At just 90-nanometres thick – 1000 times finer than the width of a human hair – this ultrathin, graphene-based film may one day soon dramatically improve the efficiency of solar energy harvesting.
The film was developed by researchers led by Han Lin from Australia’s Swinburne University, and is detailed in a paper in the journal Nature Photonics.
It is capable of heating up rapidly to 160 degrees Celsius in natural sunlight in an unshaded environment, and promises to open new research avenues in fields as diverse as thermophotovoltaics, solar seawater desalination and communications technology.