The term "phase factor" is commonly used in various fields such as physics, particularly in quantum mechanics and wave physics. It typically refers to a complex factor that affects the phase of a wave or wavefunction.
Articles by others on the same topic
A phase factor is a unit-modulus complex number . Multiplying a complex amplitude by it changes its wave phase by while preserving its squared modulus. A common phase factor does not change light intensity, while different phase factors of contributions can change their interference.