User:Andrewa/photovoltaic cell

This is not even a prototype article yet, just a workspace to develop ideas and sources. See Talk:Solar cell#Split/rewrite/distinguish.

There seems to be lots to do...

Article structures

What articles do we need This will be a list of possibilities, with comments... and can include existing ones, particularly ones that need significant rewrites to the lead section either correcting errors or changing the focus to better reflect the topic:

• Photovoltaic cell or perhaps photovoltaic cell (electronics): Describing all photoelectric cells that convert light energy to electrical energy. Currently a redirect following a merge to solar cell; Possibly recover the history from the pre-merge article. Include selenium cells, Weston type exposure meters, PbS cells etc.

• Photoelectic cell: Describing all photoelectric cells, including for example vacuum tube versions. Precis of photovoltaic cell article and link to it.

• Photovoltaic effect and photoelectric effect: Both good topics. Need to clarify exactly what these terms mean; Both article leads, although factually accurate, need clarification. Stub notice has been added to photovoltaic effect; Photoelectric effect is a substantial and important article already.

• Various other component articles... LDR, phototransistor, photodiode,...

• Solar cell... there are many detailed articles on this topic, see category:solar cells and its subcategories. A proposal to merge some of these met with hostility, so probably not worth trying.

Proposed lead to photovoltaic cell article

A photovoltaic cell is a type of Photoelectric cell that uses the photovoltaic effect to generate electrical energy using the potential difference that arises between materials when the surface of the cell is exposed to electromagnetic radiation.

A photovoltaic cell is commonly used for detecting radiation (for example infrared detectors) or measurement of light intensity (for example in measuiring optical density) and chemical processes (for example Spectrophotometry) and for conversion of light to energy in solar cells.

Photovoltaic vs photoelectric

Thesis

Photovoltaic means developing a potential difference by means of conversion of the energy of light to electrical energy.

Photoelectric is a more general term, meaning any electrical response to light.

Vacuum tube electric eyes were photoelectric but not photovoltaic, but all photovoltaic devices are photoelectric. Phototransistors are borderline!

Verificaton

That's roughly what photoelectric effect tries to say already, probably...

See also

A list of relevant Wikipedia articles... particularly ones that seem to be wrong in some respect, and why.

• Phototransistor redirects to photodiode... surely not...! They are distinct devices.
• Photoconductivity
• Photoresistor is about CdS cells according to the lead... but the article then lists other types as well.
• Photoelectric cell redirects to solar cell...!

External links

• http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/solarcells.htm uses photovoltaic and photoelectric interchangeably - but note it's a solar cell site
• http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/252/photoelectric_effect.html
• http://www.scienceclarified.com/Oi-Ph/Photoelectric-Effect.html
• http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/photoelectric_effect.html

LDRs

• http://www.acroname.com/howto/photoresistor/photoresistor.html general appliation note of LDR
• http://www.electronicsarea.com/photoresistor.asp CdSe as well as CdS
• http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/data/resistor/ldr/light_dependent_resistor.php Some history, and more materials... PbS, Ge, Si, GaAs... and applications