rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryerbiumChemical element
noun

erbium

UR-bee-um/ˈɜːrbiəm/

A silvery rare-earth chemical element.

The silvery erbium sample rests beside pink glass and an optical fiber.

A silvery erbium metal sample beside pink erbium-doped glass and an optical fiber, small functional element label 'Er' only.
Etymology
erbLatinsubstance named after Ytterby
+iumLatinmetallic element ending

Erbia supplied the naming base, while -ium marked the name as a metallic element. The base commemorates Ytterby in Sweden, where a mineral containing the element was found.

In context

TecH_SerV IT0:34
Inside the EDFA, there's a special chunk of optical fiber that's been doped with erbium ions. Hit it with a laser, usually at 980 or 1480 nanometers, and those erbium atoms get excited.
What is EDFA? How Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers Work in Networking

More examples

  • Erbium has the chemical symbol Er.
  • The lab measures the amount of erbium in the mineral.
  • Some optical fibers contain erbium to help amplify light signals.

Forms

erbium