Quantum Theory of Light: Particle Behavior of Waves

Photoelectric Effect
Photoelectric effect is “Light falling on a metallic surface can
under certain conditions eject electrons from metallic surface”
Experiment:
 Experimental apparatus for Photoelectric effect (Fig.)
 Vacuum tube consists of cathode (called emitter) and
anode (called collector).
 Incident light (or ultraviolet) falling on the emitter
ejects electrons.
 Some of the electrons (called photoelectrons) travel
toward the collector.
 The voltage V can be applied in two ways:
 To make collector positive with respect to emitter.
 To make collector negative with respect to emitter.
 Current I (photocurrent) measured in sensitive
ammeter arises from the flow of photoelectrons from – +
emitter to collector.
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 Quantum Theory of Light: Particle Behavior of Waves
Photoelectric Effect
 Photocurrent I is proportional to number of photoelectrons emitted
from emitter per second. Number of photoelectrons reach to
collector per second depends on:
1. Applied voltage V 2. Intensity S of incident light
3. Frequency f of incident light. 4. Type of metal.
Characteristic Curve of Photoelectric effect
(Measuring I vs. V (keeping S, f and material constants)
 If collector is positive with respect to emitter, the photoelectrons are
collected by the collector.
 By increasing voltage V, photocurrent I increases until it reaches a
saturation value (collector collects photoelectron by the same rate
of its emission). I
 At V=0, some photoelectrons can reach to
collector and photocurrent I is measured.
 If collector is negative with respect to emitter, V
0
the photoelectrons are repelled by collector. V
0

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 Quantum Theory of Light: Particle Behavior of Waves
Photoelectric Effect
 By increasing negative voltage V, photocurrent decreases until I = 0
(number of photoelectrons reach collector decreases gradually until
negative voltage of collector be able to stop fastest photoelectrons).
 The decrease of photocurrent gradually means that the
photoelectrons emit with different velocities.
 The negative potential for which no photoelectrons reach to
collector is called stopping voltage V0 .
 The stopping voltage is a measure of maximum kinetic energy of
photoelectrons: Tmax  eV0
where Tmax is the maximum kinetic energy of emitted electron and
eV0 is the potential energy (work done by the voltage
to prevent photoelectron to reach collector).
I
 Fig. shows I vs. V at constant S, f for a certain
material.
V
0
V0

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 Quantum Theory of Light: Particle Behavior of Waves
Photoelectric Effect
 By varying experimental conditions (change f , S and type of metal)
and measure I vs. V, we have following experimental facts:
1. The photoelectron emission from a given metal does not take place
unless the frequency of incident light is equal or greater than a
certain minimum frequency f0 (called threshold frequency) the
value of f0 depends on the type of material.
2. When the metal is illuminated with light, the photoelectron
emission starts within less than 10–9 s, there is no time lag between
the illumination of the metal and the emission of the
photoelectrons, no matter how small the intensity of incident light.
3. The photocurrent increases with 1S <S <S
2 3
increasing intensity S.
4. The maximum kinetic energy Tmax S3

of the photoelectrons is independent S

2

of the intensity of the incident light. S

1

(because Tmax  eV0 and V0 is

constant for different intensities)
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 Quantum Theory of Light: Particle Behavior of Waves
Photoelectric Effect
Photocurrent
5. The maximum kinetic energy Tmax
S
of the photoelectrons is dependent
on the frequency of incident light.
Tmax increases with increasing f

 By repeating the last experiment

with different metals, one find that
“there is a linear relation between
eV0 (Tmax=eV0 ) and frequency
f of incident light for any given stopping
metal”. The relation is:
eV0  a f  b or Tmax  a f  b a
where a gives the slope of the
straight line and b gives the intercept.
where a is the same for all metals
and b changes with different metals. b
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 Quantum Theory of Light: Particle Behavior of Waves
Failure of Classical Theory for Photoelectric Effect
 Classical theory (electromagnetic theory) allows electromagnetic
radiation to eject photoelectrons from matter.
 The electromagnetic  radiation consists
 of
E and magnetic B fields.
oscillating electric E
 The electric and magnetic fields shake the electron in metal and
electron oscillates and then emits outside the metal.
 The intensity
 of radiation is proportional
 to the square of the electric
vector EE and the magnetic
 vector B .
 Then bigger E and B B (higher intensity) means increase electron
shaking and then more energy you give to emitted photoelectron.
 This means that the electron will emit with higher energy by
increasing intensity of light (In contrary with item 4) .

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 Quantum Theory of Light: Particle Behavior of Waves
Failure of Classical Theory for Photoelectric Effect
 Also, if the intensity of incident light is small, there should be
considerable time lag between the arrival of the radiation and the
ejection of electron because the electron in metal will accumulate
energy until the energy will be enough to be emitted (In contrary
with item 2) .
 Also, the existence of threshold frequency has no explanation at all
in the classical theory, because the electron emission depends the
intensity of incident radiation and even if the intensity of incident
light is small, the electron in metal will accumulate energy until the
energy will be enough to be emitted (In contrary with item 1) .

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