How a laser made an energy source out of glass: an amazing discovery of scientists
Scientists from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), together with colleagues from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, have discovered an amazing phenomenon. A short-term exposure to tellurite glass with a femtosecond laser turned it into a light-sensitive semiconductor. This makes it possible to produce photosensitive glass without any additional materials or effort, which scientists have jokingly compared to alchemy.
“It’s fantastic, we’re turning glass into a semiconductor on the spot using light,” said Yves Bellouard, one of the study’s authors. “In essence, we’re turning materials into something else, perhaps approaching an alchemist’s dream.
The scientists were interested in the behavior of atoms in tellurite glass (TeO2) when exposed to ultrafast pulses of high-energy laser radiation. They found that the laser creates tiny crystals of semiconductor materials tellurium and tellurium oxide in the glass at the point of incidence. This means that the areas treated in this way can produce electricity when exposed to daylight.
“An interesting twist in this technology is that no additional materials are required in the process. All you need is tellurite glass and a femtosecond laser to create an active photoconductive material,” the scientist added.
During the experiment, a laser pattern was applied to a 1-cm disk of tellurite glass imported from Japan. Under the influence of light from the ultraviolet to the visible range, the treated area produced an electric current, remaining steadily working for months. Similarly, light-sensitive sensors and other semiconductor circuits can be created on glass using only a laser light source.
The pattern can be applied on-site to the already installed glass, transforming it into smart glass with the necessary functionality. However, ordinary windows are not suitable for this. But if the technology is picked up by manufacturers, it could lead to a revolution in architecture.
