Graphene Breakthrough — One Photon Can Be Converted Into Multiple Electrons

[OnlinePoker]

As a follow-up to this thread, http://www.democraticunderground.com/112737041

I found another article today. It sounds like the makings of a great solar system, one side generating the power, and one side storing it.

"A new discovery by researchers at the ICFO has revealed that graphene is even more efficient at converting light into electricity than previously known. Graphene is capable of converting a single photon of light into multiple electrons able to drive electric current. ..."

http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/25/graphene-breakthrough-one-photon-can-be-converted-into-multiple-electrons/

[MAD Dave]

1. Wow!

If this could commercialized we would be a long ways to carbon free energy.

[TheMadMonk]

3. Um, graphen is 100% carbon. /nt

[jeff47]

4. Yes, but we don't incinerate it for power. (nt)

[AtheistCrusader]

13. <rimshot>

[valerief]

2. If only this could make rich people richer, then we could have it for energy. nt

[Demo_Chris]

5. EVERYTHING makes rich people richer

That's what having wealth means. You OWN it.

[valerief]

6. Yes, but apparently gas and oil makes them richer than this would, so this is not an option.

Because making rich people richer is THE MOST important thing in the world. Young soldiers die and lose limbs to make rich people richer.

[pscot]

9. "gas and oil makes them richer than this would"

That's just a failure of imagination.

[GliderGuider]

10. It's making them rich more immediately than this would, though.

Don't forget about the role of discount functions in economic decision-making.

Or, "Don't discount the discount function."

[GliderGuider]

7. Maybe this will keep the human experiment running

At least, long enough to finish eating everything worth eating on the planet.

Does anyone know why we can't seem to stop? From today back through the beginning of the industrial age 200 years ago; through the discovery of agriculture 10,000 years ago; through the discovery of fire 250,000 years ago, through the development of language 500,000 years ago; back to the first time our ancestors gained an evolutionary advantage by starting to eat meat 3.5 million years ago. The march of human progress has been a steady curve of growth - rising slowly at first, then faster and faster as we gained access to higher quality energy sources and learned how to manipulate them to our advantage. Why has no human society in all that time ever said "Enough" - and lived to tell the tale?

[cprise]

22. *crickets chirping*

Your peanut gallery apparently don't pay much attention to this sort of post.

[GliderGuider]

23. Oh, I can't really blame them

It has a bit of a sour, shit-disturbing tone, after all. Nobody likes to be told their favourite technology in the whole world is part of the problem rather than part of the solution. It feels like I'm pissing in their Wheaties. I wouldn't answer a post like that either.

[FogerRox]

8. Direct conversion of Alphas to DC?

Sounds like Polywell Fusion might benefit hugely.

[Sirveri]

11. uhhhh... no. Photons aren't Alpha particles. The article only mentions photons.

Basically it is capable of adding kinetic energy to multiple electrons from a single source photon. Likely from a gas cloud amplification effect.

[FogerRox]

14. GAmma and X-rays are photons, alphas are far more energetic

[Sirveri]

15. uhhh... alphas aren't photons. They're ionized monatomic helium

solar works with photons, not alphas...

[FogerRox]

16. But will this tech work for Alphas?

Polywell fusion needs a electrostatic decelerator, to convert alphas to DC. If this works with the lower energy photon, might it work/converted with alphas?

[Sirveri]

18. no... because alpha radiation isn't photons...

[Sirveri]

12. I dislike the article headline.

It implies that the photon is directly converted into electrons, which is traditionally only done via pair production, and it requires a 2.12* MeV photon to complete the energy to mass conversion, which would then create an electron (e-) and a positron (e+). The only problem is that photons at that energy magnitude are typically only found sourced from active nuclear reactions and cosmic rays. Creating multiple electrons from such a reaction violates the rule of the conservation of charge and would require a massively charged photon since each electron takes a bit more than 1 MeV to create.

Should read that one photon can energize multiple electrons.

*Note, number is from memory, I know it's 2 and change, towards the low end.

[FogerRox]

17. Could this convert alphas to electricity?

I follow Polywell fusion, its planned to use the proton Boron11 fuel, which would end up releasing 3 He, something like this:




It is theorized that electrostatic grids could decelerate the Alphas, direct conversion to DC.

[Sirveri]

19. I've seen that before. I've not done any serious research on it.

It's theoretically possible. Currently the sci fi energy source of choice as of late has been Helium 3 fusion reactors. Most of my reactor design experience is conventional fission due to my background in nuclear operations.

[FogerRox]

20. Prtoton Born 11 on Earth, HE on the Moon

Question remains, can the process the OP describes convert alphas to DC?

[Sirveri]

21. No... It can't. photons aren't alpha.