AlexandreEdmond Becquerel , known as Edmond Becquerel, was a French physicist who studied the solar spectrum, magnetism, electricity and optics. He is credited with the discovery of the photovoltaic effect, the operating principle of the solar cell, in 1839. He is also known for his work in luminescence and phosphorescence. He was the son of Antoine Csar Becquerel and the father of Henri Becquerel, one of the discoverers of radioactivity.
Becquerel was born in Paris and was in turn the pupil, assistant and successor of his father at the Musum national dHistoire naturelle. He was also appointed professor at the shortlived Agronomic Institute at Versailles in 1849, and in 1853 received the chair of physics at the Conservatoire des Arts et Mtiers. He was associated with his father in much of his work.
Source: Wikipedia