picosecond

noun

pi·​co·​sec·​ond ˌpē-kō-ˈse-kənd How to pronounce picosecond (audio)
-kənt
: one trillionth of a second

Examples of picosecond in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Optical atomic clocks, accurate to picoseconds, will enable satellite constellations and ground stations to determine satellites’ locations with centimeter-level precision—avoiding potentially catastrophic in-orbit collisions. Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 This activity is highly non-linear so that a small change in initial conditions can be inconsequential or lead to huge differences in outcome over timescales ranging from picoseconds to hours or days. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 30 Sep. 2024 Phase errors measured in picoseconds can cause the microwave beam to blur or drift off its target. IEEE Spectrum, 9 May 2024 For instance, the absorption of photons in a solid results in an energy transfer from the light field to the atoms that occurs over attosecond to picoseconds or even longer. IEEE Spectrum, 9 Jan. 2024 The vector vortex beams could generate spin textures in roughly 10 picoseconds, about 10 times faster than conventional lasers. IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2023 Previous experiments had seemed to show light-sensitive molecules in this area in two different states at the same time — that’s quantum weirdness — but the effect lasted more than 1 picosecond, which is much longer than expected. Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, 21 May 2018 Rapid switching is possible in principle (the laser should be able to switch in picoseconds), but that still has to be done in practice. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 17 May 2020 Lasers that generate picosecond pulses with average powers of 50W are not that hard to obtain. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2019

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

circa 1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of picosecond was circa 1962

Dictionary Entries Near picosecond

Cite this Entry

“Picosecond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picosecond. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

picosecond

noun
pi·​co·​sec·​ond ˈpē-kō-ˌsek-ənd, -ənt How to pronounce picosecond (audio)
: one trillionth of a second
abbreviation ps
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!