Architecture
Cross-Encoder
Transformer that scores a (query, document) pair jointly — used for reranking.
Definition
A cross-encoder takes both inputs together through one transformer pass, producing a high-quality but expensive relevance score. Dual encoders (bi-encoders) are cheaper but lossier; cross-encoders are reserved for reranking the top candidates from a retriever.
Common use cases
- Reranking
- Search precision
- Question answering