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Nanocrystals can generate more than one electron from a photon of light
By MB-BigB | February 14, 2009
Scientists have long examined the phenomenon called carrier multiplication, but were always suspicious that what they were seeing was just a false observation. Carrier multiplication occurs when one photon of light hitting a material can create multiple free electrons. Current solar cells only create 1 electron per photon. Now a team of Los Alamos researchers, funded by the US Department of Energy, has for the first time, proven that this effect can occur in tiny semiconductor nanocrystals. Of course there’s alot of work to do before you’ll see any of this in solar panels. But the proof of concept can possibly lead to much more efficient solar cells. via: Eurekalert.org
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