quasiparticle

American

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

noun

Physics.

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

Etymology

Origin of quasiparticle

First recorded in 1955–60; quasi- + particle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The researchers intend to use their technique to study more exotic physics in related materials, such as anyons, a new type of quasiparticle that could enable a route to quantum computation.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2024

If this Majorana quasiparticle could be corralled and controlled, the payoff would be twofold.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 20, 2023

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

From Science Magazine • Dec. 20, 2023

An exciton is a quasiparticle which exists when an electron and the hole it is bound to becomes excited by light or another source of energy.

From Science Daily • Sep. 18, 2023

Pairs of the quasiparticle could encode information in their memory of how they have circled around one another.

From Nature • Jul. 2, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023