Nanoscale boost for solar technology
Scientists have discovered that carrier multiplication, in which semiconductor nanocrystals respond to photons by producing multiple electrons, is applicable to a broader array of materials than previously thought.

scientists have discovered that a phenomenon called carrier multiplication, in which semiconductor nanocrystals respond to photons by producing multiple electrons, is applicable to a broader array of materials than previously thought.
The discovery means that nanoscrystals, used as solar cell materials, could produce higher electrical outputs than current solar cells.
In papers published recently in the journals Nature Physics and Applied Physics Letters, the scientists demonstrate that carrier multiplication is not unique to lead selenide nanocrystals, but also occurs with very high efficiency in nanocrystals of other compositions, such as cadmium selenide. In addition, these new results shed light on the mechanism for carrier multiplication, which is likely to occur via the instantaneous photoexcitation of multiple electrons. Such a process has never been observed in macroscopic materials.
According to Richard Schaller, a
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