quarter-wave plate
[ kwawr-ter-weyv ]
nounOptics.
a crystal thin enough to cause a phase difference of 90° between the ordinary and extraordinary rays of polarized light, thereby converting circularly polarized light into plane polarized light.
Origin of quarter-wave plate
1First recorded in 1880–85
- Compare half-wave plate.
Words Nearby quarter-wave plate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Browse