ground state

noun

Physics.

1. the state of least energy of a particle, as an atom, or of a system of particles.

ground state

noun

1. the lowest energy state of an atom, molecule, particle, etc Compare excited

ground state

1. The state of a physical system having the lowest possible potential energy. For example, an electron in the lowest energy orbital in a hydrogen atom is in a ground state. The ground state of a physical system tends to be stable unless energy is applied to it from the outside; states that are not the ground state have a tendency to revert to the ground state, giving off energy in the process.

2. Compare excited state

Word History and Origins

Origin of ground state¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Then a quantum computer takes over to find the ground state’s precise solution.

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"Both algorithms produce a quantum state close to the ground state of a system, which is used to determine many of the system's physical properties," said John Stenger, Ph.D., a Theoretical Chemistry Section research physicist.

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It is a direct consequence of the unconventional ground state of AV3Sb5, which features multiple intertwined electronic orders.

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The quantum ground state of an acoustic wave of a certain frequency can be reached by completely cooling the system.

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Laser light can cool a nanoscale-sized glass sphere to its motional ground state.

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