quarter-wave plate

noun

A sheet of birefringent material whose thickness is such that the light associated with the larger refractive index is retarded in phase by 90° with respect of that associated with the smaller refractive index; used to convert linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light.

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Meanings

nounquarter-wave plate (plural quarter-wave plates)

plural quarter-wave plates

  1. natural sciencesA sheet of birefringent material whose thickness is such that the light associated with the larger refractive index is retarded in phase by 90° with respect of that associated with the smaller refractive index; used to convert linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
λ/4 film
Cite this entry
APA

quarter-wave plate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quarter-wave%20plate

MLA

“quarter-wave plate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quarter-wave%20plate. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quarter-wave plate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quarter-wave%20plate.

Source: quarter-wave plate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.