Photoconductivity

Photoconductivity is an increase in a material’s electrical conductivity caused by absorbed light. It occurs when illumination creates or releases mobile charge carriers.

Photoexcitation: Photoexcitation is the transfer of a particle, usually an electron, to a higher energy state by absorbing a photon. Absorbed photons supply the energy that generates mobile carriers.
Semiconductor: A semiconductor is a material whose electrical conductivity lies between that of a conductor and an insulator and can be controlled. Many photoconductors rely on light-sensitive carrier populations in semiconductors.
Photoconductive cell: A photoconductive cell is a light-sensitive resistor whose resistance changes with illumination. It is a simple device built around illumination-dependent conductivity.
Photovoltaic effect: The photovoltaic effect is the generation of voltage or electric current in a material when it absorbs light. It produces a voltage or current, rather than being defined by increased conductivity.
Electron–hole pair: An electron–hole pair is a negatively charged electron and the positively charged vacancy it leaves in a semiconductor. Photons can create these paired carriers, increasing conductivity.
Band gap: A band gap is the energy range between a solid’s valence and conduction bands in which electronic states are forbidden. It sets the minimum photon energy that can excite carriers across the gap.
Photoconductive detector: A photoconductive detector converts incident light into a change in electrical conductivity or current. This detector architecture uses the effect as its sensing mechanism.
Photoelectric effect: The photoelectric effect is the emission of electrons from a material after it absorbs light. It ejects electrons from a material, whereas photoconductivity changes conductivity within it.
Carrier recombination: Carrier recombination is the process in which an electron and a hole annihilate one another, releasing energy. Recombination removes light-generated carriers and limits the response.
Carrier mobility: Carrier mobility measures how quickly electrons or holes move through a material under an electric field. Mobility determines how strongly added carriers increase electrical current.

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