The twirling dance of excitons (IMAGE)
Caption
Excitons are technically not particles, but quasiparticles (“quasi-” meaning “almost” in Latin). They are formed by the electrostatic attraction between excited, negatively charged electrons and positively charged holes. Holes are spaces left behind by the excited electrons and are themselves a type of quasiparticle. When excitons form, the electron and hole twirl around each other like a pair of dancers holding hands, and they travel along that way until the electron falls back into the hole.
Credit
Kaori Serakaki/OIST
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