Some ferroelectric materials can develop extremely high voltages when light falls on them, which might greatly improve solar cells if scientists could figure out how they do it. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have solved the mystery for one ferroelectric, bismuth ferrite, revealing a principle that should apply to other materials too. The secret is an electronic “bucket brigade” that passes electrons stepwise from one electrically polarized region to the next.

Researchers in Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division and at UC Berkeley have made efficient, cheap, flexible solar cells by growing dense 3-D arrays of single-crystal semiconductors on a prepatterned aluminum substrate. The nanoscale pillars are embedded in a complementary transparent semiconductor that serves as a window. The solar cells are made bendable by embedding them in clear plastic.

A new community lecture series featuring four of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s most distinguished scientists will debut on Monday, March 5, with 2006 Nobel Laureate George Smoot. All lectures, free and open to the public, will be held in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre – hence the series name “Science at the Theatre.”
The talks begin [...]