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Photodetector

Sensors of light or other electromagnetic energy / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Photodetectors, also called photosensors, are sensors of light or other electromagnetic radiation.[1] There are a wide variety of photodetectors which may be classified by mechanism of detection, such as photoelectric or photochemical effects, or by various performance metrics, such as spectral response. Semiconductor-based photodetectors typically use a p–n junction that converts photons into charge. The absorbed photons make electron–hole pairs in the depletion region. Photodiodes and photo transistors are a few examples of photo detectors. Solar cells convert some of the light energy absorbed into electrical energy.

CD-ROM_Photodetector.jpg
A photodetector salvaged from a CD-ROM drive. The photodetector contains three photodiodes, visible in the photo (in center).