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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of exciton

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exciton

When electrons and holes form a bound pair called an exciton, they tend to recombine quickly.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 10, 2026

"One is to convert lower-energy infrared photons into higher energy visible photons. The other, what we explore here, is to use SF to generate two excitons from a single exciton photon."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2025

"We hypothesized that, in an exciton, two positively charged holes are more strongly bound than an electron-and-hole pair," adds first author Shinya Takahashi.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 27, 2024

In its research, the team made a surprising discovery: it found that certain defects to the system, introduced strategically, would improve exciton transfer rather than impede it.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 27, 2024