Some organic materials might be able to be utilised similarly to silicon semiconductors in optoelectronics. Whether in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, or in transistors – what is important is the band gap, i.e. the difference in energy level between electrons in the valence band (bound state) and the conduction band (mobile state). Charge carriers can […]
Machine Learning Helps Improving Photonic Applications
Nanostructures can increase the sensitivity of optical sensors enormously – provided that the geometry meets certain conditions and matches the wavelength of the incident light. This is because the electromagnetic field of light can be greatly amplified or reduced by the local nanostructure. The HZB Young Investigator Group “Nano-SIPPE” headed by Prof. Christiane Becker is […]
Hidden Talents: Converting Heat Into Electricity With Pencil And Paper
The thermoelectric effect is nothing new – it was discovered almost 200 years ago by Thomas J. Seebeck. If two different metals are brought together, then an electrical voltage can develop if one metal is warmer than the other. This effect allows residual heat to be partially converted into electrical energy. Residual heat is a […]
Optical Control Of Magnetic Memory — New Insights Into Fundamental Mechanisms
This is an important clue for our theoretical understanding of optically controlled magnetic data storage media. The findings are published at August 25th in the journal Scientific Reports. The demands placed on digital storage media are continuously increasing. Rapidly increasing quantities of data and new technological applications demand memory that can store large amounts of information […]
Better Cathode Materials For Lithium-Sulphur-Batteries
At present, lithium batteries are one of the best solutions for storing electrical power in a small space. Lithium ions in these batteries migrate from the anode to the opposite electrical pole, the cathode, during the discharge cycle. The anode and cathode generally consist of heavy-metal compounds that are expensive and toxic. One interesting alternative […]
Better Cathode Materials for Lithium-Sulphur Batteries
At present, lithium batteries are one of the best solutions for storing electrical power in a small space. Lithium ions in these batteries migrate from the anode to the opposite electrical pole, the cathode, during the discharge cycle. The anode and cathode generally consist of heavy-metal compounds that are expensive and toxic. One interesting alternative […]
Spintronics: Resetting the Future of Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording
Scientists have examined thin films of Dysprosium-Cobalt sputtered onto a nanostructured membrane at BESSY II. They showed that new patterns of magnetization could be written in a quick and easy manner after warming the sample to only 80 degrees Celsius, which is a much lower temperature as compared to conventional Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording systems. […]
Optimum Band Gap For Hybrid Silicon/perovskite Tandem Solar Cell
Tandem solar cells based on silicon and perovskites have raised high hopes for future high efficiency solar modules. A tandem solar cell works by absorbing the high energy photons (visible light) in a top cell which generates a high voltage, and the lower energy photons (Infra red) in a rear cell, which generates a lower […]
Monolithic Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cell Achieves Record Efficiency
Organic-inorganic perovskite materials are one of the biggest surprises in solar cell research. In just six years, the efficiency of perovskite solar cells has increased five-fold; moreover, perovskite solar cells can be manufactured from solution and be cost-effectively printed on large areas in the future. Perovskite with silicon: good team but difficult to combine Because […]
‘Multi-Spectra Glasses’ for Scanning Electron Microscopy
Reflection zone plates produced by HZB enable lighter elements in material samples to be precisely detected using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) by providing high resolution in the range of 50-1120 eV. The scanning electron microscope is not only used for precisely surveying the surface topology of samples, but also for determining their chemical compositions. This […]
