The photoelectric effect is a basis of photovoltaics, or solar power. It’s a phenomenon in which photoelectrons are emitted from matter after the absorption of energy from visible light.
The effect is also termed the Hertz Effect, due to its discovery in 1887 by Heinrich Rudolf Hertz. Nikola Tesla described the photoelectric effect in 1901.
Albert Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 won him the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. Through research he described how the photoelectric effect was caused by the absorption of photons. His simple explanation in terms of absorption of single photons explained the features of the phenomenon and the characteristic frequency.
The study of the photoelectric effect led to important steps in understanding the quantum nature of light and electrons.
Photovoltaics use a variant of the photoelectric effect. In a solar cell, photons can be harnessed to create electric current.