While the photoelectric effect involves light photons knocking electrons out of a material completely, the photovoltaic effect involves photons from a light source knocking electrons only out of their atomic. Contact online >>
While the photoelectric effect involves light photons knocking electrons out of a material completely, the photovoltaic effect involves photons from a light source knocking electrons only out of their atomic...
The photovoltaic effect is closely related to the photoelectric effect, with a critical difference. In the photoelectric effect, electrons are emitted into space. But, in the photovoltaic effect, electrons enter...
How are they Different? The main difference between photoelectric effect and photovoltaic effect is that in photoelectric effect, the electrons are emitted to open space whereas in photovoltaic effect, the electrons...
Photovoltaic Effect vs Photoelectric Effect
Photovoltaic effect is the process in which two dissimilar materials in close contact produce an electrical voltage when struck by light.
Photoelectric effect is the emission of electrons from the surface of a substance in response to incident light.
In photovoltaic effect, electrons are retained in the material; in photoelectric effect, electrons are ejected out of the material.
Photovoltaic effect can occur with any frequency of incident light; photoelectric effect requires a minimum threshold frequency of incident light.
Photovoltaic effect produces both electric current and voltage; photoelectric effect produces only electric current.
In this blog post, we will compare and contrast two important phenomena related to light and matter: the photovoltaic effect and the photoelectric effect. Both effects involve the interaction of photons (light particles) with electrons (negative charge carriers) in a material, but they have different outcomes and applications.
What is the Photovoltaic Effect?
The photovoltaic effect is the process in which two dissimilar materials in close contact produce an electrical voltage when struck by light. This results in the creation of a voltage and an electric current in the material. The produced current is known as photo-current. Here, an ejection of electrons is not going to happen. The electrons absorb energy, but are retained in the substance.
The most common example of the photovoltaic effect is the solar cell, which consists of a layer of p-type semiconductor (with excess holes) and a layer of n-type semiconductor (with excess electrons) sandwiched together. When light shines on the solar cell, photons with enough energy can excite electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, creating electron-hole pairs. The electric field at the p-n junction separates these charge carriers, causing electrons to flow to the n-side and holes to flow to the p-side. This creates a potential difference across the solar cell, which can be used to power an external circuit.
The photovoltaic effect can also occur when two photons are absorbed simultaneously in a process called two-photon photovoltaic effect.
What is the Photoelectric Effect?
The photoelectric effect is the emission of electrons from the surface of a substance in response to incident light. Incident light is the ray of light that strikes a surface. This occurs on metal surfaces. The energy of light is absorbed by the electrons in the metal and these electrons are emitted. But, the energy of light should be exactly equal to or higher than the energy required for these electrons to be emitted this way.
The emitted electrons are known as photo-electrons. The energy of emitted electrons is independent of the intensity of incident light, but depends on the frequency of incident light. Incident light carries energy in the form of photons. The energy of photons is directly proportional to the frequency of light. If this energy is enough for an electron in the surface to overcome the electron binding energy (also called work function), it is ejected. If the energy is lower than the electron binding energy, then the electron is unable to escape.
The photoelectric effect was first observed by Heinrich Hertz in 1887 and explained by Albert Einstein in 1905 using his theory of light quanta (photons). The photoelectric effect has many applications, such as photomultiplier tubes, photo-detectors, and night vision devices.
The main difference between photoelectric effect and photovoltaic effect is that in photoelectric effect, the electrons are emitted to open space whereas in photovoltaic effect, the electrons enter a different material.
Another difference is that photoelectric effect requires a minimum threshold frequency of incident light to occur, whereas photovoltaic effect can occur with any frequency of incident light as long as it can create electron-hole pairs.
A third difference is that photoelectric effect produces only electric current, whereas photovoltaic effect produces both electric current and voltage.
The photovoltaic effect is the generation of voltage and electric current in a material upon exposure to light. It is a physical phenomenon.[1]
The first demonstration of the photovoltaic effect, by Edmond Becquerel in 1839, used an electrochemical cell. He explained his discovery in Comptes rendus de l''Académie des sciences, "the production of an electric current when two plates of platinum or gold immersed in an acid, neutral, or alkaline solution are exposed in an uneven way to solar radiation."[2]
The temperature sensitivity is usually described by some temperature coefficients, each one expressing the derivative of the parameter it refers to with respect to the junction temperature. The values of these parameters can be found in any PV module data sheet; they are the following:
– β Coefficient of variation of VOC with respect to T, given by ∂VOC/∂T.
– α Coefficient of variation of ISC with respect to T, given by ∂ISC/∂T.
– δ Coefficient of variation of Pmax with respect to T, given by ∂Pmax/∂T.
Techniques for estimating these coefficients from experimental data can be found in the literature.[6] Few studies analyse the variation of the series resistance with respect to the cell or module temperature. This dependency is studied by suitably processing the current–voltage curve. The temperature coefficient of the series resistance is estimated by using the single diode model or the double diode one. [7]
In most photovoltaic applications, the radiation source is sunlight, and the devices are called solar cells. In the case of a semiconductor p–n (diode) junction solar cell, illuminating the material creates an electric current because excited electrons and the remaining holes are swept in different directions by the built-in electric field of the depletion region.[8]
The AC PV is operated at the non-equilibrium conditions. The first study was based on a p-Si/TiO2 nanofilm. It is found that except for the DC output generated by the conventional PV effect based on a p–n junction, AC current is also produced when a flashing light is illuminated at the interface. The AC PV effect does not follow Ohm''s law, being based on the capacitive model that the current strongly depends on the frequency of the chopper, but voltage is independent of the frequency. The peak current of AC at high switching frequency can be much higher than that from DC. The magnitude of the output is also associated with the light absorption of materials.
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