1. plural of quadrupole: systems of four electric charges or magnetic poles arranged in a specific pattern, or devices that create such fields
Usage: physics; technical

Examples

• The mass spectrometer uses quadrupoles to separate ions by their mass-to-charge ratio.
• Scientists studied the quadrupoles in the atomic nucleus to understand its structure.
• The particle accelerator contains several quadrupoles for beam focusing.
• Quadrupoles are essential components in many modern analytical instruments.
• The electromagnetic quadrupoles help control the particle beam’s trajectory.
• Researchers measured the electric quadrupoles in the molecular system.