Photoelectric Effect

When light illuminates a material, due to the energy transfer from the light to the carriers in materials, electrons will be ejected from the surface. This effect is called the photoelectric effect, and the emitted electrons are called photoelectrons. According to experiments, the results show that only the light that exceeds the threshold frequency can generate photoelectrons. Below that threshold, no electrons are emitted from materials. That threshold is called the work function, which is attributed to the electron binding energy. The photoelectric effect experiments are commonly performed on quantum devices for characterization at cryogenic temperatures.

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