APL Materials

Japanese scientists have found a new way to successfully detect the efficiency of crystal semiconductors. For the first time ever, the team used a specific kind of photoluminescence spectroscopy, a way to detect light, to characterize the semiconductors. The emitted light energy was used as an indicator of the crystal's quality. This method potentially culminates in more efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cells. Additionally, it could usher in several other advances in electronics.