Light-Powered Micromotors
For more than 30 years, researchers have been trying to create even smaller gears in order to construct micro-engines. But progress stalled at 0.1 millimeters, as it was not possible to build the drive trains needed to make them move any smaller. Researchers from Gothenburg University, among others, have now broken through this barrier by ditching traditional mechanical drive trains and instead using laser light to set the gears in motion directly. They have made light-powered gears on a micrometer scale. This paves the way for the smallest on-chip motors in history, which can fit inside a strand of hair. With these advances, researchers are beginning to imagine micro-and nanomachines that can control light, manipulate small particles, or be integrated into future lab-on-a-chip systems. A gear wheel can be as small as 16-20 micrometers, and there are human cells of that size.
Contact: Gan Wang
+46 076-618-6970
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Artificial Nerve Cells
An artificial neuron made of conductive plastics that can perform advanced functions similar to those of biological nerve cells has been demonstrated by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden. Instead of relying on rigid silicon, Simone Fabiano’s team at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics at LiU works with a class of soft, flexible materials called conjugated polymers that can transport both ions and electrons. This dual capability allows them to interface more closely with biological systems The results, pave the way for a new generation of body-integrated sensors, medical implants, and robotics. Fabiano envisions using these devices to add a sense of touch in prosthetics or robotics. They show that organic electronics are not just softer alternatives to silicon but can also enable new kinds of neural computing that connect biology with electronics.
Contact: Simone Fabiano
+46 113-63-633
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Silicon Tandem Solar Cells
An international team of scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), and University of Freiburg has developed a new method that significantly boosts the performance and stability of solar cells. The enhancement comes from treating the perovskite surface of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells with a single molecule. For countries embracing solar energy, the finding has the potential to save billions of dollars. The innovation enabled tested solar cells to achieve a conversion efficiency of 33.1 percent and a record open-circuit voltage of 2.01V, two critical metrics for solar cells. The conversion efficiency is a reminder of why industry is heavily investing in perovskite silicon tandem solar cells compared with the more standard silicon solar cells, whose physical efficiency limits do not exceed 30 percent. By stacking a perovskite cell on top of a silicon cell, perovskite silicon tandem solar cells allow for better use of the solar spectrum, capturing more energy from sunlight.
