photoelectronn.
/ˌfəʊtəʊᵻˈlɛktrɒn/, U.S. /ˈˌfoʊdoʊəˈlɛkˌtrɑn/, /ˈˌfoʊdoʊiˈlɛkˌtrɑn/ Physics.
An electron released from an atom by the action of a photon; esp. one emitted from a solid surface under the action of incident light.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > atomic physics > ion > ionization > [noun] > electron released from atom
photoelectron1913
1913 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) A. 212 206 The law connecting the maximum emission velocity of the photo~electrons with the wave-length has been investigated by Ladenburg for Cu, Zu and Pt, and by Kunz for Na–K alloy and Cs.
1934 H. H. L. A. Brose tr. A. J. W. Sommerfeld Atomic Struct. & Spectral Lines (ed. 3) I. i. 49 In comparison with the photo-electrons,..the ‘Compton electrons’ have a considerably smaller value.
1962 H. D. Bush Atomic & Nucl. Physics ix. 209 An electron bound in an atom may absorb the whole of the energy of an incident γ-ray photon, being ejected from the atom as a photo~electron.
2001 Nature 2 Aug. 489/2 PEEM..can discriminate between different chemical species (such as silicon and a layer of organic molecules) if they emit photoelectrons at different rates.
Compounds
photoelectron spectroscopy n. Chemistry a spectroscopic technique for determining ionization energy in which a sample is bombarded with radiation from a high-energy monochromatic source and the kinetic energy of ejected electrons is measured.
ΚΠ
1963 M. I. Al-Joboury & D. W. Turner in Jrnl. Chem. Soc. 5141 Molecular photoelectron spectroscopy... A new method of determining ionization potentials is described.
1991 Sci. Amer. Feb. 48/2 The technique for measuring the energy of the freed electrons, known as photoelectron spectroscopy, is well established.
1999 Chem. in Brit. Mar. 70/1 New insight has come from..the invention of Zeke photoelectron spectroscopy as a very high resolution tool.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1913