Organic PV Inexpensive

A senior scientist at Denmark's National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy has found a cheap method to integrate LEDs, photovoltaic (PV) cells and ultrathin lithium batteries into a potentially useful lamp. It may be the solution to the lack of access to electricity in the developing countries. Most organic PVs are composed of conducting polymers and carbon nanostructures, which in the right combinations mimic the p-n junction of silicon and other inorganic photovoltaics.

Reference: IEEE Spectrum

Photonic Crystals = Incredible Insulator

Scientists have found that layering photonic crystals within the vacuum lining can prevent heat loss from invisible infrared radiation, creating an incredible insulator. Heat typically travels via methods such as convection and conduction, which both require a material medium. In addition, heat can transfer through infrared radiation, or passing through a vacuum lining to a thermos's outer wall. Photonic crystals consist of tiny nano-structures that affect how light passes through. They can be configured to block certain frequency ranges of light, including infrared radiation. Tests on the new insulator showed that heat transfer does not rely on layer thickness, but only on how fast light can travel through the material. The research team hopes that the photonic crystals is applicable in areas beyond communications and computing applications.

Reference: Science Daily

Optomechanical Crystal Confines Light and Sound

Physicists and engineers at the California Institute of Technology have developed a nano-scale crystal that traps both light and sound. The interaction of light quanta and sound quanta are strong enough to produce significant mechanical vibrations. Frequencies as high as gigahertz can give devices the ability to send large amounts of information.

Reference: SlashDot