femtosecond

noun

fem·​to·​sec·​ond ˈfem(p)-tə-ˌse-kənd How to pronounce femtosecond (audio)
-kənt,
-tō-
: one quadrillionth of a second

Examples of femtosecond in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The simulations need to account for atomic vibrations that occur on the scale of femtoseconds while simulating physical and chemical changes, such as changes in an atom’s position relative to its neighbors, that emerge on the scale of microseconds. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2024 The resulting oscillator has reduced the jitter in the system to just 15 femtoseconds Today, these applications rely on microwave oscillators. IEEE Spectrum, 19 Mar. 2024 But atoms in a molecule move in billionths of a second, aka femtoseconds; electrons move and change energies faster, between one and a few hundred attoseconds. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Oct. 2023 This means processing speeds in devices based on them could reach femtoseconds, a million times as fast as the speeds achievable with current gigahertz electronics. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for femtosecond 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'femtosecond.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of femtosecond was in 1976

Dictionary Entries Near femtosecond

Cite this Entry

“Femtosecond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femtosecond. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.

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