exciton

American  

[ik-sahy-ton, ek-si-ton] / ɪkˈsaɪ tɒn, ˈɛk sɪˌtɒn /

noun

Physics.

1. a localized, mobile excited state of a crystal, consisting of an electron and a hole bound together.

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exciton British  

/ ˈɛksaɪˌtɒn /

noun

1. a mobile neutral entity in a crystalline solid consisting of an excited electron bound to the hole produced by its excitation

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Etymology

Origin of exciton

1935–40; excit(ed) or excit(ation) + -on ¹

Example Sentences

When these charges meet, they release light and form a particle called an exciton before settling into a stable electrical state.

From Science Daily

Jauregui explained that this sudden change indicated the system had shifted into the exotic exciton state.

From Science Daily

Due to the ultra-thin structure of the material, the negatively charged electron and the positively charged 'hole' it leaves behind in the atomic lattice stay bound together by the electrostatic attraction between them, forming what is known as an 'exciton'.

From Science Daily

During this process, light is absorbed by the material and its energy is handed around amongst the material's molecules as a so-called "triplet exciton."

From Science Daily

Kobori explains, "In solution systems, it is difficult to observe the magnetic properties of the electron spins due to the high-speed rotation of the molecules, and in conventional solid-state systems, the reaction efficiency is too low for electron spin resonance studies. The thin-film solid-state material used in our study, however, was suitable for observing the magnetic properties of electron spins and generating sufficient triplet exciton concentrations."

From Science Daily