Scientists Developed A Light-Manipulating Tech

This could be big when it comes to designing new solar panels. Based on the press release, a team of scientists claimed that they've flipped the script when it comes to how silicon interacts with light.

The UC Irvine-led team's innovative tech facilitates ultrathin silicon solar cells that could power thermoelectric clothing or onboard vehicle and device charging.

The journal ACS Nano published the study, which was conducted in collaboration with scientists from Kazan Federal University in Russia and Tel Aviv University.

The key for the team was not to change the silicon material itself, but instead focus on conditioning the light to change pure silicon from an indirect to a direct bandgap semiconductor.

As an indirect bandgap semiconductor, silicon's "optical properties are inherently weak," commented Dmitry Fishman, the study's lead author. The team used a method to enhance the momentum of photons.

"Photons carry energy but almost no momentum, but if we change this narrative explained in textbooks and somehow give photons momentum, we can excite electrons without needing additional particles," study co-author Eric Potma said.

The result of the added momentum was majorly enhanced light absorption and a huge increase in device performance. Potma divulged the method "increases light absorption by a factor of 10,000, completely transforming light-matter interaction."

Potma says that innovation is much-needed for solar energy to become a viable clean energy source and slow the warming of the planet that is coming with increasingly dire consequences.