Excited state

In quantum mechanics, an excited state of a system (such as an atom, molecule or nucleus) is any quantum state of the system that has a higher energy than the ground state (that is, more energy than the absolute minimum).

Related Topics:
Quantum mechanics - Atom - Molecule - Nucleus - Quantum state - Energy - Ground state

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The lifetime (see resonance) of a system in an excited state is usually short: spontaneous or induced emission of a quantum of energy (such as a photon or a phonon) usually occurs shortly after the system is promoted to the excited state, returning the system to a state with lower energy (a less excited state or the ground state).

Related Topics:
Resonance - Spontaneous - Induced emission - Photon - Phonon

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