clipped from www.technologyreview.com Nano solar: A cross section of a silicon nanowire that converts light into electricity. The image has been colored to highlight the functional layers of the device. Each layer is made of silicon modified with another material that gives it distinct electronic properties. The outer layer of silicon dioxide protects the active layers inside. When an electron inside the nanowire is freed by a photon, it leaves a positive “hole” behind it; the blue layer and the red core separate electrons from holes. The cells, each made from a single nanowire just 300 nanometers wide, could be useful for powering tiny sensors or robots for environmental monitoring or military applications. What’s more, the basic design of the solar cells could be useful in large-scale power production, potentially lowering the cost of generating electricity from the sun. “This paper provides the very first example of using a single silicon nanowire for harvesting solar energy,” says Zhong Lin Wang

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