Metamaterial: Mail armor inspires physicists
The Middle Ages certainly were far from being science-friendly: Whoever looked for new findings off the beaten track faced the threat of being burned at the stake. Hence, the contribution of this era...
View ArticleTesting the performance of semiconductors—with light
Semiconductors are the cornerstone of modern electronics. They're used in solar cells, light emitting diodes (LEDs), microprocessors in laptops and cell phones, and more. Most of them are made of...
View ArticleBuilt from the bottom up, nanoribbons pave the way to 'on-off' states for...
A new way to grow narrow ribbons of graphene, a lightweight and strong structure of single-atom-thick carbon atoms linked into hexagons, may address a shortcoming that has prevented the material from...
View ArticleCapacitor withstands temperatures of up to 300 degrees Celsius
Heat, dust and moisture damage electronic components. Protecting against dust and moisture is fairly straightforward, but heat remains a problem because it is created within the component itself....
View ArticleSolar cells with nanostripes
Solar cells based on perovskites reach high efficiencies: They convert more than 20 percent of the incident light directly into usable power. On their search for underlying physical mechanisms,...
View ArticleScientists analysed how a special treatment improves cheap metal oxide...
The fossil fuel age is bound to end, for several strong reasons. As an alternative to fossil fuels, hydrogen seems very attractive. The gas has a huge energy density, it can be stored or processed...
View ArticleNew quantum materials offer novel route to 3-D electronic devices
Researchers have shown how the principles of general relativity open the door to novel electronic applications such as a three-dimensional electron lens and electronic invisibility devices. In a new...
View ArticleTwisting molecule wrings more power from solar cells
Inside a solar cell, sunlight excites electrons. But these electrons often don't last long enough to go on to power cell phones or warm homes. In a promising new type of solar cell, the solar-excited...
View ArticlePhysicists explain metallic conductivity of thin carbon nanotube films
An international team of researchers has examined the optical and dielectric properties of thin macroscopic films based on single-walled carbon nanotubes and obtained an explanation for the metallic...
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