thermal noise

American

noun

Thermodynamics, Electricity.

a wide spectrum of electromagnetic noise appearing in electronic circuits and devices as a result of the temperature-dependent random motions of electrons and other charge carriers.

thermal noise British

noun

electrical noise caused by thermal agitation of conducting electrons

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of thermal noise

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The team used thermal noise as the system for their calculations because it is always present -- noticeable in the hissing of your amplifier.

From Science Daily

The main problem with room temperature is thermal noise, which perturbs delicate quantum dynamics.

From Science Daily

Through this effect, the laser light cools the acoustic vibrations and creates an environment with less thermal noise which is, to an extent, "disturbing" noise for a quantum communication system, for example.

From Science Daily

Previously, these temperature differences could not be measured quantitatively due to thermal noise.

From Science Daily

On the other hand, uncooled detectors can operate at room temperature but suffer from low detectivity and slow response due to the higher thermal noise intrinsic to room temperature operation.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023