photocathode
1
9.9
A part in devices like night vision goggles that gives off electrons when light hits it
- noun
- /ˌfoʊtəˈkæθoʊd/
- Specialized
:
fotocátodo
- In the laboratory, we connected the photocathode to a photomultiplier tube to measure light intensities.
Examples
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The scientist explained that the photocathode emits electrons when light strikes its surface.
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Spin-polarized electrons were created at the linac's upstream end by circularly polarized light hitting a specially developed gallium arsenide photocathode.
Academic text (2005) -
A photocathode is essential for converting light into an electrical signal in television cameras.
How Sensitive
Surface Forms
photocathode singular
photocathodes plural
Morphology
Etymology
Photocathode comes from two parts: photo meaning 'light', as in photograph, and cathode meaning 'way down' or 'descent'. So a photocathode is the electrode in a tube that reacts to light by releasing electrons to start an electrical signal.