Atomic electron transition is a change of an electron from one quantum state to another within an atom or artificial atom. It appears discontinuous as the electron "jumps" from one energy level to another in a few nanoseconds or less. It is also known as atomic transition, quantum jump, or quantum leap.
Quantum leaps cause the emission or absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the form of quantized units called photons. Their statistics are Poissonian and the damping of statistic values of time between jumps is exponential on average. The damping time constant (which ranges from nanoseconds to a few seconds) relates to the natural, pressure and field broadening of spectral lines. The farther the electron jumps the shorter the wavelength of the photon emitted, meaning they emit different colors based on how far they jump.
Although changes of quantum state occur on the submicroscopic level, in popular discourse, the term "quantum leap" refers to a large increase.
Famous quotes containing the words atomic and/or transition:
“No atomic physicist has to worry, people will always want to kill other people on a mass scale. Sure, he’s got the fridge full of sausages and spring water.”
—William Burroughs (b. 1914)
“Some of the taverns on this road, which were particularly dirty, were plainly in a transition state from the camp to the house.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)