February 19, 2009

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Rutgers physicists have discovered unusual electronic properties in a material that has the potential to improve solar cell efficiency and computer chip design. They determined that a crystal made of bismuth, iron and oxygen can act as a reversible diode, and that diodes made from this material generate current when light falls on them. The material appears sensitive to light at the blue end of the spectrum, a property that could increase solar cell efficiency.Full Story

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Rutgers University

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