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In some of my work I have reintroduced
concept of aether, but not as a SUBSTANCE. To me, there is a need for a grid of lines in space, for navigation. As on a map there is latitude and longitude (which are not substances), so in space we need a kind of latitude, longitude and altitude. Without that we get lost.
But
question of whether light is particles or waves was never resolved. Sometimes it behaves as one, and sometimes as
other.
Again,
concept that there is only one kind of charge-carrier has been overthrown. In solids there can be positive, negative or both.
A conductor conducts both charge-carriers. A vacuum conducts only
negative ones. So a vacuum is an N-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR.
The discovery of semiconductors led to huge advances in
field of electronics. There are P-TYPE as well as N-TYPE semiconductors, and a remarkable symmetry of behaviour can be seen between them.
So light is like a particle in
VACUUM STATE, and shows
properties of a wave in
SOLID STATE.
Bizarre!
My interest in these things is not amusement alone. Wherever profound discoveries are made, profound new benefits to Mankind become possible.
If a metal is used for that photocell plate, that needs 1.5 volts, and infra-red shines upon it at 1.7 eV, electrons emerge at 0.2 volts.
If
light is at 2.5 eV,
"secondary electrons" will have 1 volt of charge. If
light is blue, at 3 volts,
elctrons will have 1.5 volts. It is a simple subtraction process. That is Einstein's photoelectric effect.
So with a field plate charged to minus 0.2 volts, we can push back
"infra-red electrons". With minus 1 volt on
plate, we can push back
yellow ones. With minus 1.5 volts, we can push back even
blue electrons.
Infra-red electrons? Yellow electrons? Blue electrons? In reality, these things are not their colours but their speeds. For each electron retains
energy that was left over after
Einstein Work-Function was subtracted from
photon.
This makes
colour sensitivity of a digital image-sensor PROGRAMMABLE. Instead of having red, green and blue filters on an image sensor, we can have NO FILTERS.
Digital techniques are used to analyse
colour of
image. The benefits are enormous.
For example, we live in a world of daylight and artificial light. Daylight is rich in blue, tungsten light is rich in red. When
colour balance of
device depends not upon chemical filters with their fixed colours, but upon software,
device can better adapt to
lighting.
You can read about this new concept in CCD image sensor design at http://www.wehner.org/electro/einstein/ . Seven related inventions are also described, to help
design along.
Charles Douglas Wehner
