel straight dividing lines between staggered rows with alternating dark and light "bricks" appear to be sloped, not parallel as they really are.
See Optics and Café wall illusion
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
Camera
A camera is an instrument used to capture and store images and videos, either digitally via an electronic image sensor, or chemically via a light-sensitive material such as photographic film.
Camera lens
A camera lens (also known as photographic lens or photographic objective) is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically.
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device (CCD) is an integrated circuit containing an array of linked, or coupled, capacitors.
See Optics and Charge-coupled device
Chemistry
Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter.
Chirality
Chirality is a property of asymmetry important in several branches of science.
Chirality (chemistry)
In chemistry, a molecule or ion is called chiral if it cannot be superposed on its mirror image by any combination of rotations, translations, and some conformational changes.
See Optics and Chirality (chemistry)
Chirp
A chirp is a signal in which the frequency increases (up-chirp) or decreases (down-chirp) with time.
See Optics and Chirp
Christiaan Huygens
Christiaan Huygens, Lord of Zeelhem, (also spelled Huyghens; Hugenius; 14 April 1629 – 8 July 1695) was a Dutch mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor who is regarded as a key figure in the Scientific Revolution.
See Optics and Christiaan Huygens
Chromatic aberration
In optics, chromatic aberration (CA), also called chromatic distortion, color aberration, color fringing, or purple fringing, is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same point.
See Optics and Chromatic aberration
Circular dichroism
Circular dichroism (CD) is dichroism involving circularly polarized light, i.e., the differential absorption of left- and right-handed light.
See Optics and Circular dichroism
Circular polarization
In electrodynamics, circular polarization of an electromagnetic wave is a polarization state in which, at each point, the electromagnetic field of the wave has a constant magnitude and is rotating at a constant rate in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
See Optics and Circular polarization
Classical electromagnetism
Classical electromagnetism or classical electrodynamics is a branch of theoretical physics that studies the interactions between electric charges and currents using an extension of the classical Newtonian model.
See Optics and Classical electromagnetism
Coherence (physics)
Coherence expresses the potential for two waves to interfere.
See Optics and Coherence (physics)
Color
Color (American English) or colour (British and Commonwealth English) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum.
See Optics and Color
Color television
Color television (American English) or colour television (Commonwealth English) is a television transmission technology that includes color information for the picture, so the video image can be displayed in color on the television set.
See Optics and Color television
Compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was codeveloped by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings.
Comparison microscope
A comparison microscope is a device used to analyze side-by-side specimens.
See Optics and Comparison microscope
Compton scattering
Compton scattering (or the Compton effect) is the quantum theory of high frequency photons scattering following an interaction with a charged particle, usually an electron.
See Optics and Compton scattering
Computer engineering
Computer engineering (CoE or CpE) is a branch of computer science and electronic engineering that integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering required to develop computer hardware and software.
See Optics and Computer engineering
Computer simulation
Computer simulation is the process of mathematical modelling, performed on a computer, which is designed to predict the behaviour of, or the outcome of, a real-world or physical system.
See Optics and Computer simulation
Conservation of energy
The law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant; it is said to be ''conserved'' over time.
See Optics and Conservation of energy
Constantine the African
Constantine the African, OSB (Constantinus Africanus; died before 1098/1099, Monte Cassino) was a physician who lived in the 11th century.
See Optics and Constantine the African
Contact lens
Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes.
Corner reflector
A corner reflector is a retroreflector consisting of three mutually perpendicular, intersecting flat surfaces, which reflects waves directly towards the source, but translated.
See Optics and Corner reflector
Corona (optical phenomenon)
In meteorology, a corona (plural coronae) is an optical phenomenon produced by the diffraction of sunlight or moonlight (or, occasionally, bright starlight or planetlight) by individual small water droplets and sometimes tiny ice crystals of a cloud or on a foggy glass surface.
See Optics and Corona (optical phenomenon)
Corpuscular theory of light
In optics, the corpuscular theory of light states that light is made up of small discrete particles called "corpuscles" (little particles) which travel in a straight line with a finite velocity and possess impetus.
See Optics and Corpuscular theory of light
Corrective lens
A corrective lens is a transmissive optical device that is worn on the eye to improve visual perception.
See Optics and Corrective lens
Correlation
In statistics, correlation or dependence is any statistical relationship, whether causal or not, between two random variables or bivariate data.
Cosmogony
Cosmogony is any model concerning the origin of the cosmos or the universe.
Covalent bond
A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms.
Crepuscular rays
Crepuscular rays are sunbeams that originate when the Sun appears to be just above or below a layer of clouds, during the twilight period.
See Optics and Crepuscular rays
Crete
Crete (translit, Modern:, Ancient) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica.
See Optics and Crete
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions.
Crystal optics
Crystal optics is the branch of optics that describes the behaviour of light in anisotropic media, that is, media (such as crystals) in which light behaves differently depending on which direction the light is propagating.
Curved mirror
A curved mirror is a mirror with a curved reflecting surface.
Cylinder
A cylinder has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes.
Democritus
Democritus (Δημόκριτος, Dēmókritos, meaning "chosen of the people"; –) was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from Abdera, primarily remembered today for his formulation of an atomic theory of the universe.
Depth of field
The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image captured with a camera.
Diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the centre of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle.
Dichroism
In optics, a dichroic material is either one which causes visible light to be split up into distinct beams of different wavelengths (colours) (not to be confused with dispersion), or one in which light rays having different polarizations are absorbed by different amounts.
Dielectric
In electromagnetism, a dielectric (or dielectric medium) is an electrical insulator that can be polarised by an applied electric field.
Dielectric mirror
A dielectric mirror, also known as a Bragg mirror, is a type of mirror composed of multiple thin layers of dielectric material, typically deposited on a substrate of glass or some other optical material.
See Optics and Dielectric mirror
Diffraction
Diffraction is the interference or bending of waves around the corners of an obstacle or through an aperture into the region of geometrical shadow of the obstacle/aperture.
Diffraction grating
In optics, a diffraction grating is an optical grating with a periodic structure that diffracts light, or another type of electromagnetic radiation, into several beams traveling in different directions (i.e., different diffraction angles).
See Optics and Diffraction grating
Diffraction topography
Diffraction topography (short: "topography") is a imaging technique based on Bragg diffraction.
See Optics and Diffraction topography
Diffraction-limited system
In optics, any optical instrument or systema microscope, telescope, or camerahas a principal limit to its resolution due to the physics of diffraction.
See Optics and Diffraction-limited system
Diffuse reflection
Diffuse reflection is the reflection of light or other waves or particles from a surface such that a ray incident on the surface is scattered at many angles rather than at just one angle as in the case of specular reflection.
See Optics and Diffuse reflection
Digital image processing
Digital image processing is the use of a digital computer to process digital images through an algorithm.
See Optics and Digital image processing
Dioptre
A dioptre (British spelling) or diopter (American spelling), symbol dpt, is a unit of measurement with dimension of reciprocal length, equivalent to one reciprocal metre,.
Directional Infrared Counter Measures
Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) are a class of anti-missile systems produced to protect aircraft from infrared homing missiles, primarily MANPADS and similar simple systems.
See Optics and Directional Infrared Counter Measures
Dispersion (optics)
In optics and in wave propagation in general, dispersion is the phenomenon in which the phase velocity of a wave depends on its frequency; sometimes the term chromatic dispersion is used for specificity to optics in particular.
See Optics and Dispersion (optics)
Double-slit experiment
In modern physics, the double-slit experiment demonstrates that light and matter can satisfy the seemingly incongruous classical definitions for both waves and particles.
See Optics and Double-slit experiment
E. C. George Sudarshan
Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan (also known as E. C. G. Sudarshan; 16 September 1931 – 13 May 2018) was an Indian American theoretical physicist and a professor at the University of Texas.
See Optics and E. C. George Sudarshan
Ehrenstein illusion
The Ehrenstein illusion is an optical illusion of brightness or color perception.
See Optics and Ehrenstein illusion
Electromagnetic radiation
In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) consists of waves of the electromagnetic (EM) field, which propagate through space and carry momentum and electromagnetic radiant energy.
See Optics and Electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetism
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields.
See Optics and Electromagnetism
Electron multiplier
An electron multiplier is a vacuum-tube structure that multiplies incident charges.
See Optics and Electron multiplier
Electrostatic lens
An electrostatic lens is a device that assists in the transport of charged particles.
See Optics and Electrostatic lens
Ellipse
In mathematics, an ellipse is a plane curve surrounding two focal points, such that for all points on the curve, the sum of the two distances to the focal points is a constant.
Elliptical polarization
In electrodynamics, elliptical polarization is the polarization of electromagnetic radiation such that the tip of the electric field vector describes an ellipse in any fixed plane intersecting, and normal to, the direction of propagation.
See Optics and Elliptical polarization
Emission spectrum
The emission spectrum of a chemical element or chemical compound is the spectrum of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation emitted due to electrons making a transition from a high energy state to a lower energy state. Optics and emission spectrum are electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and Emission spectrum
Emission theory (vision)
Emission theory or extramission theory (variants: extromission) or extromissionism is the proposal that visual perception is accomplished by eye beams emitted by the eyes.
See Optics and Emission theory (vision)
Engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to solve technical problems, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve systems.
Epicurus
Epicurus (Ἐπίκουρος; 341–270 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and sage who founded Epicureanism, a highly influential school of philosophy.
Epistemology
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge.
Etiology
Etiology (alternatively spelled aetiology or ætiology) is the study of causation or origination.
Euclid
Euclid (Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician.
Euclidean vector
In mathematics, physics, and engineering, a Euclidean vector or simply a vector (sometimes called a geometric vector or spatial vector) is a geometric object that has magnitude (or length) and direction.
See Optics and Euclidean vector
European Optical Society
The European Optical Society (EOS), founded in 1991, is a European organisation for the development of the science of optics.
See Optics and European Optical Society
European Photonics Industry Consortium
The European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) is a not-for-profit association with headquarters in Paris, France.
See Optics and European Photonics Industry Consortium
Exposure (photography)
In photography, exposure is the amount of light per unit area reaching a frame of photographic film or the surface of an electronic image sensor.
See Optics and Exposure (photography)
Eye surgery
Eye surgery, also known as ophthalmic surgery or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa.
Eyepiece
An eyepiece, or ocular lens, is a type of lens that is attached to a variety of optical devices such as telescopes and microscopes.
F-number
An f-number is a measure of the light-gathering ability of an optical system such as a camera lens.
Far point
In visual perception, the far point is the farthest point at which an object can be placed (along the optical axis of the eye) for its image to be focused on the retina within the eye's accommodation.
Faraday effect
The Faraday effect or Faraday rotation, sometimes referred to as the magneto-optic Faraday effect (MOFE), is a physical magneto-optical phenomenon.
Farsightedness
Far-sightedness, also known as long-sightedness, hypermetropia, and hyperopia, is a condition of the eye where distant objects are seen clearly but near objects appear blurred.
Fata Morgana (mirage)
A label is a complex form of superior mirage visible in a narrow band right above the horizon.
See Optics and Fata Morgana (mirage)
Fermat's principle
Fermat's principle, also known as the principle of least time, is the link between ray optics and wave optics.
See Optics and Fermat's principle
Fiber-optic communication
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of infrared or visible light through an optical fiber.
See Optics and Fiber-optic communication
Film speed
Film speed is the measure of a photographic film's sensitivity to light, determined by sensitometry and measured on various numerical scales, the most recent being the ISO system introduced in 1974.
Finite element method
The finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling.
See Optics and Finite element method
Focal length
The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light; it is the inverse of the system's optical power.
Focus (optics)
In geometrical optics, a focus, also called an image point, is a point where light rays originating from a point on the object converge.
Fourier optics
Fourier optics is the study of classical optics using Fourier transforms (FTs), in which the waveform being considered is regarded as made up of a combination, or superposition, of plane waves.
Francesco Maria Grimaldi
Francesco Maria Grimaldi, SJ (2 April 1618 – 28 December 1663) was an Italian Jesuit priest, mathematician and physicist who taught at the Jesuit college in Bologna.
See Optics and Francesco Maria Grimaldi
Fraser spiral illusion
The Fraser spiral illusion is an optical illusion that was first described by the British psychologist Sir James Fraser (1863–1936) in 1908.
See Optics and Fraser spiral illusion
Fraunhofer diffraction
In optics, the Fraunhofer diffraction equation is used to model the diffraction of waves when plane waves are incident on a diffracting object, and the diffraction pattern is viewed at a sufficiently long distance (a distance satisfying Fraunhofer condition) from the object (in the far-field region), and also when it is viewed at the focal plane of an imaging lens.
See Optics and Fraunhofer diffraction
Fresnel diffraction
In optics, the Fresnel diffraction equation for near-field diffraction is an approximation of the Kirchhoff–Fresnel diffraction that can be applied to the propagation of waves in the near field.
See Optics and Fresnel diffraction
Fresnel equations
The Fresnel equations (or Fresnel coefficients) describe the reflection and transmission of light (or electromagnetic radiation in general) when incident on an interface between different optical media.
See Optics and Fresnel equations
Gaussian beam
In optics, a Gaussian beam is an idealized beam of electromagnetic radiation whose amplitude envelope in the transverse plane is given by a Gaussian function; this also implies a Gaussian intensity (irradiance) profile. Optics and Gaussian beam are electromagnetic radiation.
Gaussian optics
Gaussian optics is a technique in geometrical optics that describes the behaviour of light rays in optical systems by using the paraxial approximation, in which only rays which make small angles with the optical axis of the system are considered.
See Optics and Gaussian optics
Geometrical optics
Geometrical optics, or ray optics, is a model of optics that describes light propagation in terms of rays.
See Optics and Geometrical optics
Geometry
Geometry is a branch of mathematics concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures.
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses and spectacles, are vision eyewear with clear or tinted lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms, known as temples or temple pieces, that rest over the ears.
Gradient-index optics
Gradient-index (GRIN) optics is the branch of optics covering optical effects produced by a gradient of the refractive index of a material.
See Optics and Gradient-index optics
Greco-Roman world
The Greco-Roman civilization (also Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were directly and intimately influenced by the language, culture, government and religion of the Greeks and Romans.
See Optics and Greco-Roman world
Halo (optical phenomenon)
A halo is an optical phenomenon produced by light (typically from the Sun or Moon) interacting with ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.
See Optics and Halo (optical phenomenon)
Hering illusion
The Hering illusion is one of the geometrical-optical illusions and was discovered by the German physiologist Ewald Hering in 1861.
See Optics and Hering illusion
History of quantum mechanics
The history of quantum mechanics is a fundamental part of the history of modern physics.
See Optics and History of quantum mechanics
Holography
Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed.
Horizon
The horizon is the apparent curve that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body.
Hot mirror
A hot mirror is a specialized dielectric mirror, a dichroic filter, often employed to protect optical systems by reflecting infrared light back into a light source, while allowing visible light to pass.
HRL Laboratories
HRL Laboratories (formerly Hughes Research Laboratories) is a research center in Malibu, California, established in 1960.
See Optics and HRL Laboratories
Huygens–Fresnel principle
The Huygens–Fresnel principle (named after Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens and French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel) states that every point on a wavefront is itself the source of spherical wavelets, and the secondary wavelets emanating from different points mutually interfere.
See Optics and Huygens–Fresnel principle
Ibn Sahl (mathematician)
Ibn Sahl (full name: Abū Saʿd al-ʿAlāʾ ibn Sahl أبو سعد العلاء ابن سهل; c. 940–1000) was a Persian mathematician and physicist of the Islamic Golden Age, associated with the Buyid court of Baghdad.
See Optics and Ibn Sahl (mathematician)
Image
An image is a visual representation.
See Optics and Image
Image sensor
An image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and conveys information used to form an image.
Index of optics articles
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it.
See Optics and Index of optics articles
Indian philosophy
Indian philosophy consists of philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent.
See Optics and Indian philosophy
Infrared
Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves.
Interface (matter)
In the physical sciences, an interface is the boundary between two spatial regions occupied by different matter, or by matter in different physical states.
See Optics and Interface (matter)
Interference filter
An interference filter, dichroic filter, or thin-film filter is an optical filter that reflects some wavelengths (colors) of light and transmits others, with almost no absorption for all wavelengths of interest.
See Optics and Interference filter
Interferometry
Interferometry is a technique which uses the interference of superimposed waves to extract information.
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices.
Inversion (meteorology)
In meteorology, an inversion (or temperature inversion) is a phenomenon in which a layer of warmer air overlies cooler air.
See Optics and Inversion (meteorology)
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Turkey to the northwest and Iraq to the west, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Caspian Sea, and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south.
See Optics and Iran
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English polymath active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author who was described in his time as a natural philosopher.
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish physicist with broad interests who was responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon.
See Optics and James Clerk Maxwell
James Gregory (mathematician)
James Gregory (November 1638 – October 1675) was a Scottish mathematician and astronomer.
See Optics and James Gregory (mathematician)
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music.
See Optics and Johannes Kepler
John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh
John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, (12 November 1842 – 30 June 1919) was a British mathematician and physicist who made extensive contributions to science.
See Optics and John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh
Jones calculus
In optics, polarized light can be described using the Jones calculus, invented by R. C. Jones in 1941.
Kapitsa–Dirac effect
The Kapitza–Dirac effect is a quantum mechanical effect consisting of the diffraction of matter by a standing wave of light.
See Optics and Kapitsa–Dirac effect
Kirchhoff's diffraction formula
Kirchhoff's diffraction formula (also called Fresnel–Kirchhoff diffraction formula) approximates light intensity and phase in optical diffraction: light fields in the boundary regions of shadows.
See Optics and Kirchhoff's diffraction formula
Lambert's cosine law
In optics, Lambert's cosine law says that the radiant intensity or luminous intensity observed from an ideal diffusely reflecting surface or ideal diffuse radiator is directly proportional to the cosine of the angle θ between the observer's line of sight and the surface normal;.
See Optics and Lambert's cosine law
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and Laser
Laser capture microdissection
Laser capture microdissection (LCM), also called microdissection, laser microdissection (LMD), or laser-assisted microdissection (LMD or LAM), is a method for isolating specific cells of interest from microscopic regions of tissue/cells/organisms (dissection on a microscopic scale with the help of a laser).
See Optics and Laser capture microdissection
Laser diode
The laser diode chip removed and placed on the eye of a needle for scale A laser diode (LD, also injection laser diode or ILD or semiconductor laser or diode laser) is a semiconductor device similar to a light-emitting diode in which a diode pumped directly with electrical current can create lasing conditions at the diode's junction.
Laser hair removal
Laser hair removal is the process of hair removal by means of exposure to pulses of laser light that destroy the hair follicle.
See Optics and Laser hair removal
Laser lighting display
A laser lighting display or laser light show involves the use of laser light to entertain an audience.
See Optics and Laser lighting display
Laser pointer
A laser pointer or laser pen is a (typically battery-powered) handheld device that uses a laser diode to emit a narrow low-power visible laser beam (i.e. coherent light) to highlight something of interest with a small bright colored spot.
Laser printing
Laser printing is an electrostatic digital printing process.
LaserDisc
The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978.
Lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction.
See Optics and Lens
Lens (vertebrate anatomy)
The lens, or crystalline lens, is a transparent biconvex structure in most land vertebrate eyes.
See Optics and Lens (vertebrate anatomy)
Leonard Mandel
Leonard Mandel (May 9, 1927 – February 9, 2001) was an American physicist who contributed to the development of theoretical and experimental modern optics and is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the field of quantum optics.
Lidar
Lidar (also LIDAR, LiDAR or LADAR, an acronym of "light detection and ranging" or "laser imaging, detection, and ranging") is a method for determining ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver.
See Optics and Lidar
Light
Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Optics and light are electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and Light
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it.
See Optics and Light-emitting diode
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects.
Line moiré
Line moiré is one type of moiré pattern; a pattern that appears when superposing two transparent layers containing correlated opaque patterns.
Linear polarization
In electrodynamics, linear polarization or plane polarization of electromagnetic radiation is a confinement of the electric field vector or magnetic field vector to a given plane along the direction of propagation.
See Optics and Linear polarization
Lissajous curve
A Lissajous curve, also known as Lissajous figure or Bowditch curve, is the graph of a system of parametric equations which describe the superposition of two perpendicular oscillations in x and y directions of different angular frequency (a and b). The resulting family of curves was investigated by Nathaniel Bowditch in 1815, and later in more detail in 1857 by Jules Antoine Lissajous (for whom it has been named).
See Optics and Lissajous curve
List of textbooks in electromagnetism
The study of electromagnetism in higher education, as a fundamental part of both physics and electrical engineering, is typically accompanied by textbooks devoted to the subject.
See Optics and List of textbooks in electromagnetism
Long-focus lens
In photography, a long-focus lens is a camera lens which has a focal length that is longer than the diagonal measure of the film or sensor that receives its image.
See Optics and Long-focus lens
Luminance
Luminance is a photometric measure of the luminous intensity per unit area of light travelling in a given direction.
Lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened.
Machine vision
Machine vision is the technology and methods used to provide imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis for such applications as automatic inspection, process control, and robot guidance, usually in industry.
Magnification
Magnification is the process of enlarging the apparent size, not physical size, of something.
Magnifying glass
A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to produce a magnified image of an object.
See Optics and Magnifying glass
Maser
A maser is a device that produces coherent electromagnetic waves (microwaves), through amplification by stimulated emission.
See Optics and Maser
Matter
In classical physics and general chemistry, matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume.
Max Planck
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck (23 April 1858 – 4 October 1947) was a German theoretical physicist whose discovery of energy quanta won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.
Müller-Lyer illusion
The Müller-Lyer illusion is an optical illusion consisting of three stylized arrows.
See Optics and Müller-Lyer illusion
Medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health.
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent.
Metamaterial
A metamaterial (from the Greek word μετά meta, meaning "beyond" or "after", and the Latin word materia, meaning "matter" or "material") is a type of material engineered to have a property that is rarely observed in naturally occurring materials.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality.
Michelson interferometer
The Michelson interferometer is a common configuration for optical interferometry and was invented by the 19/20th-century American physicist Albert Abraham Michelson.
See Optics and Michelson interferometer
Microscope
A microscope is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye.
Microwave
Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than other radio waves (as originally discovered) but longer than infrared waves.
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period (also spelt mediaeval or mediæval) lasted from approximately 500 to 1500 AD.
Mie scattering
In electromagnetism, the Mie solution to Maxwell's equations (also known as the Lorenz–Mie solution, the Lorenz–Mie–Debye solution or Mie scattering) describes the scattering of an electromagnetic plane wave by a homogeneous sphere.
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts.
Mirage
A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky.
Mirror
A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that reflects an image.
Mirror image
A mirror image (in a plane mirror) is a reflected duplication of an object that appears almost identical, but is reversed in the direction perpendicular to the mirror surface.
Moiré pattern
In mathematics, physics, and art, moiré patterns or moiré fringes are large-scale interference patterns that can be produced when a partially opaque ruled pattern with transparent gaps is overlaid on another similar pattern.
Molecule
A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion.
Moon illusion
The Moon illusion is an optical illusion which causes the Moon to appear larger near the horizon than it does higher up in the sky.
Multiplicative inverse
In mathematics, a multiplicative inverse or reciprocal for a number x, denoted by 1/x or x−1, is a number which when multiplied by x yields the multiplicative identity, 1.
See Optics and Multiplicative inverse
Muslim world
The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah.
Myopia
Myopia, also known as near-sightedness and short-sightedness, is an eye disease where light from distant objects focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina.
Near point
In visual perception, the near point is the closest point at which an object can be placed and still form a focused image on the retina, within the eye's accommodation range.
Newton's rings
Newton's rings is a phenomenon in which an interference pattern is created by the reflection of light between two surfaces, typically a spherical surface and an adjacent touching flat surface.
Niels Bohr
Niels Henrik David Bohr (7 October 1885 – 18 November 1962) was a Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922.
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device.
Nimrud lens
The Nimrud lens, also called Layard lens, is an 8th-century BC piece of rock crystal which was unearthed in 1850 by Austen Henry Layard at the Assyrian palace of Nimrud in modern-day Iraq.
Nonimaging optics
Nonimaging optics (also called anidolic optics)Roland Winston et al., Nonimaging Optics, Academic Press, 2004 R. John Koshel (Editor), Illumination Engineering: Design with Nonimaging Optics, Wiley, 2013 is a branch of optics that is concerned with the optimal transfer of light radiation between a source and a target.
See Optics and Nonimaging optics
Nonlinear optics
Nonlinear optics (NLO) is the branch of optics that describes the behaviour of light in nonlinear media, that is, media in which the polarization density P responds non-linearly to the electric field E of the light.
See Optics and Nonlinear optics
Normal (geometry)
In geometry, a normal is an object (e.g. a line, ray, or vector) that is perpendicular to a given object.
See Optics and Normal (geometry)
Normal lens
In photography and cinematography, a normal lens is a lens that reproduces a field of view that appears "natural" to a human observer.
Novaya Zemlya effect
The Novaya Zemlya effect is a polar mirage caused by high refraction of sunlight between atmospheric thermal layers.
See Optics and Novaya Zemlya effect
Number sign
The symbol is known variously in English-speaking regions as the number sign, hash, or pound sign.
Objective (optics)
In optical engineering, an objective is an optical element that gathers light from an object being observed and focuses the light rays from it to produce a real image of the object.
See Optics and Objective (optics)
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is a clinical and surgical specialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
Optica (society)
Optica (founded as the Optical Society of America; later the Optical Society) is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics.
See Optics and Optica (society)
Optical aberration
In optics, aberration is a property of optical systems, such as lenses, that causes light to be spread out over some region of space rather than focused to a point.
See Optics and Optical aberration
Optical communication
Optical communication, also known as optical telecommunication, is communication at a distance using light to carry information.
See Optics and Optical communication
Optical computing
Optical computing or photonic computing uses light waves produced by lasers or incoherent sources for data processing, data storage or data communication for computing.
See Optics and Optical computing
Optical engineering
Optical engineering is the field of engineering encompassing the physical phenomena and technologies associated with the generation, transmission, manipulation, detection, and utilization of light.
See Optics and Optical engineering
Optical fiber
An optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other.
Optical instrument
An optical instrument is a device that processes light waves (or photons), either to enhance an image for viewing or to analyze and determine their characteristic properties.
See Optics and Optical instrument
Optical lens design
Optical lens design is the process of designing a lens to meet a set of performance requirements and constraints, including cost and manufacturing limitations.
See Optics and Optical lens design
Optical manufacturing and testing
Optical manufacturing and testing is the process of manufacturing and testing optical components.
See Optics and Optical manufacturing and testing
Optical microscope
The optical microscope, also referred to as a light microscope, is a type of microscope that commonly uses visible light and a system of lenses to generate magnified images of small objects.
See Optics and Optical microscope
Optical resolution
Optical resolution describes the ability of an imaging system to resolve detail, in the object that is being imaged.
See Optics and Optical resolution
Optical rotation
Optical rotation, also known as polarization rotation or circular birefringence, is the rotation of the orientation of the plane of polarization about the optical axis of linearly polarized light as it travels through certain materials.
See Optics and Optical rotation
Optical storage
Optical storage refers to a class of data storage systems that use light to read or write data to an underlying optical media.
See Optics and Optical storage
Optical telescope
An optical telescope is a telescope that gathers and focuses light mainly from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, to create a magnified image for direct visual inspection, to make a photograph, or to collect data through electronic image sensors.
See Optics and Optical telescope
Optical tweezers
Optical tweezers (originally called single-beam gradient force trap) are scientific instruments that use a highly focused laser beam to hold and move microscopic and sub-microscopic objects like atoms, nanoparticles and droplets, in a manner similar to tweezers.
See Optics and Optical tweezers
Optical vortex
An optical vortex (also known as a photonic quantum vortex, screw dislocation or phase singularity) is a zero of an optical field; a point of zero intensity.
Optician
An optician is an individual who fits eyeglasses or contact lenses by filling a refractive prescription from an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Opticks
Opticks: or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light is a book by Isaac Newton that was published in English in 1704 (a scholarly Latin translation appeared in 1706).
Optics (Ptolemy)
Ptolemy's Optics is a 2nd-century book on geometrical optics, dealing with reflection, refraction, and colour.
See Optics and Optics (Ptolemy)
Optoelectronics
Optoelectronics (or optronics) is the study and application of electronic devices and systems that find, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics.
See Optics and Optoelectronics
Optometry
Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities.
Orbison illusion
The Orbison illusion (or Orbison's illusion) is an optical illusion first described by American psychologist William Orbison (1912–1952) in 1939.
See Optics and Orbison illusion
Parabolic reflector
A parabolic (or paraboloid or paraboloidal) reflector (or dish or mirror) is a reflective surface used to collect or project energy such as light, sound, or radio waves.
See Optics and Parabolic reflector
Parallax
Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or half-angle of inclination between those two lines.
Paraxial approximation
In geometric optics, the paraxial approximation is a small-angle approximation used in Gaussian optics and ray tracing of light through an optical system (such as a lens).
See Optics and Paraxial approximation
Parity (physics)
In physics, a parity transformation (also called parity inversion) is the flip in the sign of one spatial coordinate.
See Optics and Parity (physics)
Paul Dirac
Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac (8 August 1902 – 20 October 1984) was an English mathematical and theoretical physicist who is considered to be one of the founders of quantum mechanics.
Perception
Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment.
Peripheral vision
Peripheral vision, or indirect vision, is vision as it occurs outside the point of fixation, i.e. away from the center of gaze or, when viewed at large angles, in (or out of) the "corner of one's eye".
See Optics and Peripheral vision
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position.
Perspective (graphical)
Linear or point-projection perspective is one of two types of graphical projection perspective in the graphic arts; the other is parallel projection.
See Optics and Perspective (graphical)
Phase (waves)
In physics and mathematics, the phase (symbol φ or ϕ) of a wave or other periodic function F of some real variable t (such as time) is an angle-like quantity representing the fraction of the cycle covered up to t. It is expressed in such a scale that it varies by one full turn as the variable t goes through each period (and F(t) goes through each complete cycle).
Phase velocity
The phase velocity of a wave is the rate at which the wave propagates in any medium.
Photodetector
Photodetectors, also called photosensors, are sensors of light or other electromagnetic radiation.
Photoelasticity
In materials science, photoelasticity describes changes in the optical properties of a material under mechanical deformation.
See Optics and Photoelasticity
Photoelectric effect
The photoelectric effect is the emission of electrons from a material caused by electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light.
See Optics and Photoelectric effect
Photographic film
Photographic film is a strip or sheet of transparent film base coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion containing microscopically small light-sensitive silver halide crystals.
See Optics and Photographic film
Photographic plate
Photographic plates preceded photographic film as a capture medium in photography.
See Optics and Photographic plate
Photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film.
Photomultiplier
A photomultiplier is a device that converts incident photons into an electrical signal.
See Optics and Photomultiplier
Photon
A photon is an elementary particle that is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force.
Photonic integrated circuit
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) or integrated optical circuit is a microchip containing two or more photonic components that form a functioning circuit.
See Optics and Photonic integrated circuit
Photonics
Photonics is a branch of optics that involves the application of generation, detection, and manipulation of light in form of photons through emission, transmission, modulation, signal processing, switching, amplification, and sensing.
Photopic vision
Photopic vision is the vision of the eye under well-lit conditions (luminance levels from 10 to 108 cd/m2).
See Optics and Photopic vision
Photoreceptor cell
A photoreceptor cell is a specialized type of neuroepithelial cell found in the retina that is capable of visual phototransduction.
See Optics and Photoreceptor cell
Physical optics
In physics, physical optics, or wave optics, is the branch of optics that studies interference, diffraction, polarization, and other phenomena for which the ray approximation of geometric optics is not valid.
See Optics and Physical optics
Physics
Physics is the natural science of matter, involving the study of matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force.
Pinhole camera
A pinhole camera is a simple camera without a lens but with a tiny aperture (the so-called pinhole)—effectively a light-proof box with a small hole in one side.
Plane mirror
A plane mirror is a mirror with a flat (planar) reflective surface.
Plato
Plato (Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (Ἀριστοκλῆς; – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms.
See Optics and Plato
Pleochroism
Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon in which a substance has different colors when observed at different angles, especially with polarized light.
Plutarch
Plutarch (Πλούταρχος, Ploútarchos;; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi.
Poggendorff illusion
The Poggendorff illusion is a geometrical-optical illusion that involves the misperception of the position of one segment of a transverse line that has been interrupted by the contour of an intervening structure.
See Optics and Poggendorff illusion
Polarimetry
Polarimetry is the measurement and interpretation of the polarization of transverse waves, most notably electromagnetic waves, such as radio or light waves.
Polarization rotator
A polarization rotator is an optical device that rotates the polarization axis of a linearly polarized light beam by an angle of choice.
See Optics and Polarization rotator
Polarizer
A polarizer or polariser is an optical filter that lets light waves of a specific polarization pass through while blocking light waves of other polarizations.
Ponzo illusion
The Ponzo illusion is a geometrical-optical illusion that takes its name from the Italian psychologist Mario Ponzo (1882–1960).
Presbyopia
Presbyopia is physiological insufficiency of accommodation associated with the aging of the eye that results in progressively worsening ability to focus clearly on close objects.
Principles of Optics
Principles of Optics, colloquially known as Born and Wolf, is an optics textbook written by Max Born and Emil Wolf that was initially published in 1959 by Pergamon Press.
See Optics and Principles of Optics
Prism (optics)
An optical prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that are designed to refract light.
Propagation constant
The propagation constant of a sinusoidal electromagnetic wave is a measure of the change undergone by the amplitude and phase of the wave as it propagates in a given direction. Optics and propagation constant are electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and Propagation constant
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (Πτολεμαῖος,; Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was an Alexandrian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine, Islamic, and Western European science.
Pupil
The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to strike the retina.
See Optics and Pupil
Quantum efficiency
The term quantum efficiency (QE) may apply to incident photon to converted electron (IPCE) ratio of a photosensitive device, or it may refer to the TMR effect of a magnetic tunnel junction.
See Optics and Quantum efficiency
Quantum electrodynamics
In particle physics, quantum electrodynamics (QED) is the relativistic quantum field theory of electrodynamics.
See Optics and Quantum electrodynamics
Quantum field theory
In theoretical physics, quantum field theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that combines classical field theory, special relativity, and quantum mechanics.
See Optics and Quantum field theory
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory that describes the behavior of nature at and below the scale of atoms.
See Optics and Quantum mechanics
Quantum optics
Quantum optics is a branch of atomic, molecular, and optical physics dealing with how individual quanta of light, known as photons, interact with atoms and molecules.
Quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide).
Radio frequency
Radio frequency (RF) is the oscillation rate of an alternating electric current or voltage or of a magnetic, electric or electromagnetic field or mechanical system in the frequency range from around to around.
See Optics and Radio frequency
Radio wave
Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with the lowest frequencies and the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, typically with frequencies below 300 gigahertz (GHz) and wavelengths greater than, about the diameter of a grain of rice. Optics and radio wave are electromagnetic radiation.
Radiometry
Radiometry is a set of techniques for measuring electromagnetic radiation, including visible light. Optics and Radiometry are electromagnetic radiation.
Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky.
Raman scattering
In physics, Raman scattering or the Raman effect is the inelastic scattering of photons by matter, meaning that there is both an exchange of energy and a change in the light's direction.
See Optics and Raman scattering
Rasmus Bartholin
Rasmus Bartholin (Latinized: Erasmus Bartholinus; 13 August 1625 – 4 November 1698) was a Danish physician and grammarian.
See Optics and Rasmus Bartholin
Ray (optics)
In optics, a ray is an idealized geometrical model of light or other electromagnetic radiation, obtained by choosing a curve that is perpendicular to the wavefronts of the actual light, and that points in the direction of energy flow.
Ray tracing (physics)
In physics, ray tracing is a method for calculating the path of waves or particles through a system with regions of varying propagation velocity, absorption characteristics, and reflecting surfaces.
See Optics and Ray tracing (physics)
Rayleigh scattering
Rayleigh scattering, named after the 19th-century British physicist Lord Rayleigh (John William Strutt), is the predominantly elastic scattering of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, by particles with a size much smaller than the wavelength of the radiation.
See Optics and Rayleigh scattering
Real image
In optics, an image is defined as the collection of focus points of light rays coming from an object.
Rear-view mirror
A rear-view mirror (or rearview mirror) is a, usually flat, mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's rear window (rear windshield).
See Optics and Rear-view mirror
Reciprocity (photography)
In photography, reciprocity is the inverse relationship between the intensity and duration of light that determines the reaction of light-sensitive material.
See Optics and Reciprocity (photography)
Reflecting telescope
A reflecting telescope (also called a reflector) is a telescope that uses a single or a combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image.
See Optics and Reflecting telescope
Refracting telescope
A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric telescope).
See Optics and Refracting telescope
Refraction
In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one medium to another.
Refractive index
In optics, the refractive index (or refraction index) of an optical medium is a dimensionless number that gives the indication of the light bending ability of that medium.
See Optics and Refractive index
René Descartes
René Descartes (or;; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and science.
Retina
The retina (or retinas) is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some molluscs.
Retroreflector
A retroreflector (sometimes called a retroflector or cataphote) is a device or surface that reflects radiation (usually light) back to its source with minimum scattering.
Rhodes
Rhodes (translit) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Robert Grosseteste
Robert Grosseteste (Robertus Grosseteste; 8 or 9 October 1253), also known as Robert Greathead or Robert of Lincoln, was an English statesman, scholastic philosopher, theologian, scientist and Bishop of Lincoln.
See Optics and Robert Grosseteste
Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke (18 July 16353 March 1703) was an English polymath who was active as a physicist ("natural philosopher"), astronomer, geologist, meteorologist and architect.
Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon (Rogerus or Rogerius Baconus, Baconis, also Rogerus), also known by the scholastic accolade Doctor Mirabilis, was a medieval English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empiricism.
Roy J. Glauber
Roy Jay Glauber (September 1, 1925 – December 26, 2018) was an American theoretical physicist.
Sander illusion
The Sander illusion or Sander's parallelogram is an optical illusion described by the German psychologist Friedrich Sander (1889–1971) in 1926.
See Optics and Sander illusion
Scalar (physics)
Scalars (or scalar quantities) are physical quantities that are unaffected by changes to a vector space basis (i.e., a coordinate system transformation).
See Optics and Scalar (physics)
Scattering
In physics, scattering is a wide range of physical processes where moving particles or radiation of some form, such as light or sound, are forced to deviate from a straight trajectory by localized non-uniformities (including particles and radiation) in the medium through which they pass.
Science of photography
The science of photography is the use of chemistry and physics in all aspects of photography.
See Optics and Science of photography
Scotopic vision
In the study of visual perception, scotopic vision (or scotopia) is the vision of the eye under low-light conditions.
See Optics and Scotopic vision
Sense
A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the surroundings through the detection of stimuli.
See Optics and Sense
Sensitometry
Sensitometry is the scientific study of light-sensitive materials, especially photographic film.
Shot noise
Shot noise or Poisson noise is a type of noise which can be modeled by a Poisson process.
Sign convention
In physics, a sign convention is a choice of the physical significance of signs (plus or minus) for a set of quantities, in a case where the choice of sign is arbitrary.
See Optics and Sign convention
Signal processing
Signal processing is an electrical engineering subfield that focuses on analyzing, modifying and synthesizing signals, such as sound, images, potential fields, seismic signals, altimetry processing, and scientific measurements.
See Optics and Signal processing
Sky
The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth.
See Optics and Sky
Snell's law
Snell's law (also known as the Snell–Descartes law, the ibn-Sahl law, and the law of refraction) is a formula used to describe the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction, when referring to light or other waves passing through a boundary between two different isotropic media, such as water, glass, or air.
Solar cell
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell (PV cell) is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect.
Solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially.
Specular reflection
Specular reflection, or regular reflection, is the mirror-like reflection of waves, such as light, from a surface.
See Optics and Specular reflection
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted, is a universal physical constant that is exactly equal to). According to the special theory of relativity, is the upper limit for the speed at which conventional matter or energy (and thus any signal carrying information) can travel through space.
Spherical aberration
In optics, spherical aberration (SA) is a type of aberration found in optical systems that have elements with spherical surfaces.
See Optics and Spherical aberration
SPIE
SPIE (formerly the Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers, later the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers) is an international not-for-profit professional society for optics and photonics technology, founded in 1955.
See Optics and SPIE
Statistical mechanics
In physics, statistical mechanics is a mathematical framework that applies statistical methods and probability theory to large assemblies of microscopic entities.
See Optics and Statistical mechanics
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy (also called stereoscopics, or stereo imaging) is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision.
Stimulated emission
Stimulated emission is the process by which an incoming photon of a specific frequency can interact with an excited atomic electron (or other excited molecular state), causing it to drop to a lower energy level. Optics and Stimulated emission are electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and Stimulated emission
Stokes parameters
The Stokes parameters are a set of values that describe the polarization state of electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and Stokes parameters
Stress (mechanics)
In continuum mechanics, stress is a physical quantity that describes forces present during deformation.
See Optics and Stress (mechanics)
Sun dog
A sun dog (or sundog) or mock sun, also called a parhelion (plural parhelia) in atmospheric science, is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the Sun.
Sunny 16 rule
In photography, the sunny 16 rule (also known as the sunny rule) is a method of estimating correct daylight exposures without a light meter.
Sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning.
Sunset
Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its rotation.
Superposition principle
The superposition principle, also known as superposition property, states that, for all linear systems, the net response caused by two or more stimuli is the sum of the responses that would have been caused by each stimulus individually.
See Optics and Superposition principle
Telephony
Telephony is the field of technology involving the development, application, and deployment of telecommunication services for the purpose of electronic transmission of voice, fax, or data, between distant parties.
Telephoto lens
A telephoto lens, also known as telelens, is a specific type of a long-focus lens used in photography and cinematography, in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length.
Theodore Maiman
Theodore Harold Maiman (July 11, 1927 – May 5, 2007) was an American engineer and physicist who is widely credited with the invention of the laser.
See Optics and Theodore Maiman
Theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity.
Thin lens
In optics, a thin lens is a lens with a thickness (distance along the optical axis between the two surfaces of the lens) that is negligible compared to the radii of curvature of the lens surfaces.
Thin-film optics
Thin-film optics is the branch of optics that deals with very thin structured layers of different materials.
See Optics and Thin-film optics
Thomas Young (scientist)
Thomas Young FRS (13 June 177310 May 1829) was a British polymath who made notable contributions to the fields of vision, light, solid mechanics, energy, physiology, language, musical harmony, and Egyptology.
See Optics and Thomas Young (scientist)
Thomson scattering
Thomson scattering is the elastic scattering of electromagnetic radiation by a free charged particle, as described by classical electromagnetism.
See Optics and Thomson scattering
Timaeus (dialogue)
Timaeus (Timaios) is one of Plato's dialogues, mostly in the form of long monologues given by Critias and Timaeus, written 360 BC.
See Optics and Timaeus (dialogue)
Total internal reflection
In physics, total internal reflection (TIR) is the phenomenon in which waves arriving at the interface (boundary) from one medium to another (e.g., from water to air) are not refracted into the second ("external") medium, but completely reflected back into the first ("internal") medium.
See Optics and Total internal reflection
Transmission-line matrix method
The transmission-line matrix (TLM) method is a space and time discretising method for computation of electromagnetic fields.
See Optics and Transmission-line matrix method
Transparency and translucency
In the field of optics, transparency (also called pellucidity or diaphaneity) is the physical property of allowing light to pass through the material without appreciable scattering of light.
See Optics and Transparency and translucency
Transverse wave
In physics, a transverse wave is a wave that oscillates perpendicularly to the direction of the wave's advance.
See Optics and Transverse wave
Twinkling
Twinkling, also called scintillation, is a generic term for variations in apparent brightness, colour, or position of a distant luminous object viewed through a medium.
Tyndall effect
The Tyndall effect is light scattering by particles in a colloid such as a very fine suspension (a sol).
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. Optics and Ultraviolet are electromagnetic radiation.
Unconscious inference
In perceptual psychology, unconscious inference (unbewusster Schluss), also referred to as unconscious conclusion, is a term coined in 1867 by the German physicist and polymath Hermann von Helmholtz to describe an involuntary, pre-rational and reflex-like mechanism which is part of the formation of visual impressions.
See Optics and Unconscious inference
Vacuum
A vacuum (vacuums or vacua) is space devoid of matter.
Vanishing point
A vanishing point is a point on the image plane of a perspective rendering where the two-dimensional perspective projections of mutually parallel lines in three-dimensional space appear to converge.
See Optics and Vanishing point
Virtual image
In optics, the image of an object is defined as the collection of focus points of light rays coming from the object.
Virtual particle
A virtual particle is a theoretical transient particle that exhibits some of the characteristics of an ordinary particle, while having its existence limited by the uncertainty principle, which allows the virtual particles to spontaneously emerge from vacuum at short time and space ranges.
See Optics and Virtual particle
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret the surrounding environment through photopic vision (daytime vision), color vision, scotopic vision (night vision), and mesopic vision (twilight vision), using light in the visible spectrum reflected by objects in the environment.
See Optics and Visual perception
Visual system
The visual system is the physiological basis of visual perception (the ability to detect and process light).
Vitello
Vitello (Witelon; Witelo; – 1280/1314) was a Polish friar, theologian, natural philosopher and an important figure in the history of philosophy in Poland.
Vitreous body
The vitreous body (vitreous meaning "glass-like") is the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eyeball (the vitreous chamber) in humans and other vertebrates.
Wave
In physics, mathematics, engineering, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or more quantities.
See Optics and Wave
Wave interference
In physics, interference is a phenomenon in which two coherent waves are combined by adding their intensities or displacements with due consideration for their phase difference.
See Optics and Wave interference
Wave–particle duality
Wave-particle duality is the concept in quantum mechanics that quantum entities exhibit particle or wave properties according to the experimental circumstances.
See Optics and Wave–particle duality
Waveguide (optics)
An optical waveguide is a physical structure that guides electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum.
See Optics and Waveguide (optics)
Wavelength
In physics and mathematics, wavelength or spatial period of a wave or periodic function is the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.
Waveplate
A waveplate or retarder is an optical device that alters the polarization state of a light wave travelling through it.
Wide-angle lens
In photography and cinematography, a wide-angle lens is a lens covering a large angle of view.
See Optics and Wide-angle lens
Wundt illusion
The Wundt illusion is an optical illusion that was first described by the German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt in the 19th century.
X-ray
X-rays (or rarely, X-radiation) are a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation.
See Optics and X-ray
X-ray diffraction
X-ray diffraction is a generic term for phenomena associated with changes in the direction of X-ray beams due to interactions with the electrons around atoms.
See Optics and X-ray diffraction
Young's interference experiment
Young's interference experiment, also called Young's double-slit interferometer, was the original version of the modern double-slit experiment, performed at the beginning of the nineteenth century by Thomas Young.
See Optics and Young's interference experiment
Zöllner illusion
The Zöllner illusion is an optical illusion named after its discoverer, German astrophysicist Johann Karl Friedrich Zöllner.
See Optics and Zöllner illusion
Zenith
The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the celestial sphere.
Zoom lens
A zoom lens is a system of camera lens elements for which the focal length (and thus angle of view) can be varied, as opposed to a fixed-focal-length (FFL) lens (prime lens).
References
Also known as Applications of optics, Classical optics, Light physics, Optic, Optical, Optical component, Optical device, Optical physicist, Optical system, Optics (physics).
, Bubblegram, Café wall illusion, Calcite, Camera, Camera lens, Charge-coupled device, Chemistry, Chirality, Chirality (chemistry), Chirp, Christiaan Huygens, Chromatic aberration, Circular dichroism, Circular polarization, Classical electromagnetism, Coherence (physics), Color, Color television, Compact disc, Comparison microscope, Compton scattering, Computer engineering, Computer simulation, Conservation of energy, Constantine the African, Contact lens, Corner reflector, Corona (optical phenomenon), Corpuscular theory of light, Corrective lens, Correlation, Cosmogony, Covalent bond, Crepuscular rays, Crete, Crystal, Crystal optics, Curved mirror, Cylinder, Democritus, Depth of field, Diameter, Dichroism, Dielectric, Dielectric mirror, Diffraction, Diffraction grating, Diffraction topography, Diffraction-limited system, Diffuse reflection, Digital image processing, Dioptre, Directional Infrared Counter Measures, Dispersion (optics), Double-slit experiment, E. C. George Sudarshan, Ehrenstein illusion, Electromagnetic radiation, Electromagnetism, Electron multiplier, Electrostatic lens, Ellipse, Elliptical polarization, Emission spectrum, Emission theory (vision), Engineering, Epicurus, Epistemology, Etiology, Euclid, Euclidean vector, European Optical Society, European Photonics Industry Consortium, Exposure (photography), Eye surgery, Eyepiece, F-number, Far point, Faraday effect, Farsightedness, Fata Morgana (mirage), Fermat's principle, Fiber-optic communication, Film speed, Finite element method, Focal length, Focus (optics), Fourier optics, Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Fraser spiral illusion, Fraunhofer diffraction, Fresnel diffraction, Fresnel equations, Gaussian beam, Gaussian optics, Geometrical optics, Geometry, Glasses, Gradient-index optics, Greco-Roman world, Halo (optical phenomenon), Hering illusion, History of quantum mechanics, Holography, Horizon, Hot mirror, HRL Laboratories, Huygens–Fresnel principle, Ibn Sahl (mathematician), Image, Image sensor, Index of optics articles, Indian philosophy, Infrared, Interface (matter), Interference filter, Interferometry, Internet, Inversion (meteorology), Iran, Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, James Gregory (mathematician), Johannes Kepler, John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, Jones calculus, Kapitsa–Dirac effect, Kirchhoff's diffraction formula, Lambert's cosine law, Laser, Laser capture microdissection, Laser diode, Laser hair removal, Laser lighting display, Laser pointer, Laser printing, LaserDisc, Lens, Lens (vertebrate anatomy), Leonard Mandel, Lidar, Light, Light-emitting diode, Lighting, Line moiré, Linear polarization, Lissajous curve, List of textbooks in electromagnetism, Long-focus lens, Luminance, Lunar eclipse, Machine vision, Magnification, Magnifying glass, Maser, Matter, Max Planck, Müller-Lyer illusion, Medicine, Mesopotamia, Metamaterial, Metaphysics, Michelson interferometer, Microscope, Microwave, Middle Ages, Mie scattering, Mineralogy, Mirage, Mirror, Mirror image, Moiré pattern, Molecule, Moon illusion, Multiplicative inverse, Muslim world, Myopia, Near point, Newton's rings, Niels Bohr, Night vision, Nimrud lens, Nonimaging optics, Nonlinear optics, Normal (geometry), Normal lens, Novaya Zemlya effect, Number sign, Objective (optics), Ophthalmology, Optica (society), Optical aberration, Optical communication, Optical computing, Optical engineering, Optical fiber, Optical instrument, Optical lens design, Optical manufacturing and testing, Optical microscope, Optical resolution, Optical rotation, Optical storage, Optical telescope, Optical tweezers, Optical vortex, Optician, Opticks, Optics (Ptolemy), Optoelectronics, Optometry, Orbison illusion, Parabolic reflector, Parallax, Paraxial approximation, Parity (physics), Paul Dirac, Perception, Peripheral vision, Periscope, Perspective (graphical), Phase (waves), Phase velocity, Photodetector, Photoelasticity, Photoelectric effect, Photographic film, Photographic plate, Photography, Photomultiplier, Photon, Photonic integrated circuit, Photonics, Photopic vision, Photoreceptor cell, Physical optics, Physics, Pinhole camera, Plane mirror, Plato, Pleochroism, Plutarch, Poggendorff illusion, Polarimetry, Polarization rotator, Polarizer, Ponzo illusion, Presbyopia, Principles of Optics, Prism (optics), Propagation constant, Ptolemy, Pupil, Quantum efficiency, Quantum electrodynamics, Quantum field theory, Quantum mechanics, Quantum optics, Quartz, Radio frequency, Radio wave, Radiometry, Rainbow, Raman scattering, Rasmus Bartholin, Ray (optics), Ray tracing (physics), Rayleigh scattering, Real image, Rear-view mirror, Reciprocity (photography), Reflecting telescope, Refracting telescope, Refraction, Refractive index, René Descartes, Retina, Retroreflector, Rhodes, Robert Grosseteste, Robert Hooke, Roger Bacon, Roy J. Glauber, Sander illusion, Scalar (physics), Scattering, Science of photography, Scotopic vision, Sense, Sensitometry, Shot noise, Sign convention, Signal processing, Sky, Snell's law, Solar cell, Solar eclipse, Specular reflection, Speed of light, Spherical aberration, SPIE, Statistical mechanics, Stereoscopy, Stimulated emission, Stokes parameters, Stress (mechanics), Sun dog, Sunny 16 rule, Sunrise, Sunset, Superposition principle, Telephony, Telephoto lens, Theodore Maiman, Theology, Thin lens, Thin-film optics, Thomas Young (scientist), Thomson scattering, Timaeus (dialogue), Total internal reflection, Transmission-line matrix method, Transparency and translucency, Transverse wave, Twinkling, Tyndall effect, Ultraviolet, Unconscious inference, Vacuum, Vanishing point, Virtual image, Virtual particle, Visual perception, Visual system, Vitello, Vitreous body, Wave, Wave interference, Wave–particle duality, Waveguide (optics), Wavelength, Waveplate, Wide-angle lens, Wundt illusion, X-ray, X-ray diffraction, Young's interference experiment, Zöllner illusion, Zenith, Zoom lens.