Scientists have theorized that organometallic halide perovskites -- a class of light harvesting "wonder" materials for applications in solar cells and quantum electronics -- are so promising due to an unseen yet highly controversial mechanism called the Rashba effect. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory have now experimentally proven the existence of … [Read more...] about New discovery settles long-standing debate about photovoltaic materials
Seeing 'under the hood' in batteries
From next-gen smartphones to longer-range electric cars and an improved power grid, better batteries are driving tech innovation. And to push batteries beyond their present-day performance, researchers want to see "under the hood" to learn how the individual ingredients of battery materials behave beneath the surface. This could ultimately lead to battery improvements such as … [Read more...] about Seeing 'under the hood' in batteries
Tandem solar cell world record
Tandem cells combine two different semiconductors that convert different parts of the light spectrum into electrical energy. Metal-halide perovskite compounds mainly use the visible parts of the spectrum, while CIGS semiconductors convert rather the infrared light. CIGS cells, which consist of copper, indium, gallium and selenium, can be deposited as thin-films with a total … [Read more...] about Tandem solar cell world record
Tandem solar cell world record
Tandem cells combine two different semiconductors that convert different parts of the light spectrum into electrical energy. Metal-halide perovskite compounds mainly use the visible parts of the spectrum, while CIGS semiconductors convert rather the infrared light. CIGS cells, which consist of copper, indium, gallium and selenium, can be deposited as thin-films with a total … [Read more...] about Tandem solar cell world record
Supercomputing future wind power rise
Wind power surged worldwide in 2019, but will it sustain? More than 340,000 wind turbines generated over 591 gigawatts globally. In the U.S., wind powered the equivalent of 32 million homes and sustained 500 U.S. factories. What's more, in 2019 wind power grew by 19 percent, thanks to both booming offshore and onshore projects in the U.S. and China. A study by Cornell … [Read more...] about Supercomputing future wind power rise