In the optical regime, an element that selectively transmits or blocks a range of wavelengths, polarizations, etc. , or selectively displaces a beam, e.g., by virtue of birefringence.

See optical mixing.

In an integrated circuit or electronic module, the use of opto-electronic devices to make or facilitate connections, in lieu of a direct connection involving conducting or semiconducting materials.

In a fiber optic communications link, a point at which an optical signal is passed from one equipment or medium to another without conversion to an electrical signal.

A device that uses a short optical transmission path to accomplish electrical isolation between elements of a circuit.
Note 1: The optical path may be air or a dielectric waveguide.
Note 2: The transmitting and receiving elements of an optical isolator may be contained within a single compact module, for mounting, e.g., on a circuit board. Synonym optoisolator.

Any physical interface in a fiber optic system.
Note: Source to fiber, fiber to fiber, fiber to detector, beam to prism (or lens), fiber to lens, lens to fiber, are examples of optical junctions.

Sequences of optical pulses suitably structured to permit information transfer over an optical link.

1. In optical measurements or specifications, a pair of usually straight contiguous stripes of equal width and having a defined degree of contrast, and which are used as one means of defining or determining resolution.
Note 1: Resolution may be expressed in terms of line pairs per unit distance, or line pairs per unit angle.
Note 2: Optical "targets," consisting… (Read More →)

An optical transmission channel, including any repeaters or regenerative repeaters, designed to connect two electronic or opto-electronic communications terminals.
Note: An optical link is sometimes held to include the terminal optical transmitters and receivers, especially in the case of a communications link utilizing separate electronic terminals originally designed for metallic transmission, and retrofitted for optical transmission. [After FAA]

Optical beating, i.e., the mixing, i.e., heterodyning, of two lightwaves (incoming signal and local oscillator) in a nonlinear device to produce a beat frequency low enough to be further processed by conventional electronic circuitry.
Note: Optical mixing is the optical analog of heterodyne reception of radio signals. [After FAA] Synonym optical heterodyning.