Nanomaterial Makes Laser Light More Applicable
March 31, 2017 | CAUEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Light is absorbed differently, depending on the material it shines on. An international research team including material scientists from Kiel University has created a complex hybrid material with the ability to absorb light with a unique broad range of wavelengths. In addition to that it scatters light which makes it really interesting for industrial applications. That could mean an important step in optoelectronic technologies towards laser light as a successor to LEDs. The results published in Nature Scientific Reports represent the output of a broad international collaboration, including scientists from Germany, Moldova, Denmark and Australia.
“As material scientists we are always in demand to develop nanomaterials that can absorb a wide range of light,” explains Dr. Yogendra Mishra. He is leading an independent subgroup of the Functional Materials working group of Professor Rainer Adelung, Institute for Materials Science at Kiel University. This group has expertise in making tetrapods, four-armed zinc oxide structures. “We have now made tetrapods in a new way and created a hybrid material of carbon and inorganic material. It demonstrates the ability to absorb a broad range of wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared – and it also diffuses light,” Mishra explains. “The complex 3D-tetrapod-architecture of our material spreads light in all directions.”
This scattering effect of the hybrid material is urgently needed for using laser based lighting in optoelectronic technologies as in automobile industry. “Products of modern light technology should be as bright as possible without producing a lot of useless heat. That is the case with a normal bulb, which have almost become museum artefacts. The LEDs of today are better but powerful laser-based lights would be most efficient,” says material scientist Mishra. The reason why Laser based lighting has not yet been realized for a broad application in industry is exactly its power, which could damage the eyes.
Therefore, the international research team tried to develop hybrid material elements which can degrade the brightness of laser light while maintaining its high power. That is the effect of the complex 3D-tetrapod-architecture of the new hybrid material, developed in a close collaboration. At the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) the zinc oxide tetrapods from Kiel were transformed into aerographite tetrapods of carbon. A team from the Technical University of Moldova used its special sputtering machine to put a huge amount of smaller zinc oxide nanocrystals – also with the shape of tetrapods – on its surface. The result is a hybrid material with a fascinating spatial architecture consisting of Aerographite microtetrapods decorated with zinc oxide nanotetrapods. Colleagues from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Sydney investigated different properties of the newly developed nanomaterial.
“The zinc oxide-Aerographite hybrid architectured materials are technologically very important and our goal was to develop cost-effective approaches for their fabrication as well as to achieve a proper understanding of their unique properties,” says Professor Ion Tiginyanu, Director of the National Centre for Materials Study and Testing at the Technical University of Moldova. Used as a scattering element, the research team is convinced that the material is a very promising candidate for optoelectronic technologies, especially since the technological process behind it is simple and economical.
Suggested Items
SMC Korea 2024 to Highlight Semiconductor Materials Trends and Innovations on Industry’s Path to $1 Trillion
04/24/2024 | SEMIWith Korea a major consumer of semiconductor materials and advanced materials a key driver of innovation on the industry’s path to $1 trillion, industry leaders and experts will gather at SMC (Strategic Materials Conference) Korea 2024 on May 29 at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea to provide insights into the latest materials developments and trends. Registration is open.
Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks the Beginning of a New Era for Newccess Industrial; The Construction of the MINGXIN Building
04/12/2024 | Newccess IndustrialOn a clear and sunny day in March, the groundbreaking ceremony for the MINGXIN Building took place in Shenzhen, China. This moment marked the official commencement of construction for a project that will reshape the semiconductor materials industry.
The Need for a Holistic Global Sustainability Standard
04/10/2024 | Michael Ford, Aegis SoftwareNo one can deny that the resources of our fragile planet are finite. The environment seems like a third party, subject to constant degradation. We’re acutely aware of the effects of pollution on our climate, and despite our “throw-away” culture, recycling and recovery of materials has remained relatively expensive, even as we use more energy just to survive.
iNEMI Publishes Four Roadmap Topics
04/04/2024 | iNEMIThe International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) announces the availability of the first roadmap topics in the new iNEMI Roadmap format. Printed circuit boards, sustainable electronics, smart manufacturing, and mmWave materials and test are now available online.
Insulectro’s 'Storekeepers' Extend Their Welcome to Technology Village at IPC APEX EXPO
04/03/2024 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, welcomes attendees to its TECHNOLOGY VILLAGE during this year’s IPC APEX EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center, April 9-11, 2024.