How solar power limits can be broken?

 Solar power and its supposed limit could be crossed  

Scientists may have found a way to squeeze more energy out of sunlight than ever thought possible, breaking a long-standing “efficiency ceiling” in solar technology. A new “energy-multiplying” solar breakthrough could push efficiency beyond 100% and transform how we capture sunlight. Solar energy is widely seen as a key tool in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and slowing climate change. The Sun delivers a vast amount of energy to Earth every second, but today’s solar cells can only capture a small portion of it. This limitation comes from a so-called “physical ceiling” which has long been considered unavoidable. Scientists are now working on ways to capture more of this energy and turn it into electricity. A new study shows a surprising step forward which could make solar power much stronger in the future. Researchers from Kyushu University in Japan and Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz in Germany have created a new method to improve solar energy use. The team has demonstrated that it’s possible to get more usable energy from sunlight than earlier limits allowed. This idea could change how future solar panels work.

Researchers from Kyushu University in Japan, working with collaborators at Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz in Germany, introduced a new approach to overcome this barrier. They used a molybdenum-based metal complex known as a “spin-flip” emitter to capture extra energy through singlet fission (SF), often described as a “dream technology” for improving light conversion. This method achieved an energy conversion efficiency of about 130%, exceeding the traditional 100% limit and pointing toward more powerful future solar cells. Solar panels make electricity from sunlight, but the process is not very efficient. A lot of the sunlight that reaches a panel does not turn into useful energy. This happens because sunlight is not all the same. It comes in different energy levels, and solar panels cannot use all of them properly. Some types of light, like infrared light, carry very little energy. This energy is not enough to move electrons inside the panel, so it goes unused. Other types, like blue or ultraviolet light, carry more energy than needed. The extra energy does not get stored. Instead, it is lost as heat. Because of these limits, solar panels can use only about one-third of the sunlight they receive. The rest either passes through or gets wasted. 

Solar cells generate electricity when photons from sunlight strike a semiconductor and transfer their energy to electrons, setting them in motion and producing an electric current. This process can be visualized as a relay, where energy is passed along particle by particle. However, not all sunlight contributes equally. Low-energy infrared photons lack the power to excite electrons, while high-energy photons, such as blue light, lose excess energy as heat. Because of this imbalance, solar cells can only utilize roughly one-third of incoming sunlight. This restriction is known as the Shockley–Queisser limit and has posed a major challenge for decades. Scientists have known about this problem for a long time, and many studies have focused on finding ways to reduce this loss and improve efficiency. Scientists tested a special method called singlet fission. This method allows one particle of light to create more than one unit of energy. “We have two main strategies to break through this limit,” said Yoichi Sasaki, associate professor in the Department of Engineering at Kyushu University. “One is to convert lower-energy infrared photons into higher-energy visible photons. The other, what we explore here, is to use SF to generate two excitons from a single-exciton photon.” In simple terms, this method splits energy into two parts instead of one. This means one ray of light can do more work than before.

Solar panels work when tiny particles of light, called photons, hit a material and give energy to electrons. These electrons then move and create electric current. This process powers homes, devices and even large systems. Even though this sounds simple, energy loss happens along the way. The panel cannot fully use every photon. This is why improving efficiency has become one of the biggest goals in solar energy research. “The energy can be easily ‘stolen’ by a mechanism called Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) before multiplication occurs,” Sasaki explains. “We therefore needed an energy acceptor that selectively captures the multiplied triplet excitons after fission.” To solve this problem, the researchers turned to metal complexes, which can be precisely engineered at the molecular level. They identified a molybdenum-based “spin-flip” emitter that can effectively collect the energy produced during SF. In these molecules, an electron changes its spin during interactions with near-infrared light, allowing the system to absorb triplet energy efficiently. By carefully adjusting energy levels, the team reduced losses from FRET and enabled selective extraction of the multiplied excitons.

Even with this smart idea, scientists faced a big problem. The extra energy often escaped before it could be used. A process called FRET caused this loss. “The energy can be easily ‘stolen’ by a mechanism called Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) before multiplication occurs,” noted Sasaki. “We therefore needed an energy acceptor that selectively captures the multiplied triplet excitons after fission.” This meant scientists needed a better way to catch and store the extra energy quickly. “We have two main strategies to break through this limit,” says Yoichi Sasaki. “One is to convert lower-energy infrared photons into higher-energy visible photons. The other, what we explore here, is to use SF to generate two excitons from a single exciton photon.” Under typical conditions, one photon produces just one spin-singlet exciton after excitation. With SF, this single high-energy exciton can split into two lower-energy spin-triplet excitons, potentially doubling the usable energy. While materials like tetracene can support this process, efficiently capturing the resulting excitons has remained difficult. To solve this, the team designed a special molecule using a metal called molybdenum. This molecule acts like a catcher that grabs the extra energy before it escapes. It works by changing how electrons behave during the energy process. This helps the system hold on to the extra energy instead of losing it. When the scientists tested this system, the results were impressive. The setup reached about 130% efficiency. This does not mean energy is created from nothing. Instead, it means one light particle helped produce more usable energy than usual. “We could not have reached this point without the Heinze group from JGU Mainz,” said Sasaki. Engineering student Adrian Sauer played an important role by introducing a material which helped in making the experiment successful.

In practical terms, this means about 1.3 molybdenum-based metal complexes were activated for every photon absorbed, surpassing the conventional limit and demonstrating that more energy carriers were generated than incoming photons. This research is still in its early stages, but it has strong potential. Scientists now want to use this method in real solar panels, not just in lab experiments. If successful, future solar panels could become much more efficient. This could lower-energy costs and reduce pollution. The same idea could also help improve other technologies. Solar power already shapes the clean energy future. If this method translates beyond the lab, it could dramatically raise how much energy each panel delivers. The team plans to integrate the materials into solid-state systems to improve energy transfer and move closer to real-world solar cell applications. The findings may also inspire further work combining singlet fission with metal complexes, with potential uses not only in solar energy but also in LEDs and emerging quantum technologies.

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) Name

 

ALLAH Names

 

Development of quantum navigation technology

 UK tested World-first quantum navigation on national railway to replace GPS tracking systems

Britain’s railway has taken a major step in the development of quantum navigation technologies, with new systems designed to measure train position with extreme precision now being advanced for the national rail network. UK has just taken a giant step toward the future of train navigation after becoming the first country in the world to test a prototype quantum navigation system on a mainline train. The Railway Quantum Inertial Navigation System (RQINS) was trialed on a Great Northern train commuting between London and Welwyn Garden City. The trial was led by Great British Railways (GBR), a state-owned body overseeing the UK rail network. The new approach relies on ultra-sensitive quantum sensors to determine a train’s exact position. It aims to provide precise positioning and reduce reliance on satellite GPS in areas like tunnels or dense urban environments. Quantum inertial navigation uses ultra-sensitive sensors capable of detecting minute changes in motion and rotation. Unlike satellite-based navigation systems, it does not rely on external signals, meaning it could provide highly resilient positioning even in environments where satellite signals are unavailable, including tunnels, dense infrastructure or areas affected by interference.

“For more than two centuries Britain’s railway has forged technologies that have shaped the modern world,” Lord Peter Hendy, UK’s Minister of State for Transport, said. “The development of quantum inertial navigation continues that legacy.” The technology is being developed as a potential future alternative to fixed trackside positioning infrastructure, which can be costly to install and maintain and are vulnerable to environmental disruption or equipment failures. Once developed, quantum will enable a lower cost, more reliable, more resilient system. As part of this development programme, a Rail Quantum Inertial Navigation System (RQINS) has now been tested on a mainline railway for the first time anywhere in the world. The system was carried on a Great Northern train operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), providing real-world data to help understand how quantum positioning technologies perform within the operational environment of a national railway network to inform its development. During the trial, the team collected real-world data to evaluate how quantum positioning performs in a live national rail network.

Henry said that once developed, quantum systems could offer a lower-cost, more reliable and more resilient solution. Hendy added that the project is part of plans to modernize track and trains under Great British Railways. “With these new capabilities, we’re preventing equipment failures, helping to boost our railway’s reliability and keeping passengers moving,” he pointed out. This milestone builds on work undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and on Transport for London’s network and represents the next step in developing quantum sensing technologies for use on heavy rail. The development programme is being progressed through a specialist consortium led by MoniRail, working with Imperial College London, the University of Sussex, QinetiQ, PA Consulting and the National Physical Laboratory, with support from Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). In contrast to satellite-based navigation systems like GPS, the technology doesn’t use external signals. This means it could provide highly resilient positioning even in environments where satellite signals are unavailable.

Network Rail, which owns and runs most of the UK’s railway infrastructure, stated that the system detects tiny changes in motion and rotation to continuously track movement. The technology is being developed as an alternative to fixed trackside positioning infrastructure. Such systems can be expensive to install and maintain. It is also vulnerable to environmental disruption or equipment failure. This development is convened by GBRX, the strategic innovation and technology body for Great British Railways, to accelerate the adoption of strategic technologies that improve the railway for passengers and freight. Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy, said: “For more than two centuries Britain’s railway has forged technologies that have shaped the modern world. The development of quantum inertial navigation continues that legacy. With these new capabilities, we're preventing equipment failures, helping to boost our railway's reliability and keeping passengers moving. It's all part of our plan to modernise track and train under Great British Railways, adopting world-leading technology that increases resilience to improve passenger experience while supporting jobs, growth and homes.”

The trial builds on previous work carried out by the UK’s Ministry of Defense, and tests conducted on Transport for London networks. A specialist consortium led by MoniRail is driving the development. The program is backed by Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Meanwhile, Great British Railways’ innovation unit GBRX is coordinating the effort to speed up deployment of new rail technologies. Toufic Machnouk, GBRX managing director noted testing new technologies within the complexity of a live rail network is key to turning frontier innovations into real operational capability. Quantum sensing is one of the UK Government’s frontier technological priorities. “Railways, as one of the country’s most complex operational systems, provide a powerful platform for developing and scaling these capabilities for rail and beyond,” Machnouk added. Developing new technologies within the complexity of a railway network is essential to understanding how frontier technologies can be translated into operational capability. 

Though still in progress, the technology could enable a more resilient rail system. “This test represents an early, but important step in that development journey and demonstrates how collaboration between government, academia and industry can accelerate the development of frontier technologies,” Machnouk concluded. This programme begins the process of understanding how quantum positioning could fundamentally reshape how railways work. In the future, it could reduce reliance on costly trackside positioning systems while enabling new capabilities for signalling, improved operational performance, network planning, enhanced condition monitoring and more intelligent railway operations. This test represents an early but important step in that development journey and demonstrates how collaboration between government, academia and industry can accelerate the development of frontier technologies.

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) Name