Abbreviations in Physics (Part – 2)
Abbreviations are an essential part of scientific communication in physics. Because the subject involves complex concepts, long technical terms and frequently used measurements, abbreviations make it quicker and easier to write, read and discuss ideas without losing clarity.
Why Abbreviations Matter in Physics
- Saves Time and Space
Terms like Electromagnetic Radiation(EMR) or Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM) are too long to repeat. Abbreviations make writing concise. - Improves Communication
Scientists, researchers and students across the world can understand each other more easily through standardised shorthand. - Supports Technical Writing
Research papers, lab reports, graphs and equations often rely on abbreviations to stay neat and readable. - Widely Accepted in Academia and Industry
Whether in astrophysics, quantum mechanics, electronics or material science, abbreviations are used in lectures, journals and experiments.
Types of Abbreviations in Physics
Abbreviations can refer to:
- Units of Measurement
- m (metre), s (second), kg (kilogram), Pa (Pascal), V (volt)
- Physical Quantities
- KE (Kinetic Energy), EMF (Electromotive Force), T (Tesla), P (Power)
- Scientific Concepts and Theories
- GR (General Relativity), QM (Quantum Mechanics), SM (Standard Model)
- Instruments and Devices
- SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), LHC (Large Hadron Collider), LED (Light Emitting Diode)
- Processes and Phenomena
- SN (Supernova), BEC (Bose-Einstein Condensate), GW (Gravitational Waves)
- Organisations and Facilities
- CERN, DESY, APS, JILA, NIF
Importance in Learning and Research
For students, abbreviations can feel overwhelming at first, but they become familiar through regular use. In research and experimentation, they help scientists record data and describe methods accurately without long descriptions.
Many abbreviations are internationally standardised through bodies like:
- SI (International System of Units)
- IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry)
- ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation)
Challenges and Considerations
- Context is important: Some abbreviations can have different meanings in different areas of physics.
Example: mcan mean metre, mass or milli-, depending on use. - Avoid overuse in basic explanations: When writing for beginners, abbreviations should be explained at least once.
- Clarity over complexity: Abbreviations should aid communication, not confuse the reader.
Abbreviations in physics are not just convenient shorthand — they are part of the shared language of science. When used correctly and understood in context, they make learning, collaboration and research faster, clearer and more precise.
More than 250 commonly used abbreviations in Physics
Here is a full list of More than 250 commonly used abbreviations in Physics
Abbreviations in Physics Part – 2 (From N – Z)
Abbreviations in physics (N)
- n – refractive index
- NA – Avogadro’s Number
- Nb – Niobium (superconductors)
- NBT – Noise Bandwidth
- NC – Nanocrystal
- Nd:YAG – Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet
- NEA – Negative Electron Affinity
- NeV – Nano Electron Volt
- NG – Neutrino Generation
- NMR – Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
- NM – Nanometre
- NP – Nanoparticle
- NR – Non-Relativistic
- NS – Neutron Star
- NT – Neutron Temperature
- NV – Nitrogen-Vacancy (centre)
- NVT – Canonical Ensemble (constant number, volume, temperature)
Abbreviations in physics (O)
- O – Oxygen (material notation)
- OA – Optical Amplifier
- OB – Orbit
- OC – Open Circuit
- OCT – Optical Coherence Tomography
- OD – Optical Density
- OEM – Optical Emission Microscope
- OE – Oscillation Energy
- OH – Overhead (data/computing physics)
- OMEGA – Laser Fusion Facility
- OP – Order Parameter
- OR – Optical Resonance
- OS – Optical Spectrum
- OT – Oscillation Time
- OTR – Optical Transition Radiation
- OV – Overvoltage
Abbreviations in physics (P)
- P – Power
- PA – Pascal (pressure unit)
- Pauli Excl. – Pauli Exclusion Principle
- PB – Pair Breaking
- PCB – Printed Circuit Board
- PDF – Probability Density Function
- PEM – Photoelastic Modulator
- PeV – Peta Electron Volt
- PF – Power Factor
- PG – Pressure Gradient
- PH – Photon
- PhD – Doctor of Philosophy (research physics)
- PI – Proportional-Integral (control systems)
- PL – Photoluminescence
- PM – Phase Modulation
- PMT – Photomultiplier Tube
- PN – P-type and N-type (semiconductors)
- ppb – Parts Per Billion
- ppm – Parts Per Million
- PR – Pulse Repetition
- PS – Picosecond
- PSI – Pounds per Square Inch
- PT – Phase Transition
- PV – Photovoltaic
- PW – Petawatt
Abbreviations in physics (Q)
- Q – Charge
- QA – Quantum Anomaly
- QC – Quantum Computing
- QD – Quantum Dot
- QE – Quantum Efficiency
- QFT – Quantum Field Theory
- QM – Quantum Mechanics
- QMS – Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer
- QP – Quasiparticle
- QR – Quantum Repeater
- QS – Quasi-Static
- QT – Quantum Tunnelling
- QUB – Quantum Bit (Qubit)
- QV – Quantised Voltage
Abbreviations in physics (R)
- R – Resistance
- RA – Right Ascension
- RC – Resistor-Capacitor Circuit
- RF – Radio Frequency
- RG – Radiation Gauge
- RH – Relative Humidity (experimental environments)
- RHEED – Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction
- RI – Refractive Index
- rms – Root Mean Square
- ROC – Radius of Curvature
- rpm – Revolutions Per Minute
- RS – Reactive Sputtering
- RT – Room Temperature
- RV – Rotational Velocity
- RX – Radiography
- Ryd – Rydberg Constant
Abbreviations in physics (S)
- s – Second
- SA – Scattering Amplitude
- SAR – Specific Absorption Rate
- SC – Superconductivity
- SEM – Scanning Electron Microscope
- SI – International System of Units
- SLM – Spatial Light Modulator
- SM – Standard Model (of particle physics)
- SN – Supernova
- SO – Spin-Orbit (coupling)
- SQUID – Superconducting Quantum Interference Device
- SR – Synchrotron Radiation
- SS – Steady State
- STM – Scanning Tunnelling Microscope
- SUSY – Supersymmetry
- SW – Standing Wave
- SWR – Standing Wave Ratio
Abbreviations in physics (T)
- T – Tesla (magnetic field unit)
- TA – Thermal Analysis
- Tb – Terabit
- TC – Curie Temperature
- TD – Time Domain
- TE – Transverse Electric
- TEM – Transmission Electron Microscope
- TF – Transfer Function
- THz – Terahertz
- TI – Topological Insulator
- TK – Thermal Kinetics
- TL – Transmission Line
- TM – Transverse Magnetic
- TOF – Time of Flight
- TR – Transition Radiation
- TS – Transition State
- TTL – Transistor-Transistor Logic
- TV – Threshold Voltage
- TW – Terawatt
Abbreviations in physics (U)
- U – Potential Energy
- UA – Ultraviolet Absorption
- UB – Upper Bound
- UCN – Ultracold Neutron
- UE – Ultraviolet Emission
- UF – Ultrafast
- UG – Underground (detector facilities)
- UHF – Ultra High Frequency
- UL – Upper Limit
- UV – Ultraviolet
- UVC – Ultraviolet C-band
- UVO – Ultraviolet-Visible Optics
Abbreviations in physics (V)
- V – Volt
- VA – Volt-Ampere
- VC – Voltage Control
- VHF – Very High Frequency
- VI – Voltage Input
- VL – Visible Light
- VM – Vacuum Mode
- VO – Voltage Offset
- VP – Vapour Pressure
- VR – Voltage Regulator
- VS – Vibrational State
- VSD – Variable Speed Drive
- VSM – Vibrating Sample Magnetometer
- VUV – Vacuum Ultraviolet
Abbreviations in physics (W)
- W – Watt
- WA – Wave Amplitude
- WB – Weber (magnetic flux unit)
- WC – Waveform Capture
- WDM – Wavelength Division Multiplexing
- WKB – Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin Approximation
- WL – Wavelength
- WMAP – Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
- WP – Wave Packet
- WSN – Wireless Sensor Network
- WSR – Wave-Structure Resonance
Abbreviations in physics (X)
- X – X-ray
- XA – X-ray Absorption
- XAS – X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy
- XFEL – X-ray Free Electron Laser
- XMCD – X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism
- XPS – X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
- XR – X-ray Reflectivity
- XS – Cross Section (alternative notation)
- XUV – Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray
Abbreviations in physics (Y)
- Y – Yield
- YA – Young’s Approximation
- YC – Yield Curve
- YIG – Yttrium Iron Garnet
- YM – Young’s Modulus
- Yr – Year (astronomical usage)
- YS – Yield Strength
- YVO – Yttrium Vanadate (optical crystal)
Abbreviations in physics (Z)
- Z – Atomic Number (Z number)
- ZA – Zenith Angle
- ZAMO – Zero Angular Momentum Observer
- ZB – Zero Bias
- ZBL – Ziegler-Biersack-Littmark (potential)
- ZDP – Zero Dispersion Point
- ZEB – Zero-Error Bias
- ZF – Zeeman Field
- ZFC – Zero Field Cooling
- ZLD – Zero Leakage Diode
- ZPF – Zero-Point Fluctuation
- ZPE – Zero-Point Energy
- ZRM – Zero Resistance Material
- ZRP – Zero-Range Potential
- ZT – Thermoelectric Figure of Merit
- ZVS – Zero Voltage Switching
- Zyn – Zeta Potential (ζ-potential, alt. abbrev.)
Here are additional widely used cross-field Physics abbreviations:
- AAO – Anodic Aluminium Oxide
- ADC – Analogue-to-Digital Converter
- ADR – Adiabatic Demagnetisation Refrigerator
- AF – Antiferromagnetism
- ALE – Atomic Layer Etching
- ALD – Atomic Layer Deposition
- AMO – Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
- APS – American Physical Society
- ARF – Atmospheric Reaction Force
- ASDEX – Axially Symmetric Divertor Experiment
- AVS – American Vacuum Society
- BBO – Beta Barium Borate (optics)
- BECM – Bose-Einstein Condensed Matter
- BHZ – Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang (model)
- BMS – Boltzmann-Maxwell Statistics
- BOE – Buffered Oxide Etch
- BPVE – Bulk Photovoltaic Effect
- CARS – Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy
- CBED – Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction
- CCDR – Cryogenic Continuous Dilution Refrigerator
- CEBAF – Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility
- CIS – Configuration Interaction Singles
- COM – Centre of Mass
- COSY – Cooler Synchrotron
- CRDS – Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy
- CRYRING – Cryogenic Storage Ring
- DESY – Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron
- DFT – Density Functional Theory
- DLS – Dynamic Light Scattering
- EELS – Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy
- EIT – Electromagnetically Induced Transparency
- ESR – Electron Spin Resonance
- FEL – Free-Electron Laser
- FGR – Fermi’s Golden Rule
- FOM – Figure of Merit
- GGA – Generalised Gradient Approximation
- GUTP – Grand Unification Theory Proposal
- GW – Gravitational Wave
- HEP – High Energy Physics
- HRTEM – High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy
- ICF – Inertial Confinement Fusion
- IXS – Inelastic X-ray Scattering
- JILA – Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics
- LIGO – Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory
- LISA – Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
- LLL – Lowest Landau Level
- LOQC – Linear Optical Quantum Computing
- LPI – Laser Plasma Interaction
- LSPM – Lorentz Scanning Probe Microscopy
- MBE – Molecular Beam Epitaxy
- MCNP – Monte Carlo N-Particle Code
- MOKE – Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect
- MPMS – Magnetic Property Measurement System
- MRIgFUS – Magnetic Resonance Imaging-guided Focused Ultrasound
- MSSM – Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model
- NEMS – Nanoelectromechanical Systems
- NIF – National Ignition Facility
- NLO – Nonlinear Optics
- NSLS – National Synchrotron Light Source
- OAM – Orbital Angular Momentum
- OPO – Optical Parametric Oscillator
- OTDR – Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry
- PEP – Pauli Exclusion Principle
- PET – Positron Emission Tomography
- PIV – Particle Image Velocimetry
- PMMA – Polymethyl Methacrylate (detector medium)
- QCL – Quantum Cascade Laser
- QHE – Quantum Hall Effect
- QKD – Quantum Key Distribution
- RBS – Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry
- RFQ – Radiofrequency Quadrupole
- RKKY – Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida Interaction
- SAXS – Small Angle X-ray Scattering
- SERS – Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
- SPP – Surface Plasmon Polariton
- SQ – Spin Quantum Number
- STM-LE – Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy-Light Emission
- TDS – Time-Dependent Schrödinger (Equation)
- TMD – Transition Metal Dichalcogenide
- TOFMS – Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry
- TRIGA – Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics Reactor
- UHV – Ultra High Vacuum
- UNO – Unified Neutrino Oscillation
- VLA – Very Large Array
- VLBI – Very Long Baseline Interferometry
- VO₂ – Vanadium Dioxide (phase transition material)
- WIMP – Weakly Interacting Massive Particle
- XFMR – X-ray Ferromagnetic Resonance
- XMMS – X-ray Multi-Mirror Satellite
- XPCS – X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy
- ZBA – Zero Bias Anomaly
- ZDTS – Zero-Dispersion Transition State
- ZFO – Zero Field Offset
- ZORA – Zeroth-Order Regular Approximation
- ZRPW – Zero-Resistance Point Wave
Conclusion
Abbreviations in physics play a vital role in simplifying complex terms, enhancing clarity and supporting efficient communication across scientific communities. Whether used in equations, research papers, laboratory work or classroom learning, they allow physicists to express ideas precisely without unnecessary repetition. While their meaning can vary with context, a clear understanding of these shortened forms helps students, educators and researchers engage with the subject more effectively. Ultimately, abbreviations are not just linguistic shortcuts—they are an essential part of the scientific language that keeps physics organised, consistent and universally accessible.
Go to Abbreviations in Physics Part – 1
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