Electron relaxation is the release of a short time stored discrete energy by an orbital electron which will then falls back to a lower energy level. The energy difference is emitted by the electron as a photon or given to another particle.

See also Electron Excitation.

Electron excitation is the discrete energy storage in an orbital electron. The excitation energy results from the absorption of a photon (photoexcitation) or from the absorption of another electron (electrical excitation). The absorbed energy lifts the electron to a higher energy level. This process ends with electron relaxation.

See also Electron Relaxation.