quarter-wave termination

quarter-wave termination

[′kwȯrd·ər ‚wāv tər·mə′nā·shən] (electromagnetism) Metal plate and a wire grating spaced about one-fourth of a wavelength apart in a waveguide, with the plate serving as the termination of the guide; waves reflected from the metal plate are canceled by waves reflected from the grating so that all energy is absorbed (none is reflected) by the quarter-wave termination.