Featured
-
-
Article |
Near-infrared photon upconversion and solar synthesis using lead-free nanocrystals
Researchers use zinc-doped CuInSe2 nanocrystals as an alternative to lead chalcogenides for near-infrared upconversion. Upconversion to yellow with an external quantum efficiency reaching 16.7% is achieved, which can also be merged with photoredox catalysis for rapid solar synthesis.
- Wenfei Liang
- , Chengming Nie
- & Kaifeng Wu
-
Article |
Six-dimensional single-molecule imaging with isotropic resolution using a multi-view reflector microscope
A multi-view reflector microscope based on polarization modulation and pupil splitting enables single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy with precisions of 10.9 nm and 2.0°.
- Oumeng Zhang
- , Zijian Guo
- & Matthew D. Lew
-
Article |
Heavy-atom engineering of thermally activated delayed fluorophores for high-performance X-ray imaging scintillators
Heavy atoms like Cl, Br and I introduced into thermally activated delayed fluorescence chromophores can increase the X-ray absorption cross-section. Light yield of ~20,000 photons MeV–1, detection limit of 45.5 nGy s−1 and imaging resolution of >18.0 line pairs per millimetre is demonstrated.
- Jian-Xin Wang
- , Luis Gutiérrez-Arzaluz
- & Omar F. Mohammed
-
Article |
Light-sheet 3D microprinting via two-colour two-step absorption
High-speed, high-resolution optics-based printing typically requires femtosecond pulsed lasers. We demonstrate optical printing using indigo-blue laser diodes and a red continuous-wave laser, achieving a peak printing rate of 7 × 106 voxels s–1 at a voxel volume of 0.55 µm3.
- Vincent Hahn
- , Pascal Rietz
- & Martin Wegener
-
Article |
Large-area perovskite solar cells employing spiro-Naph hole transport material
The use of a new hole transport material called spiro-Naph allows the realization of efficient large-area perovskite solar cells.
- Mingyu Jeong
- , In Woo Choi
- & Changduk Yang
-
Article |
Two-step absorption instead of two-photon absorption in 3D nanoprinting
As an alternative to high-resolution fabrication by two-photon absorption, researchers demonstrate a two-step absorption process that employs inexpensive light sources.
- Vincent Hahn
- , Tobias Messer
- & Martin Wegener
-
Letter |
Efficient solid-state photon upconversion enabled by triplet formation at an organic semiconductor interface
Highly efficient upconversion of light by organic semiconductor heterojunction interfaces is demonstrated. This process is enabled by charge separation- and recombination-mediated charge transfer states at the interface.
- Seiichiro Izawa
- & Masahiro Hiramoto
-
News & Views |
Sub-molecular photoluminescence
Photoluminescence spectroscopy using atomic-scale light reveals an optical transition of a single molecule at sub-nanometre resolution.
- Takashi Kumagai
-
Article |
Sub-nanometre resolution in single-molecule photoluminescence imaging
Through the use of a plasmon-active atomically sharp tip and an ultrathin insulating film, and precise junction control in a highly confined nanocavity plasmon field at the scanning tunnelling microscope junction, sub-nanometre-resolved single-molecule near-field photoluminescence imaging with a spatial resolution down to ∼8 Å is achieved.
- Ben Yang
- , Gong Chen
- & J. G. Hou
-
Article |
Controlling competing photochemical reactions stabilizes perovskite solar cells
The photo-instability of perovskite solar cells is investigated and controlled by the use of a passivation strategy.
- Silvia G. Motti
- , Daniele Meggiolaro
- & Annamaria Petrozza
-
Article |
Strategies towards rational design of gold(iii) complexes for high-performance organic light-emitting devices
Cyclometalated gold(iii) complexes are shown to offer tunable emission colours spanning from sky-blue to red and enable the fabrication of phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices with high external quantum efficiency and long lifetimes.
- Lok-Kwan Li
- , Man-Chung Tang
- & Vivian Wing-Wah Yam
-
Article |
Room-temperature ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy of a single molecule
Frequency-resolved transient excited-state absorption of a single molecule is measured at room temperature. The dynamic Stokes shift and vibrational cooling are directly measured with 25 fs temporal resolution and a spectral detection bandwidth of hundreds of meV.
- Matz Liebel
- , Costanza Toninelli
- & Niek F. van Hulst
-
Article |
Plasmonic coupling at a metal/semiconductor interface
The role of direct plasmonic coupling in hot-electron generation at Ag/TiO2 interfaces is clarified by two-photon photoemission spectroscopy.
- Shijing Tan
- , Adam Argondizzo
- & Hrvoje Petek
-
Article |
Giant light-harvesting nanoantenna for single-molecule detection in ambient light
Donor dye nanoparticles have been used to realize structures that are 25 times brighter than quantum dots. This enabled single-molecule imaging using ambient light.
- Kateryna Trofymchuk
- , Andreas Reisch
- & Andrey S. Klymchenko
-
Article |
Dye-sensitized solar cells for efficient power generation under ambient lighting
A dye-sensitized solar cell that has been designed for efficient operation under indoor lighting could offer a convenient means for powering the Internet of Things.
- Marina Freitag
- , Joël Teuscher
- & Anders Hagfeldt
-
Letter |
Removing orientation-induced localization biases in single-molecule microscopy using a broadband metasurface mask
A custom-designed metamaterial mask helps improve the accuracy of microscopy of single fluorescent molecules.
- Mikael P. Backlund
- , Amir Arbabi
- & W. E. Moerner
-
Article |
Perovskite solar cells with a planar heterojunction structure prepared using room-temperature solution processing techniques
The use of a thin layer of zinc oxide nanoparticles as an electron-transport layer allows flexible perovskite solar cells to be fabricated with a power conversion efficiency as high as 15.7%.
- Dianyi Liu
- & Timothy L. Kelly
-
Article |
90-degree optical switching of output second-harmonic light in chiral photomagnet
Perpendicular photoswitching of the polarization plane of the output second-harmonic light is observed in a chiral spin-crossover assembly based on an iron-octacyanoniobate magnet. This photoswitching can be reversed by irradiating with blue or red light. It originates from alternate photoswitching between the crystallographic and magnetic contributions to second-harmonic generation.
- Shin-ichi Ohkoshi
- , Shinjiro Takano
- & Hiroko Tokoro
-
-
Letter |
Wideband dye-sensitized solar cells employing a phosphine-coordinated ruthenium sensitizer
Single and tandem dye-sensitized solar cells with high power-conversion efficiencies and large photocurrent densities are fabricated using a photosensitizer whose long wavelength absorption originates from a spin-forbidden single–triplet transition.
- Takumi Kinoshita
- , Joanne Ting Dy
- & Hiroshi Segawa
-
News & Views |
Harvesting light
Organic photovoltaics offer the tantalizing promise of low-cost plastic coatings that can be applied to building surfaces and roofing to generate electricity sustainably. Now, the demonstration that the addition of organic dyes can improve device performance by energy-transfer processes offers an exciting new opportunity.
- Paul C. Dastoor
-
News & Views |
Dye lasers with a difference
Scientists have shown that Förster resonance energy transfer can be used to realize new designs of dye laser that offer improved photostability and access to new pumping and emission wavelengths.
- José M. G. Martinho
-
Article |
FRET-assisted laser emission in colloidal suspensions of dye-doped latex nanoparticles
Researchers show that Förster resonance energy transfer between two different dyes makes it possible to realize an efficient and stable laser for applications in biophotonics.
- Luis Cerdán
- , Eduardo Enciso
- & Inmaculada García-Moreno
-
-
News & Views |
Single-molecule light absorption
It has long been thought that the detection of individual molecules in ambient conditions via their absorption signature was out of reach. Now, three independent research groups have developed three different methods that allow such a feat.
- Johan Hofkens
- & Maarten B. J. Roeffaers
-
News & Views |
Optics and chemistry meet
Research into photochemical reactions is now yielding promising ways of converting solar energy into convenient forms of chemical energy that can be easily stored.
- David Pile
Improved fatigue behaviour of perovskite solar cells with an interfacial starch–polyiodide buffer layer
Visible photocatalysis