The Xenon lamp consists of a bulb made of quartz glass, sealed within it are a pair of electrodes (for DC lamps: one anode and one cathode; for AC lamps: both are electrodes with electron emission properties), and it is filled with a certain pressure of the inert gas Xenon. It is a typical arc discharge type of gas discharge lamp.

Xenon lamps require an external dedicated power supply (for DC lamps: a dedicated DC constant current power supply; for AC lamps: AC power supply and ballast) and a trigger. When the power is turned on, the trigger in the circuit generates a high-frequency high-voltage signal applied across the lamp, causing the Xe gas inside the tube to ionize and produce an arc discharge. This emits a spectral distribution as shown, which is very similar to sunlight, hence the common nickname "Little Sun" for xenon lamps. Their color temperature ranges from 5500 to 6000K, offering excellent color rendering index.