coherer
/koʊˈhɪrər/
noun
- An early device used in radio receivers to detect radio waves, consisting of a tube filled with metal filings that conduct electricity when a signal is received.
- In the museum, we saw a replica of an early coherer used by Guglielmo Marconi.
- The coherer was a key component in the first wireless telegraphy systems.
- The coherer worked by allowing metal filings to clump together when a radio wave hit them.