Abstract :
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.
