What mechanism describes the operation of Photovoltaic Detectors?
Answer
They create a measurable voltage when IR photons strike a semiconductor junction.
Photovoltaic detectors represent one of the two primary categories of quantum infrared sensors developed through advances in semiconductor physics. Their operation is analogous to a battery designed specifically for infrared light. When an infrared photon is absorbed by the specially constructed semiconductor junction within the device, it provides enough energy to drive an electrical process that results directly in the generation of a measurable voltage output across that junction. This contrasts with photoconductive detectors, which measure a change in conductivity, and thermal detectors, which rely on bulk heating effects.
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