oscillator

[ os-uh-ley-ter ]

noun

1. Electronics. a circuit that produces an alternating output current of a certain frequency determined by the characteristics of the circuit components.
2. a device or machine producing oscillations.
3. a person or thing that oscillates.

oscillator

/ ˈɒsɪˌleɪtə /

noun

1. a circuit or instrument for producing an alternating current or voltage of a required frequency
2. any instrument for producing oscillations
3. a person or thing that oscillates

Word History and Origins

Origin of oscillator¹

1825–35; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin oscillā ( re ) to swing ( oscillate ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

The Kerr-effect in turn scrambles the many quantum states offered by the oscillator, canceling the desired effect.

From Science Daily

By putting a control system device inside the oscillator, the Chalmers researchers were able to circumvent the Kerr-effect and combat the trade-off problem.

From Science Daily

"Our community has often tried to keep superconducting elements away from quantum oscillators, not to scramble the fragile quantum states. In this work, we have challenged this paradigm. By embedding a controlling device at the heart of the oscillator we were able to avoid scrambling the many quantum states while at the same time being able to control and manipulate them. As a result, we demonstrated a novel set of gate operations performed at very high speed," says Simone Gasparinetti.

From Science Daily

Another crucial component was a 4mm drum-like device called a mechanical oscillator, which interacts with light inside the cavity.

From Science Daily

In the Optica Publishing Group journal Optics Letters, the researchers describe how they 3D printed microscale optics directly onto optical fibers to combine fibers and laser crystals inside a single laser oscillator in a compact way.

From Science Daily