Definition

1. Noun:
   • Change in electrical conductivity due to light absorption: A physical property where the electrical conductivity of a material increases when it absorbs electromagnetic radiation, such as visible light or other wavelengths.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The photoconductivity of the semiconductor material is crucial for the operation of the light sensor.
  • Scientists measured the material's photoconductivity by exposing it to different wavelengths of light.

Advanced Usage

• Photoconductive gain: A measure of the amplification of electrical current in a photoconductive material per absorbed photon.
  • The device's high performance is due to its exceptional photoconductive gain.

Variants and Related Words

• Photoconduction (n): Often used synonymously with photoconductivity to describe the same phenomenon.
  • The experiment demonstrated the principles of photoconduction.
• Photoconductive (adj): Describing a material that exhibits photoconductivity.
  • The photoconductive layer is very thin.
• Photoconductor (n): A substance or device that exhibits photoconductivity.
  • Selenium is a common photoconductor used in early photocopiers.

Synonyms

• Photoconduction: The process or phenomenon of increased electrical conductivity upon illumination.

Related Scientific Terms

• Photocurrent: The electric current that flows through a material as a result of photoconductivity.
  • The intensity of the light source directly affects the generated photocurrent.
• Photoresistor: A type of resistor whose resistance decreases when exposed to light, operating on the principle of photoconductivity.
  • A photoresistor, or light-dependent resistor (LDR), is a simple application of photoconductivity.

Noun

1. change in the electrical conductivity of a substance as a result of absorbing electromagnetic radiation