photoconductivity

American

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

noun

Physics.

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

photoconductivity British

/ ˌfəʊtəʊkənˈdʌktɪv, ˌfəʊtəʊˌkɒndʌkˈtɪvɪtɪ /

noun

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.

These are virtual carriers similar to those responsible for virtual photoconductivity in semiconductors theoretically predicted and experimentally observed over two decades ago.

From Nature

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