Desfasades

Desfasades is a term used in physics, engineering and signal processing to describe signals, states, or phenomena that are out of phase with a reference signal. The word derives from the Catalan desfasar, meaning to desynchronize or shift out of phase. In wave theory, phase is the position of a point in a cycle; two signals are desfasades when their phase difference is not zero or a multiple of 360 degrees.

When two sinusoidal waves have a phase difference, their superposition depends on that difference. A 180-degree phase difference (desfasament of 180°) yields destructive interference in ideal conditions, while 90 degrees yields a quarter-cycle offset and different constructive/destructive patterns. Desfasades is therefore a basic descriptor for how signals combine in time-domain and frequency-domain analyses.

Applications include alternating-current power systems, where impedance and load angles create desfasades between voltage and current; audio engineering, where phase alignment affects loudness, timbre, and stereo imaging; communications, where phase shifts carry information or must be corrected to avoid interference; and optics, where out-of-phase components influence interference fringes and coherence.

Measurement and control methods include phase detectors, cross-correlation, and phase-locked loops to monitor or correct desfasades. Proper management of phase relations improves signal fidelity, reduces artifacts, and enables accurate reconstruction in sensor arrays.

See also: phase difference, phase shift, interference, phasor, signal processing.