Even after reading the actual research paper, I still had a hard time understand exactly what is leading toward this increase in efficiency…a lot of big optics related words in here. The main reason I wanted to understand exactly how the light was being manipulated is because the solar material material used – gallium arsenide – is not our standard silicon, and I wanted to understand if the technology could be directly applied to a mass market.

Nothing said anything against the possibility of silicon being, however, the specific work being done was very much specified on the size of lightwave – and if scientists are getting that specific in this field, they are definitely working in a material specific manner. But – always keep in mind – research done here, can often have an affect there.

SOURCECoated solar cells absorbed, on average, 20 percent more visible light than bare cells. In the team’s method, droplets of the nanoresonator solution are placed on just one side of the solar cell. A wire-wound metal rod is then pulled across the cell, spreading out the solution and forming a coating made of closely packed nanoresonators. This is the first time that researchers have applied the rod method, used for more than a century to coat material in a factory setting, to a gallium arsenide solar cell. “This is an inexpensive process and is compatible with mass production,” said Ha.

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