exciton

noun

ex·​ci·​ton ˈek-sə-ˌtän How to pronounce exciton (audio)
-ˌsī-
: a mobile combination of an electron and a hole in an excited crystal (as of a semiconductor)
excitonic adjective

Examples of exciton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Even when a photon with more energy than needed hits the solar cell, only one exciton is generated. New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026 Their results showed that the unusual absorption behavior arises from interactions between excitons, which carry energy, and charge-transfer states, where electrons move between molecules. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026 Luis Jauregui The associate professor and director of UC Irvine’s Quantum Materials and Devices Lab, worked with post-doctoral student Jinyu Liu to discover a new state of matter – excitons. Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 18 Dec. 2025 Instead of knocking excitons around, phonons in this molecule bind to them to create a new quasiparticle that flow freely through the semiconductor at twice the speed of electrons. IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2023 More From Popular Mechanics Crucially, this van der Waals material has the ability to create quasiparticles known as excitons, which interact with both light and other particles. Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary excitation + -on entry 2

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exciton was in 1936

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Cite this Entry

“Exciton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exciton. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

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