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

"The material fluctuates between two different states, as if it cannot decide which one it wants to adopt. In this fluctuating regime, the quasiparticle picture is thought to lose its meaning."

From Science Daily • Jan. 15, 2026

Inside a stark black building with tinted windows, Google researchers attempt to engineer the quasiparticle on supercooled chips encased in chilling systems that look like chandeliers.

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