 Virtual breakdown mechanism

The virtual breakdown mechanism is a concept often discussed in the context of dielectric materials and electrical insulation. It refers to a phenomenon where, under certain high electric fields, a material that is normally considered an insulator begins to conduct electricity, but not in the traditional sense of breakdown where there is a catastrophic failure of the material. In a virtual breakdown scenario, the electric field is strong enough to create conditions where electrons can be temporarily excited to higher energy levels, allowing them to move through the material.