Researchers have used a simple inkjet printer to print a “bio-ink” of cyanobacteria onto a conductive surface, creating a biophotovoltaic cell. Unlike conventional photovoltaic cells that operate only when exposed to light, the cyanobacteria can generate an electric current both in the dark and in response to light. The researchers expect that the cell may […]
Cicada Wings Help Researchers Design Better Solar Cells
Researchers have turned to cicada wings to design surfaces with highly antireflective properties, which have potential applications for solar cells, stealth surfaces, antifogging materials, and other optical applications. As researchers Imran Zada et al. at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China explain in a recent issue of Applied Physics Letters, cicada wings have nanoscale structures that […]
Passive Solar Windows Heat Up In Cold Weather
Researchers have developed a way to transform ordinary windows into solar-powered heaters that use the sun’s energy to increase the window temperature by up to 8 K (nearly 15 °F) in cold weather. The researchers expect that the new solar thermal surfaces will lead to significant energy savings through reduced heating costs. The scientists, led […]
Scientists Reach Milestone In 3-D Laser Writing In Bulk Silicon
It has taken more than 20 years, but researchers have demonstrated for the first time that femtosecond lasers can be used to structurally manipulate bulk silicon for high-precision applications. Since the late ’90s, researchers have been using the ultrashort pulses of femtosecond lasers to write into bulk materials with wide band gaps, which are typically […]
‘Egg-Based Electronics’ Offer Surprisingly Good Electrical Performance
Egg white—also known as egg albumen—is not only good-tasting, it also has very good dielectric properties, along with a high transparency and high elasticity, that make it a promising material for fabricating transparent, flexible electronic devices. In a new study, researchers have shown that, when egg albumen is mixed with hydrogen peroxide, a series of […]
Paper Supercapacitor Addresses Power/Energy Density Tradeoff
By coating ordinary paper with layers of gold nanoparticles and other materials, researchers have fabricated flexible paper supercapacitors that exhibit the best performance of any textile-type supercapacitor to date. In particular, the paper supercapacitors address one of the biggest challenges in this area, which is to achieve a high energy density in addition to an […]
Self-Driving Vehicles At The Microscale
In a new study, scientists have developed the microscale version of self-driving vehicles: a 5-μm spherical micromotor that autonomously navigates its way through micro-traffic along a micro-maze to reach its final destination. The researchers expect that these “smart microvehicles” have potential applications in biomedical tasks, such as delivering drugs to tumor cells while avoiding healthy […]
Watches, LEDs Powered By Yarn Battery
Researchers have fabricated rechargeable batteries by using highly conductive yarns that have a diameter and flexibility similar to that of a piece of cotton yarn. The new yarn battery can be woven into fabric and worn as a wristband or other type of clothing to power watches, LEDs, pulse monitors, and other small personal electronics. […]
Unconventional Quantum Systems May Lead To Novel Optical Devices
Physicists have experimentally demonstrated an optical system based on an unconventional class of quantum mechanical systems that could lead to the development of new quantum optical devices. The system is called a “PT-symmetric quantum walk,” since it consists of single photons that occupy a superposition of states, called quantum walks, that obey parity-time (PT) symmetry—the […]
Graphene Electronic Tattoos Can Be Applied To The Skin With Water
Researchers have designed a graphene-based tattoo that can be directly laminated onto the skin with water, similar to a temporary tattoo. But instead of featuring artistic or colorful designs, the new tattoo is nearly transparent. Its main attraction is that graphene’s unique electronic properties enable the tattoo to function as a wearable electronic device, with […]