quasiparticle

American  

[kwey-zahy-pahr-ti-kuhl, kwey-sahy-, kwah-see, -zee-] / ˌkweɪ zaɪˈpɑr tɪ kəl, ˌkweɪ saɪ-, ˌkwɑ si, -zi- /

noun

Physics.

1. an entity, as an exciton or phonon, that interacts with elementary particles, but does not exist as a free particle.

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Etymology

Origin of quasiparticle

First recorded in 1955–60; quasi- + particle

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quasiparticle

To overcome that problem, Zhen's team developed a special quasiparticle called an exciton-polariton.

From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026

By the very nature of the phonon being a quasiparticle in a crystal it can be shown that the same mathematical pattern holds as for their biological counterparts in water.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2024

The search for the Majorana quasiparticle is following a similar dynamic.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 20, 2023

Under the right conditions, the motion of electrons and holes can synchronize to behave as a single quasiparticle, in which fragments of the electron appear as if they are physically separated.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 20, 2023

First put forward 67 years ago, the quasiparticle is a concept physicists use to represent the combined effect of those interactions as a single quantum object for the purposes of quantum mechanical calculations.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 23, 2023