interferometer

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an instrument that superimposes two or more waves and analyzes their interference pattern to make precise measurements of distance, wavelength, refractive index, or related quantities

   The Michelson interferometer split a laser beam along two paths and then recombined the light.

Formed in the late nineteenth century from interfere + connective -o- + -meter. Meter in instrument names ultimately comes from Greek metron ("measure"); the device measures by producing and analyzing wave interference.

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