The nature of anomalously high photovoltages

Anomalously high photovoltages, which were first observed in 1946 in PbS thin films and which have since been detected in various other materials, have caused world-wide controversy. A strongly supported explanation is now provided for these photovoltages. After five years of study, the Uzbek academician E. I. Adirovich, together with a team of researchers, has shown that the reason for past confusion is that the effect is not caused by a single mechanism, but depending on the crystallographic structure of the materials, is caused either by p-n junctions, the Dember effect, or the anomalous Dember effect. By studying the angular dependence of the anomalous photovoltage in monochromatic light, a determination can be made as to which of the three mechanisms is responsible for the effect in a particular case. The work of Adirovich and his group is reviewed against the broad background of the rapidly expanding Soviet photovoltaic research.