Dictionary of Electrical Engineering

Commonly used terms in the Electrical industry.

chemical laser
a laser in which the amplification results from one or more chemical reactions; potentially very powerful with principal output lines in the mid-infrared.
electromagnetic interference (EMI)
(1) any electromagnetic disturbance that interrupts, obstructs, or otherwise degrades or limits the effective performance of electronics/electrical equipment. It can be induced intentionally, as in some forms of electronic warfare, or unintentionally, as a result of a spurious emissions and responses, intermodulation products, and the like. Additionally, EMI may be caused by atmospheric phenomena, such as lightning and precipitation static and non-telecommunication equipment, such as vehicles and industry machinery.

(2) unwanted high-frequency electrical signals, also known as radio frequency interference (RFI), which can be generated by
power electronic circuits switching at high frequencies. The signals can be transmitted by conduction along cables (450 kHz to 30 MHz) or by radiation (30 MHz to 40 GHz) and can interfere with control or other electronic equipment.
EMI

See electromagnetic interference
EMI filter

See electromagnetic interference filter
emissivity
the fraction of the power incident on a material that is reradiated after being absorbed by the material. For a material in thermal equilibrium, the emissivity is equal to the absorptivity.
light emitting diode (LED)
a forward-biased p-n junction that emits light through spontaneous emission by a phenomenon termed electroluminescence.
organic light emitting diode
a group of recently developed organic material that emits light in response to electrical input. Although lower in efficiency, they have greater manufacturing flexibility than semiconductor LED.
semi-rigid cable
a coaxial cable with a solid metal outer-conductor. Typically used where the cable is bent to fit the application only once.
semiconductor
a material in which electrons in the outermost shell are able to migrate from atom to atom when a modest amount of energy is applied. Such a material is partially conducting (can support electrical current flow), but also has properties of an insulator. The amount of current conduction that can be supported can be varied by "doping" the material with appropriate materials, which results in the increased presence of free electrons for current flow. Common
examples are silicon and GaAs.
See semi-insulator
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