excited state

noun

: a state of a physical system (such as an atomic nucleus, an atom, or a molecule) that is higher in energy than the ground state

Examples of excited state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So on average the flipping takes the first qubit from its excited state to its ground state and draws energy out of the first qubit. Joseph Calamia, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019 The process repeats itself, generating a second annihilator in the triplet excited state. Tracy H. Schloemer, IEEE Spectrum, 19 Sep. 2023 This puts the atoms and molecules in an excited state. The Oregonian, oregonlive, 13 July 2023 This change means the BEC's quantum state has jumped from its ground state to its first excited state. Charles D. Brown Ii, Scientific American, 16 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for excited state 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excited state.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of excited state was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near excited state

Cite this Entry

“Excited state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excited%20state. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

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