Kerr effect

American

noun

Physics.

the double refraction of light in certain substances, produced by an electric field.

Kerr effect British

noun

Also called: electro-optical effect. the production of double refraction in certain transparent substances by the application of a strong electric field
Also called: magneto-optical effect. a slight elliptical polarization of plane polarized light when reflected from one of the poles of a strong magnet

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Kerr effect

1905–10; named after John Kerr (1824–1907), Scottish physicist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This accumulation can be detected by taking advantage of the magneto-optic Kerr effect, in which the polarization, or orientation of the light, changes when it reflects from the surface of a magnet.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023