electron-hole pair
Quick Summary
In condensed-matter physics, an electron-hole pair refers to a fundamental concept involving both a free electron and a "hole." A hole is essentially the absence of an electron in a solid's atomic structure, particularly in semiconductors.1
When an electron gains enough energy, it can move from the valence band to the conduction band, leaving behind a hole. This hole acts like a positive charge and can carry an electric current, though typically slower than electrons.1
An exciton is a bound state of an electron and a hole that can move together through a crystal. While electrically neutral as a whole, excitons transport energy and can be detected indirectly. When an electron and hole recombine, the exciton disappears, potentially releasing energy as light. This phenomenon is crucial for understanding the electrical and optical properties of semiconductors, forming the basis for many modern electronic and optical devices.21
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materials sciencePhotovoltaicsThe electron motion, and the movement of holes in the opposite direction, constitute an electric current. The force that drives electrons and holes through a circuit is created by the junction of two dissimilar semiconducting materials, one of which has a tendency to give up electrons…
Read MoreThe electron motion, and the movement of holes in the opposite direction, constitute an electric current. The force that drives electrons and holes through a circuit is created by the junction of two dissimilar semiconducting materials, one of which has a tendency to give up electrons…
Read More- materials scienceCrystalline materials
…in the momentum space, allowing electrons and holes to recombine and radiate photons efficiently. (By contrast, the conduction band minimum and the valence band maximum in silicon have dissimilar momenta, and therefore the electrons and holes cannot recombine efficiently.) Among the important compounds are gallium arsenide, aluminum gallium arsenide, indium…
Read More…in the momentum space, allowing electrons and holes to recombine and radiate photons efficiently. (By contrast, the conduction band minimum and the valence band maximum in silicon have dissimilar momenta, and therefore the electrons and holes cannot recombine efficiently.) Among the important compounds are gallium arsenide, aluminum gallium arsenide, indium…
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radiation measurementSemiconductor detectors…conduction band, resulting in an electron-hole pair. In semiconductor detectors, an electric field is present throughout the active volume. The subsequent drift of the electrons and holes toward electrodes on the surface of the semiconductor material generates a current pulse in much the same manner as the motion of ion…
Read More…conduction band, resulting in an electron-hole pair. In semiconductor detectors, an electric field is present throughout the active volume. The subsequent drift of the electrons and holes toward electrodes on the surface of the semiconductor material generates a current pulse in much the same manner as the motion of ion…
Read More
crystalConducting properties of semiconductorsThermal fluctuations thus make electron-hole pairs. Usually the electron and hole separate in space, and each wanders away. The Swiss-American scientist Gregory Hugh Wannier first suggested that the electron and hole could bind together weakly. This bound state, called a Wannier exciton, does exist; the hole has a positive…
Read MoreThermal fluctuations thus make electron-hole pairs. Usually the electron and hole separate in space, and each wanders away. The Swiss-American scientist Gregory Hugh Wannier first suggested that the electron and hole could bind together weakly. This bound state, called a Wannier exciton, does exist; the hole has a positive…
Read More