Sensing the infrared: Researchers improve infrared detectors using single-walled carbon nanotubes
Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - 10:02
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) -- Whether used in telescopes or optoelectronic communications, infrared detectors must be continuously cooled to avoid being overwhelmed by stray thermal radiation. Now, a team of researchers from Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Duke University (USA) is harnessing the remarkable properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to create highly sensitive, uncooled photovoltaic infrared detectors.