Polarized hull plating was a defensive technology that preceded shields. In a battle situation, electromagnetic power could be applied to the hull materials, making them several orders of magnitude harder. This technology was used on Starfleet starships such as the Template:ShipClass in the 22nd century. Unlike shields, polarization cannot be amplified to reinforce a specific direction. The amount of polarization on the ventral sections of the ship is the equal on the dorsal. (Star Trek: Enterprise)
During the months the Enterprise was in the Delphic Expanse, polarization technology back on Earth had been improved by 12%. (ENT: "Home")
Polarizing a hull on a 24th century starship can be used as a method of disrupting a tractor beam or masking a starship's approach. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow"; VOY: "Equinox, Part II").
- The fictional technology derives from late 20th century discoveries in the real world of ceramics which become harder when an electrical current passes through them.