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
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.
As normal energy barriers usually block hopfions from forming, the team used ultra-fast femtosecond laser pulses to shock the spin system out of equilibrium. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 May 2026 The new prototype, still very far from being practical, took femtoseconds (quadrillionths of a second) to charge and stored the energy for nanoseconds. New Atlas, 4 Apr. 2026 In a study, Microsoft scientists sought to overcome those deficiencies by using femtosecond lasers, which fire high-power laser pulses just quadrillionths of a second long. IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2026 Data is written encoded in an array of data matrices using a 2-D digital micro mirror with up to 2 million elements simultaneously written by femtosecond laser pulses in the UV spectrum with a write speed of 1GB/s and with less than 1W average power. Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for femtosecond

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of femtosecond was in 1976

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Cite this Entry

“Femtosecond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femtosecond. Accessed 31 May. 2026.

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