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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
Born in 1944, Charles Douglas Wehner was a factory manager, design engineer and technical author in photoelectrics.