Nanotechnology for energy materials: Electrodes like leaf veins

Nano-sized metallic wires are attracting increasing attention as conductive elements for manufacturing transparent electrodes, which are employed in solar cells and touch screen panels. In addition to high electric conductivity, excellent optical transmittance is one of the important parameters for an electrode in photovoltaic applications. An international team headed by HZB scientist Prof. Michael Giersig Read more about Nanotechnology for energy materials: Electrodes like leaf veins[…]

Spintronics for future information technologies

An international team headed by HZB researcher Jaime Sánchez-Barriga has shown how spin-polarised currents can be initiated in a controlled manner within samples of topological insulator material. In addition, they were able to manipulate the orientation of the spins of these currents. They thereby demonstrated that this class of materials is suitable for data processing Read more about Spintronics for future information technologies[…]

Thin-film solar cells: how defects appear and disappear in CIGSe-cells

An international collaboration of German, Israeli, and British teams has investigated the deposition of thin chalcopyrite layers. They were able to observe specific defects as these formed during deposition and under what conditions they self-healed using the BESSY II X-ray source at the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin. The results of their research provide clues to optimising Read more about Thin-film solar cells: how defects appear and disappear in CIGSe-cells[…]