Using a high-power, pulsed laser to deposit materials from a plasma plume (shown here), researchers synthesized materials to study their unique pyroelectric properties at the nanoscale. "Controlling ...

Zinc oxide is potentially a useful material for ultraviolet detectors; however, a relatively long response time hinders practical implementation. Here by designing and fabricating a self-powered ...

Pyroelectric and tribocatalytic processes harness subtle forms of ambient energy—thermal fluctuations and mechanical friction—to drive chemical transformations without reliance on light or harsh ...

Heat sssssensorsss A large-eyed green pit viper. The pit organs are small depressions between the snake's nostrils and eyes. (Courtesy: iStock_TommyIX) Vipers, pythons and boa constrictors all use ...

Pyroelectricity could extract energy from heat sources below100°C, offering an alternative to thermo-electric generators (TEGs). TEGs make electricity through the Seebeck effect, where different ...

Converting heat into electricity is a property thought to be reserved only for stiff materials like crystals. However, researchers--inspired by the infrared (IR) vision of snakes--developed a ...

(Nanowerk Spotlight) For decades, researchers have sought to understand and harness the pyroelectric effect in biological materials. Pyroelectricity refers to the phenomenon where heating or cooling a ...

Practical demonstration on setup and configuration of infrared detectors. In theory, the functioning of a pyroelectric detector is absolutely comprehensible. As the centrepiece in gas analysers, flame ...

What if atomic crystals could send pulse power to light up a room? Back in 314 B.C., a student of Socrates described bits of sawdust that gravitated to a stone thrown into a camp fire. What was an ...