In nanomaterials, electrical excitation can occur through several mechanisms, including photon absorption, electron impact, and tunneling. When a nanomaterial absorbs a photon, its electrons can jump to a higher energy state, creating an exciton—a bound state of an electron and a hole, which are crucial in the operation of quantum dots and other nanoscale devices. Similarly, electron impact can excite electrons by transferring kinetic energy during collisions.
