Charge carrier

Charge carrier denotes in physics a free (mobile, unbound) particle carrying an electric charge. Examples are electrons and ions. In semiconductor physics, the travelling vacancies in the valance-band electron population (holes) are treated as charge carriers.

Related Topics:
Physics - Electric - Charge - Electron - Ion - Semiconductor physics - Holes

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In ionic solutions, the charge carriers are the dissolved cations and anions. Similarly, cations and anions of the dissociated liquid serve as charge carriers in liquids and melted ionic solids (see eg. the Hall-Heroult process for an example of electrolysis of a melt).

Related Topics:
Cation - Anion - Hall-Heroult process

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In plasma, eg. in an electric arc, the electrons and cations of ionized gas and vaporized material of electrodes act as charge carriers. (The electrode vaporization occurs in vacuum too, but then the arc is not technically occurring in vacuum, but in low-pressure electrode vapors.)

Related Topics:
Plasma - Electric arc

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In vacuum, in an electric arc or in vacuum tubes free electrons act as charge carriers.

Related Topics:
Vacuum - Electric arc - Vacuum tube

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In metals, the charge carriers are the electrons forming the Fermi gas in the metal lattice.

Related Topics:
Metal - Fermi gas

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