Photovoltaic effect

The generation of electrical voltage or current in a material when it absorbs light. It converts photon energy into electrical energy through charge separation and collection.

Photon absorption: The transfer of a photon's energy to matter, often exciting an electron into a higher-energy state. Absorption supplies the energy that creates mobile charge carriers in photovoltaic materials.
Band gap: The energy difference between a semiconductor's valence band and conduction band. It sets the minimum photon energy that can excite carriers across the gap.
Photovoltaic cell: An electronic device that converts incident light into electrical power using the photovoltaic effect. It is the engineered device designed specifically to extract electrical output from this effect.
Edmond Becquerel: A French physicist who discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839 while experimenting with illuminated electrodes. His experiments provided the first reported observation of voltage generated by light.
Electron–hole pair: A mobile electron and the positively charged vacancy it leaves in a semiconductor. These paired carriers are the immediate products of light absorption in many photovoltaic devices.
Valence band: The highest range of electron energy states normally occupied in a solid. Photons can lift electrons from this band into the conduction band.
Solar cell: A photovoltaic cell designed to convert sunlight into electricity. Solar cells are the best-known practical use of the photovoltaic effect.
Willoughby Smith: A British electrical engineer whose 1873 experiments revealed the light sensitivity of selenium. His work helped connect the effect to photoconductive behavior in solid materials.
Semiconductor junction: An interface between semiconductor regions with different electrical properties, such as p-type and n-type materials. Its built-in electric field helps separate photogenerated electrons and holes.
Conduction band: An energy band in a solid whose electrons can move through the material and conduct electricity. Photogenerated electrons often enter this band and become mobile.

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