laser interferometer
- noun
- /ˈleɪzər ˌɪntərfəˈrɑːmɪtər/
- Specialized
:
interferómetro láser
- A laser interferometer is essential for experiments that require high-resolution measurements of light interference patterns.
Examples
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To achieve precise measurements, researchers developed a new laser interferometer that drastically improves the accuracy of optical testing.
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So the plan is to put a laser interferometer that would detect gravitational waves in space.
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The European Space Agency for a space based gravitational wave detector, a mission called Lisa, the Laser Interferometer Space antenna.
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So to a new telescope that came online within the last six years is LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory.
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That stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, and they're on opposite sides of the USA.
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The scientists used a laser interferometer to measure the subtle changes in the gravitational waves detected from distant black holes.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an interferometer that uses a laser as its light source' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'laser' (a focused coherent light source) modifying 'interferometer' (a device that measures optical path changes). This noun–noun compounding pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who already knows both constituent words can infer the MWE's meaning, even if the term is technical.
Etymology
The compound noun laser interferometer joins laser, a very steady, bright beam of light, and interferometer, a tool that brings two light paths together. When the beams meet they make patterns like ripples, and because the laser is so steady those patterns change with even tiny moves, even over long distances, so the machine can 'measure' very small changes in distance.
