Morlet

Morlet is a surname of French origin. Notable bearer: Jean Morlet, a French geophysicist who played a pivotal role in the development of wavelet theory in geophysics. In the early 1980s, Morlet and co-author Alex Grossmann introduced the continuous wavelet transform to geophysical signal analysis, popularizing the approach. The Morlet wavelet is named in his honor.

The Morlet wavelet is a complex wavelet consisting of a plane wave modulated by a Gaussian envelope. It is widely used for time-frequency analysis because it provides a compromise between time and frequency localization. It is typically employed within the continuous wavelet transform: by convolving a signal with scaled and translated versions of the Morlet wavelet, one obtains a time-scale representation of the signal. The central frequency of the wavelet and its scale determine the balance between temporal and spectral resolution.

In practice, the Morlet wavelet is used across disciplines including geophysics, neuroscience, and audio processing. Variants and related wavelets include the Gabor wavelet; the Morlet wavelet is appreciated for its intuitive interpretation as a sinusoid with Gaussian tapering. The term Morlet may also refer more broadly to people bearing the surname.