bandgap

American  

[band-gap] / ˈbændˌgæp /

noun

bandgaps plural

1. Physics. the energy difference between the valence band and the conduction band in a solid, representing the range of energies that electrons cannot occupy and therefore cannot use to conduct electricity. The bandgap is greatest in insulators, smaller in semiconductors, and nonexistent in metals.

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bandgap Scientific  

/ bănd′găp′ /

1. The difference in energy in a substance between electron orbitals in which the electrons are not free to move (the valence band) and orbitals in which they are relatively free and will carry a current (the conduction band). In semiconductors, some electrons are sustained in the conduction band by thermal energy. Energy released when an electron in the conduction band falls into a hole in the valence band is called bandgap radiation.

2. See also hole semiconductor laser

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sub-bandgap
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• bandgaps
  plural

Example Sentences

By adjusting their chemical makeup, scientists can control the wavelengths of light the crystals absorb and emit, a property known as the bandgap.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

For decades, researchers have looked to quasicrystals when designing isotropic bandgap materials.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

Both materials have semiconducting properties like silicon, but unlike silicon, they can also withstand high temperatures and radiation because of their wide electronic bandgap and high atomic binding energy.

From Scientific American • Oct. 23, 2023

Blue light comprises high-energy photons; gallium nitride, with its wide bandgap, was the first semiconductor that could practically produce photons with the sufficient energy.

From New York Times • May 16, 2022

Wide bandgap, or WBG, semiconductors are advantageous in power electronics because they can move more power more efficiently.

From New York Times • May 16, 2022