hole

synonym: electron hole
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08826
Quasiparticle, a conceptual charge carrier opposite to electron, defined as the absence of electron at a position where it should be present if a lattice is in its ground state (valence band normally filled).
Notes:
  1. An electron hole is a conceptual (mathematical) opposite of an electron, while a positron is the antimatter analog of an electron.
  2. In condensed matter, a hole is created if an electron originally occurring in the valence band is excited into conduction band thus leaving a positively charged site in its previous position.
  3. The hole has a positive electric charge (+e, where e is an elementary charge) and also an effective mass which, in most semiconductors is higher than the mass of the electron.
Source:
PAC, 2022, 94, 15. (Glossary of terms relating to electronic, photonic and magnetic properties of polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)) on page 35 [Terms] [Paper]
Citation: 'hole' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08826 RIS BibTex EndNote
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