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Scientists achieve 1,000-fold increase in solar electricity using ultra-thin layers | Breakthrough crystal tech could make solar panels more efficient and compact


At the core of this discovery, published in Science Advances, is barium titanate (BaTiO₃), a material known for its ability to convert light into electricity, though not...

Forward-looking: A team of German researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg has unveiled a significant advancement in solar energy technology, revealing a method to dramatically increase the amount of electricity certain materials can generate when exposed to light. He noted that while paraelectric materials do not naturally separate electric charges, they can act like ferroelectrics under special conditions, such as at low temperatures or with slight changes to their structure. When tested under laser light, the current generated by this "crystal sandwich" was up to 1,000 times stronger than that of pure barium titanate of similar thickness, despite using two-thirds less of the photoelectric component.

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Scientists create ultra-thin solar panels that are 1,000x more efficient