quantum limit

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Noun 1.2.1 Derived terms

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

The spectroscopic sense is first attested in the 1920s; the measurement sense was coined by Vladimir Braginsky in a 1967 paper, and was originally restricted to the study of gravitational waves.

[edit] Noun

quantum limit (plural quantum limits)

1. (physics) The limit on measurement accuracy at quantum scales due to back-action effects.
   • 1995, Vladimir Borisovich Braginskiĭ and Farid Ya. Khalili, Quantum Measurement [1], ISBN 0521484138, page i:

   "This book is essential reading for all scientists and engineers the potential applications of technology near the quantum limit."

2. (spectroscopy) The shortest wavelength in an X-ray spectrum.
   • 1935, Donald Stover Piston, The Polarization of X-rays from Thin Targets [2], page 4:

   "The voltage and wave-length at the quantum limit of the spectrum under investigation are denoted by ν₀ and λ₀."

[edit] Derived terms

• standard quantum limit (SQL)