energy gap
Forbidden electron zone
An energy gap is the difference in energy levels between two states, most often the gap between a material's valence band and conduction band in physics.
This gap determines whether a substance conducts electricity: conductors have no gap, semiconductors have a small one, insulators have a large one.
The term extends to any measurable disparity in energy: the energy gap between fossil fuels and renewables, closing the energy gap in developing nations.
- semiconductorPartial electrical conductor
- superconductivityLossless current flow phenomenon
- tunnelingDigging underground passages
- forbiddenNot allowed
- quantum tunnelingSubatomic passage through classically forbidden regions
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