exciton

American

[ik-sahy-ton, ek-si-ton] / ɪkˈsaɪ tɒn, ˈɛk sɪˌtɒn /

noun

Physics.

a localized, mobile excited state of a crystal, consisting of an electron and a hole bound together.

exciton British

/ ˈɛksaɪˌtɒn /

noun

a mobile neutral entity in a crystalline solid consisting of an excited electron bound to the hole produced by its excitation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of exciton

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

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.

As Dean's team tuned these parameters, they noticed an unexpected pattern linking exciton density and temperature.

From Science Daily

"Observing an insulating phase that melts into a superfluid is unprecedented. This strongly suggests that the low-temperature phase is a highly unusual exciton solid."

From Science Daily

When these charges meet, they release light and form a particle called an exciton before settling into a stable electrical state.

From Science Daily

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

From Science Daily

Due to the ultra-thin structure of the material, the negatively charged electron and the positively charged 'hole' it leaves behind in the atomic lattice stay bound together by the electrostatic attraction between them, forming what is known as an 'exciton'.

From Science Daily

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