Photo Resistors Or Light Dependent Resistor ( LDR ) Science Tutorial

A photo-resistor or light-dependent resistor (LDR) or photocell is a light-controlled variable resistor. The resistance of a photo-resistor decreases with increasing incident light intensity; in other words, it exhibits photo-conductivity. A photo-resistor can be applied in light-sensitive detector circuits, and light- and dark-activated switching circuits.LDR (Light dependent resistor), as its name suggests, offers resistance in response to the ambient light. The resistance decreases as the intensity of incident light increases, and vice versa. In the absence of light, LDR exhibits a resistance of the order of mega-ohms which decreases to few hundred ohms in the presence of light. It can act as a sensor, since a varying voltage drop can be obtained in accordance with the varying light.

LDR Light Sensor as Lamp Switch Using LED-

Material Used for Making LDR
An LDR or photo-resistor is made of any semiconductor material with a high resistance.It is made up of cadmium sulphide (CdS).An LDR has a zigzag cadmium sulphide track. It is a bilateral device, i.e., conducts in both directions in same fashion.Lead sulphide (PbS) and indium antimonide (InSb) LDRs (light-dependent resistors) are used for the mid-infrared spectral region. Ge:Cu photoconductors are among the best far-infrared detectors available, and are used for infrared astronomy and infrared spectroscopy.

LDR Light Dependent Resistor using Photo Diode-

[next] Suggested Further Readings for Students:-

Types of Resistors
1.Fixed resistors:

• Carbon Composition Resistors
• Carbon film resistors
• Metal Film resistor
• Wire wound resistor
• Thin film and thick film resistors
• Surface mount resistor (SMT)
• Network resistors 

2. Variable resistors
      Semi variable resistors

3. Special resistors
      Thermistors

LDR - Priciple Of Working -How an LDR works? -Explain Working Of LDR with example.

A photo-resistor is made of a high resistance semiconductor. In the dark, a photo-resistor can have a resistance as high as several megohms (MΩ), while in the light, a photo-resistor can have a resistance as low as a few hundred ohms.

It is first necessary to understand that an electrical current consists of the movement of electrons within a material. Good conductors have a large number of free electrons that can drift in a given direction under the action of a potential difference. Insulators with a high resistance have very few free electrons, and therefore it is hard to make the them move and hence a current to flow.

LDR-Resistance variation In Presence Of Light-

LDR has a high resistance because there are very few electrons that are free and able to move - the vast majority of the electrons are locked into the crystal lattice and unable to move.

Therefore in this state there is a high LDR resistance.If incident light on a photo-resistor exceeds a certain frequency, photons absorbed by the semiconductor give bound electrons enough energy to jump into the conduction band. The resulting free electrons (and their hole partners) conduct electricity, thereby lowering resistance.The process is progressive, and as more light shines on the LDR semiconductor, so more electrons are released to conduct electricity and the resistance falls further.

The resistance range and sensitivity of a photo-resistor can substantially differ among dissimilar devices. Moreover, unique photo-resistors may react substantially differently to photons within certain wavelength bands.
[next] Types Of LDR: Semiconductor Structure -A photoelectric device can be either Intrinsic or Extrinsic.

An Intrinsic semiconductor has its own charge carriers and is not an efficient semiconductor, for example, silicon. In intrinsic devices the only available electrons are in the valence band, and hence the photon must have enough energy to excite the electron across the entire bandgap.

Extrinsic devices have impurities, also called dopants, added whose ground state energy is closer to the conduction band; since the electrons do not have as far to jump, lower energy photons (that is, longer wavelengths and lower frequencies) are sufficient to trigger the device. If a sample of silicon has some of its atoms replaced by phosphorus atoms (impurities), there will be extra electrons available for conduction. This is an example of an extrinsic semiconductor.

LDR- Design considerations:
Photoresistors are less light-sensitive devices than photodiodes or phototransistors: the two latter components are true semiconductor devices, while a photoresistor is a passive component and does not have a PN-junction. The photoresistivity of any photoresistor may vary widely depending on ambient temperature, making them unsuitable for applications requiring precise measurement of or sensitivity to light.
[next] Photoresistors also exhibit a certain degree of latency between exposure to light and the subsequent decrease in resistance, usually around 10 milliseconds. The lag time when going from lit to dark environments is even greater, often as long as one second. This property makes them unsuitable for sensing rapidly flashing lights, but is sometimes used to smooth the response of audio signal compression.

LDR Applications:
The internal components of a photoelectric control for a typical American streetlight. The photoresistor is facing rightwards, and controls whether current flows through the heater which opens the main power contacts. At night, the heater cools, closing the power contacts, energizing the street light.

Photoresistors come in many types. Inexpensive cadmium sulphide cells can be found in many consumer items such as camera light meters, clock radios, alarm devices (as the detector for a light beam), night lights, outdoor clocks, solar street lamps and solar road studs, etc.

Photoresistors can be placed in streetlights to control when the light is on. Ambient light falling on the photoresistor causes the streetlight to turn off. Thus energy is saved by ensuring the light is only on during hours of darkness.

They are also used in some dynamic compressors together with a small incandescent or neon lamp, or light-emitting diode to control gain reduction. A common usage of this application can be found in many guitar amplifiers that incorporate an onboard tremolo effect, as the oscillating light patterns control the level of signal running through the amp circuit.

LDRs are very useful components that can be used for a variety of light sensing applications. As the LDR resistance varies over such a wide range, they are particularly useful, and there are many LDR circuits available for Automation and Robotics Applications.