Noncovalent interactions: Interactions that can hold molecules or
functional groups within a molecule together that do not involve
formation of a covalent bond (sharing of electrons). Examples of
noncovalent interactions include electrostatic interactions and
dispersion interactions.
Nonlinear optical: A term that indicates the dielectric polarization of the
media responds in a nonlinear manner to the electric field of light.
Nonlinear optical processes involve multiple photons/electric
fields.
Normalized (quantum mechanics): A normalized function is a function
multiplied by a scaling constant such that its value is 1. The
constant required to normalize a function is known as the normalization constant.
Oligonucleotide: A short nucleic acid polymer comprised of fewer than
20 bases.
Onsager model: A model for relating the dipole moment of polar molecules to the dielectric constant of a bulk system that assumes that
dipoles only interact with the average field of other dipoles within
a system and not with other specific molecules.
Open system: A system that exchanges both energy and matter with its
surroundings.
Operator: A mathematical operation that is applied to one or more
numbers or functions.
Overlap repulsion: Repulsion between electrons in different atoms or
molecules due to both electrostatic and quantum mechanical
effects. Overlap repulsion prevents materials from collapsing into
single points.
p-Polarized light: Electric field vector polarized along the plane perpendicular to the plane of incidence.
Particle-in-a-box model: A model quantum mechanical system in which
electrons are confined in a region of zero potential energy and
between barriers of infinite potential energy. Also known as the
infinite potential well model. The corresponding model in solidstate physics for bulk materials is called the free-electron model.
Path function: A function that depends on intermediate values, such
that different paths between the end points of the function will
Glossary
449
functional groups within a molecule together that do not involve
formation of a covalent bond (sharing of electrons). Examples of
noncovalent interactions include electrostatic interactions and
dispersion interactions.
Nonlinear optical: A term that indicates the dielectric polarization of the
media responds in a nonlinear manner to the electric field of light.
Nonlinear optical processes involve multiple photons/electric
fields.
Normalized (quantum mechanics): A normalized function is a function
multiplied by a scaling constant such that its value is 1. The
constant required to normalize a function is known as the normalization constant.
Oligonucleotide: A short nucleic acid polymer comprised of fewer than
20 bases.
Onsager model: A model for relating the dipole moment of polar molecules to the dielectric constant of a bulk system that assumes that
dipoles only interact with the average field of other dipoles within
a system and not with other specific molecules.
Open system: A system that exchanges both energy and matter with its
surroundings.
Operator: A mathematical operation that is applied to one or more
numbers or functions.
Overlap repulsion: Repulsion between electrons in different atoms or
molecules due to both electrostatic and quantum mechanical
effects. Overlap repulsion prevents materials from collapsing into
single points.
p-Polarized light: Electric field vector polarized along the plane perpendicular to the plane of incidence.
Particle-in-a-box model: A model quantum mechanical system in which
electrons are confined in a region of zero potential energy and
between barriers of infinite potential energy. Also known as the
infinite potential well model. The corresponding model in solidstate physics for bulk materials is called the free-electron model.
Path function: A function that depends on intermediate values, such
that different paths between the end points of the function will
Glossary
449