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photoconductivity

American  
[foh-toh-kon-duhk-tiv-i-tee] / ˌfoʊ toʊˌkɒn dʌkˈtɪv ɪ ti /

noun

Physics.

  1. the increase in the electrical conductivity of a substance, often nonmetallic, caused by the absorption of electromagnetic radiation.

photoconductivity British  
/ ˌfəʊtəʊkənˈdʌktɪv, ˌfəʊtəʊˌkɒndʌkˈtɪvɪtɪ /

noun

  1. the change in the electrical conductivity of certain substances, such as selenium, as a result of the absorption of electromagnetic radiation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • photoconductive adjective
  • photoconductor noun

Etymology

Origin of photoconductivity

First recorded in 1925–30; photo- + conductivity

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The work connects the relationship between dark transport and photoconductivity in films of lead-sulphide nanocrystals.

From Nature • Aug. 15, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.