polarization

American  

[poh-ler-uh-zey-shuhn] / ˌpoʊ lər əˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a sharp division, as of a population or group, into opposing factions.

2. Optics. a state, or the production of a state, in which rays of light or similar radiation exhibit different properties in different directions.

3. Electricity.

   1. the deposit of gases, produced during electrolysis, on the electrodes of a cell, increasing the resistance of the cell.

   2. a vector quantity indicating the electric dipole moment per unit of volume of a dielectric.

   3. the induction of polarity in a ferromagnetic substance.

4. the production or acquisition of polarity.

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polarization British  

/ ˌpəʊləraɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. the condition of having or giving polarity

2. physics the process or phenomenon in which the waves of light or other electromagnetic radiation are restricted to certain directions of vibration, usually specified in terms of the electric field vector

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polarization Scientific  

/ pō′lər-ĭ-zā′shən /

1. A condition in which transverse waves vibrate consistently in a single plane, or along a circle or ellipse. Electromagnetic radiation such as light is composed of transverse waves and can be polarized. Certain kinds of light filters, including sunglasses that reduce glare, work by filtering out light that is polarized in one direction.

2. The displacement of positive and negative electric charge to opposite ends of a nuclear, atomic, molecular, or chemical system, especially by subjection to an electric field. Atoms and molecules have some inherent polarization.

3. An increased resistance to the flow of current in a voltaic cell, caused by chemical reactions at the electrodes. Polarization results in a reduction of the electric potential across the voltaic cell.

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polarization ¹ Cultural  

1. The direction in which the electrical field of an electromagnetic wave points.

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polarization ² Cultural  

1. In politics, the grouping of opinions around two extremes: “As the debate continued, the union members were polarized into warring factions.”

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Discover More

Reflected light, such as the light that produces glare on a sunny day, is polarized so that the electrical field is parallel to the ground. Some sunglasses are designed to take advantage of this property by blocking out that particular polarization while allowing other light to come through.

Other Word Forms

• depolarization noun
• repolarization noun

Etymology

Origin of polarization

First recorded in 1805–15; polarize + -ation

Example Sentences

Researchers have developed a new holographic data storage method that records and retrieves information in three dimensions by combining three key properties of light -- amplitude, phase and polarization.

From Science Daily

While silicon is widely used and supports high integration, it is sensitive to polarization and tends to have higher optical losses, which can limit performance and reliability in quantum systems.

From Science Daily

Traditional tools, including wave plates and linear polarizers, can detect polarization but are fixed in their capabilities and limited in range.

From Science Daily

They discovered that the detailed shape of the EB correlation signal contains clues about how many times the polarization direction may have rotated.

From Science Daily

“Trade escalation typically revives investor appetite for hedging assets, particularly in a global environment marked by slowing growth and rising geopolitical polarization,” said Rania Gule, senior market analyst at XS.com.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• emission