Elektronnemzedéket

Elektronnemzedéket is a Hungarian term describing the generation of free electrons in matter. It is not a single physical process but a broad concept used in several disciplines, including solid-state physics, plasma physics, and vacuum electronics, to refer to mechanisms that create electrons rather than merely moving them.

In solids, electron generation occurs through several key mechanisms. Thermal generation creates electron–hole pairs from thermal energy, with rates depending on temperature and the material’s band gap. Photogeneration occurs when photons with sufficient energy are absorbed, producing electron–hole pairs. Impact ionization, which can arise under strong electric fields, involves high-energy carriers generating additional electron–hole pairs via collisions. In vacuum and plasma contexts, field emission can liberate electrons from a surface, while collisional ionization in plasmas generates electrons through particle interactions.

The concept is central to many technologies. In semiconductors, control of electron generation underpins the operation of solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting devices. In plasma sources, generation rates influence electron density and plasma stability. In vacuum electronics, electron sources based on field emission provide current for cathodes and advanced electron-optical systems.

The generation rate is commonly described in rate equations and continuity relations, often including generation and recombination terms to account for the balance of carriers. Experimental assessment relies on measurements such as photocurrent, dark current, light emission, and plasma diagnostics.

See also: electron–hole pair, photoelectric effect, avalanche breakdown, secondary electron emission.