Regarded as one of the best ways to store high-
definition movies and television shows because of
their high-density data storage capacity, Blu-ray
discs have also shown to improve the performance
of solar cells, says a new research. The pattern of information written on a Blu-ray disc
works very well for improving light absorption
across the solar spectrum, the findings showed. "We had a hunch that Blu-ray discs might work for
improving solar cells, and, to our delight, we found
the existing patterns are already very good," said Jiaxing Huang, associate professor at the
Northwestern University in the US. "It is as if electrical engineers and computer
scientists developing the Blu-ray technology have
been subconsciously doing our jobs, too," Huang
added. Blu-ray discs contain a higher density of data than DVDs or CDs and when this quasi-random pattern,
perfected by engineers over decades for data
storage, is transferred to the surface of solar cells, it
provides the right texture to improve the cells' light
absorption and performance. The researchers tested a wide range of movies and
television shows stored on Blu-ray discs, including
action movies, dramas, documentaries, cartoons
and black-and-white content, and found the video
content did not matter. All worked equally well for
enhancing light absorption in solar cells. The findings appeared in the journal Nature
Communications.

wrong forum ?