International summer school Quantsol conveys basics of photovoltaics and solar energy conversion
For the sixth year in a row, future solar researchers are invited to attend the HZB’s International Summer School on Photovoltaics and New Concepts of Quantum Solar Energy Conversion – Quantsol. The summer school program is scheduled for September 8th through the 15th in Hirschegg, Austria, and has been organized jointly by the Helmholtz Centre Berlin and Ilmenau Technical University. All interested parties are welcome to apply before May 26, 2013.
“Over the last few years, Quantsol has established itself as a definite must for future solar researchers,” says HZB’s Prof. Dr. Klaus Lips. “The program’s intended audi-ence includes master's students in their last year of study, Ph.D. students, and post-docs and is an excellent introduction to pertinent photovoltaic topics.”
Experts from leading international research institutes and universities will be presenting the processes underlying the conversion of solar energy into chemical and electrical energy. At the same time, they are also addressing their technical application potential. Yet another focus is on different types of materials for photovoltaics. The researchers will also be presenting special analytic tools for characterizing solar cells and discuss them in-depth with participants.
All who are interested are encouraged to register for the Quantsol summer school program no later than May 26, 2013. Additional information about the program and the registration process can be found on the school's homepage.
- New HZB magazine "Lichtblick" has been publishedIn the new issue, we introduce our new commercial managing director. We also show how important exchange is to us: science thrives on fruitful exchange with others. But dialogue with the public is also very important to us. Art can also create enriching access to science and build bridges. All these topics are covered in the new issue of Lichtblick.
- Porous Radical Organic framework improves lithium-sulphur batteriesA team led by Prof. Yan Lu, HZB, and Prof. Arne Thomas, Technical University of Berlin, has developed a material that enhances the capacity and stability of lithium-sulphur batteries. The material is based on polymers that form a framework with open pores (known as radical-cationic covalent organic frameworks or COFs). Catalytically accelerated reactions take place in these pores, firmly trapping polysulphides, which would shorten the battery life. Some of the experimental analyses were conducted at the BAMline at BESSY II.
- Shedding light on insulators: how light pulses unfreeze electronsMetal oxides are abundant in nature and central to technologies such as photocatalysis and photovoltaics. Yet, many suffer from poor electrical conduction, caused by strong repulsion between electrons in neighboring metal atoms. Researchers at HZB and partner institutions have shown that light pulses can temporarily weaken these repulsive forces, lowering the energy required for electrons mobility, inducing a metal-like behavior. This discovery offers a new way to manipulate material properties with light, with high potential to more efficient light-based devices.