Excitons Will Shape the Future of Electronic Devices
October 23, 2019 | EPFLEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Excitons are quasiparticles made from the excited state of electrons and – according to research being carried out EPFL – have the potential to boost the energy efficiency of our everyday devices.
It’s a whole new way of thinking about electronics. Excitons – or quasiparticles formed when electrons absorb light – stand to revolutionize the building blocks of circuits. Scientists at EPFL have been studying their extraordinary properties in order to design more energy-efficient electronic systems, and have now found a way to better control excitons moving in semiconductors. Their findings appear today in Nature Nanotechnology.
Quasiparticles are temporary phenomena resulting from the interaction between two particles within solid matter. Excitons are created when an electron absorbs a photon and moves into a higher energy state, leaving behind a hole in its previous energy state (called a “valence band” in band theory). The electron and electron hole are bound together through attractive forces, and the two together form what is called an exciton. Once the electron falls back into the hole, it emits a photon and the exciton ceases to exist.
Last year, a team of scientists from EPFL’s Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES) announced that they had developed a transistor—one of the components of circuits – that runs on excitons rather than electrons. And for the first time, they were able make the transistors function at room temperature, a major step forward for developing practical applications for this technology.
To make the excitons last longer, the scientists layered two different 2D materials on top of each other: tungsten diselenide (WSe2) and molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2). The resulting material had a shimmering texture that influenced how the quasiparticles were distributed. “With these two materials, the excitons tended to group together in specific places and prevent the current from flowing,” says Andras Kis, the head of LANES and a coauthor of the study. To prevent that from happening, this time the research team added a middle layer of hexagonal form boron nitride (h-BN), which let them see the excitons and their energy levels more clearly.
The research team also discovered a way to polarize the exciton currents, meaning the quasiparticles could eventually be used to encode data independently through variations in current magnitude as well as its polarization. That opens the door to even more applications in both coding and data processing on a nanoscopic level.
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
PC Graphics Add-in Board Shipments Up 27% QoQ in 2Q25
09/03/2025 | Jon Peddie ResearchAccording to a new research report from the analyst firm Jon Peddie Research, the growth of the global PC-based graphics add-in board market reached 11.6 million units in Q2'25 and desktop PC CPUs shipments increased to 21.7 million units.
PC GPU Shipments Up 8.4% in 2Q25 on Pre-Tariff Demand
09/02/2025 | Jon Peddie ResearchJon Peddie Research reports the growth of the global PC-based graphics processor unit (GPU) market reached 74.7 million units in Q2'25, and PC CPU shipments increased to 66.9 million units.
20 Years of Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) – Backbone of German Semiconductor Research Celebrates Anniversary
08/14/2025 | Fraunhofer IPMSThe Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since its founding in 2005, it has developed into a pillar of applied semiconductor research in Germany and Europe. With its unique research cleanroom and equipment adhering to the 300-mm wafer industry standard, CNT is unparalleled in Germany and serves as a central innovation driver for the microelectronics industry.
Q2 Client CPU Shipments Increased 8% from Last Quarter, Up 13% YoY
08/13/2025 | Jon Peddie ResearchJon Peddie Research reports that the global client CPU market expanded for two quarters in a row, and in Q2’25, it showed unseasonal growth of 7.9% from last quarter, while server CPU shipments increased 22% year over year.
FuriosaAI Closes $125M Investment Round to Scale Production of Next-Gen AI Inference Chip
07/31/2025 | BUSINESS WIREFuriosaAI, a semiconductor company building a new foundation for AI compute, today announced it has completed a $125 million Series C bridge funding round. The investment continues a period of significant momentum for Furiosa as global demand for high-performance, efficient AI infrastructure soars.