Evaporation is a process that has puzzled researchers for years, as the rate at which water can evaporate is often higher than the amount of heat it is receiving. A team of researchers at MIT has discovered that under certain conditions, light can directly bring about evaporation at an even more efficient rate than heat. This surprising phenomenon could have implications for fog and cloud formation, as well as industrial processes such as solar-powered desalination. The researchers are now working on applying this discovery to real-world needs and improving the efficiency of solar-powered desalination systems.
https://news.mit.edu/2023/surprising-finding-light-makes-water-evaporate-without-heat-1031