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Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:

From Phys.org, copied from EPFL:

Graphene is the stuff of science fiction: the strongest material known, it also has exceptional – if not exotic – electrical properties, and possibly even beyond that. As for perovskites, their ability to convert light into electrical current has firmly placed them among the best materials for efficient solar panels.

To create such sensitive systems, Bonvin first developed a method to grow perovskite from a solution into thin nanowires directly on top of graphene sheets. This step is crucial, as the light sensitivity of the devices depends on the way the nanowires are structured; the architecture is the key to optimal photodetection.

Nonetheless, doing this is a challenge. In developing his own method, Bonvin drew from the lab's expertise in microfabrication of nanowires. The process involved high-precision machines and a lot of trial-and-error, but in the end, Bonvin saw his graphene-perovskite nanowires growing in beautiful straight lines. "The growth method is controllable, reproducible, cheap and scalable," he says excitedly. "It is ideal for large-scale processing."

Such ultra-sensitive photodetectors have multiple applications. These include night-vision systems, CT scanners, detectors used in particle accelerator experiments and even light-based quantum computing systems, which require detection of single photons. "I think our detectors can actually achieve that," says Bonvin.

Even more exotically, the detectors can be used in space telescopes, which detect weak signals from distant galaxies across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

Original Submission