Editing Electroluminescence (section)

==Mechanism==
[[File:Electroluminescent panel spectrum.png|thumb|right|Spectrum of a blue/green electroluminescent light source for a clock radio (similar to the one seen in the above image). Peak wavelength is at 492&nbsp;nm and the [[full width at half maximum|FWHM]] spectral bandwidth is quite wide at about 85 nm.]]
Electroluminescence is the result of [[radiative recombination]] of [[electron]]s and [[electron hole|hole]]s in a material, usually a [[semiconductor]]. The excited electrons release their energy as [[photon]]s – light. Prior to recombination, electrons and holes may be separated either by [[doping (semiconductors)|doping]] the material to form a [[p-n junction]] (in semiconductor electroluminescent devices such as [[light-emitting diode]]s) or through excitation by impact of high-energy electrons accelerated by a strong electric field (as with the [[phosphor]]s in [[electroluminescent display]]s).

It has been recently shown that as a solar cell improves its light-to-electricity efficiency (improved open-circuit voltage), it will also improve its electricity-to-light (EL) efficiency.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Raguse|first1=John|title=Correlation of Electroluminescence with Open-CIrcuit Voltage from Thin-Film CdTe Solar Cells|journal=Journal of Photovoltaics|volume=5|issue=4|date=April 15, 2015|pages=1175–1178|doi=10.1109/JPHOTOV.2015.2417761|doi-access=free}}</ref>