Kyushu University

Stories

Researchers show how to rationally design lanthanide triboluminescence

Collaborating research institution

Crush a sugar crystal and it flashes. That's triboluminescence, light from mechanical fracture, known since Francis Bacon scraped sugar in 1605; for four centuries it resisted design. You could observe it, but not predict which materials would emit, or what color.

Updated 7 days ago

Researchers surpass solar energy's quantum ceiling using singlet fission and spin-flip emitters

New Capabilities

Lead institution on the breakthrough paper

Every conventional solar cell hits the same wall: a single photon can knock loose one electron, at most. That constraint, formalized in 1961, caps silicon panels at roughly 33% efficiency.

Updated May 30