anglesensitive

Anglesensitive is an adjective used to describe a device, sensor, or system whose output changes with the angle of observation, incidence, or orientation. The term is common in optics, photonics, and sensor technology, where angular dependence is an intrinsic characteristic or a design goal. The angular response is often described by a function that shows signal as a function of angle relative to a reference axis. Some devices are engineered to be highly angle-sensitive to detect direction, while others are designed to minimize angular variation for uniform performance across orientations.

In optical detectors, angle sensitivity can arise from geometry (aperture and surface shape), the angular distribution of incoming light, or from anisotropic materials. A classic example is a detector with a cosine-law response, where the signal scales with the cosine of the incidence angle. In imaging arrays, lenslets and microlenses influence angular sensitivity across a pixel. In sensing applications, tilt sensors, gyroscopes, and some accelerometers infer orientation precisely because their signals depend on angle.

Measurement and calibration are performed by rotating the device on a precision stage and recording output versus angle to derive an angular response curve. Designers may compensate for unwanted angle sensitivity with optical averaging or masking, or exploit it by incorporating directional processing into signal interpretation.

Limitations include wavelength dependence, polarization effects, temperature drift, and mechanical tolerances. Applications range from directional light sensing and solar tracking to orientation detection and angular multiplexing in communications. See also angular response, cosine law, and orientation sensor.