(Press-News.org) Halide perovskites – already a focus of major research into efficient, low-cost solar cells – have been shown to handle light faster than most semiconductors on the market.
The paper, published in Nature Nanotechnology, reports quantum transients on the scale of ~2 picoseconds at low temperature in bulk formamidinium lead iodide films grown by scalable solution or vapour methods. That ultrafast timescale indicates use in very fast light sources and other photonic components. Crucially, these effects appear in films made by scalable processing rather than specialised growth in lab-settings – suggesting a practical and affordable route to explore ultrafast quantum technology.
“Perovskites continue to surprise us,” said Professor Sam Stranks, who led the study. “This discovery shows how their intriguing nanoscale structure gives rise to intrinsic quantum properties that could be harnessed for future photonic technologies.”
Joint first authors in Prof Stranks’ Optoelectronic Materials and Device Spectroscopy Group, post-doctoral researcher Dr Dengyang Guo and PhD student Tom Selby, combined ultrafast spectroscopy with optical and electron microscopy to pinpoint the origin of the effect. The team attribute the rapid emission to quantum tunnelling in ordered nanodomain superlattices – alternating structural domains within the material that create the conditions for very fast radiative recombination.
Dr Guo said: “Seeing these ultrafast effects in scalable films is exciting. It shows perovskites have even more to offer than we realised, beyond solar cell optimisation.”
Selby added: “Being able to trace the emission back to the structure has been an eye-opener – it is really exciting to consider the potential of what this research could lead to.”
The study emphasises both opportunity and caution. The ultrafast transients point to potential applications – ultrafast emitters or increased accuracy in measurements for example. But the measurements were carried out at low temperature, and the paper does not report room-temperature performance or quantum-optics metrics such as single-photon purity or indistinguishability. It does, however, further demonstrate the multi-use potential of halide perovskites.
END
Perovskites reveal ultrafast quantum light in new study
2025-10-29
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New clues on how physical forces spread in neurons
2025-10-29
How do embryos develop? Why does the cortex of the mammalian brain fold? How do we feel touch at our fingertips? These and other fundamental biological questions remain unsolved. Yet, scientists know they all rely on a common principle: the conversion of a physical stimulus into a biochemical signal.
The field of mechanobiology has recently gained new insights into which physical signals travel across cells and how far they spread. One key finding is that the rheological properties of the cell membrane (how it deforms and flows under stress) play a key role ...
Heart ‘blueprint’ reveals origins of defects and insights into fetal development
2025-10-29
New research in Sweden has produced a “blueprint” revealing how the human heart is built during prenatal development. It offers insights that could lead to improved prenatal care and new treatments for heart defects, such as holes between heart chambers or deformities of the heart valves.
Publishing in Nature Genetics, a research team led by the department of Gene Technology at KTH Royal Institute of Technology published a detailed map of the developing human heart, showing how different groups of cells are arranged and how ...
Some acute and chronic viral infections may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease
2025-10-29
Research Highlights:
A review of 155 scientific studies found influenza and COVID infections raised the risk of heart attack or stroke as much as three-to five-fold in the weeks following the initial infection.
Viruses that linger in the body, such as HIV, hepatitis C and varicella zoster virus (the virus that causes shingles), can lead to long-term elevations in the risk of cardiovascular events.
The study researchers say preventive measures, including vaccination, may play an important role in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, especially in people who already have heart disease or heart disease risk factors.
Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, ...
Flavanols in cocoa can protect blood vessel function following uninterrupted sitting - study
2025-10-29
New research from the University of Birmingham shows that eating flavanol-rich foods—like tea, berries, apples, and cocoa—can protect vascular health in men from the harmful effects of prolonged sitting.
Sedentary behaviour is prevalent in modern societies; it is estimated that young adults sit for approximately six hours a day, but sitting for long periods induces declines in vascular function.
Previous studies have shown that a 1% reduction in vascular function, as measured by brachial Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), which measures the elasticity of the arteries, leads to a 13% increased risk of cardiovascular ...
$100 Million gift will advance UCSF’s dementia research and care
2025-10-29
UC San Francisco today announced a $100 million gift to its renowned Memory and Aging Center (MAC). It is the first gift to name a UCSF division, which will now be the Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center.
“We applaud the Edward Fein Charitable Trust for their visionary support of the Fein MAC; this will accelerate the pace of research, education, and care for people with dementia,” said UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS. “There is a growing recognition that neurodegenerative diseases ...
The 4th Japan-India Universities Forum on 15 November
2025-10-29
The year 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the formalisation of the India-Japan Science and Technology Cooperation and has been designated as the India-Japan Year of Science, Technology and Innovation Exchange. This celebratory year is expected to promote mutually complementary cooperations that maximise both countries’ strengths in the fields of advanced technology and innovation, while accelerating the co-creation of new value.
To sustain and accelerate the momentum of Japan-India collaborations cultivated by past forums, the 4th Forum will explore ways to further strengthen cooperative initiatives in ...
Arctic town Kiruna is colder after the move
2025-10-29
When mining forced Kiruna to relocate, the city planners took the opportunity to modernise. But with a large square, city streets and tall buildings located in a depression, residents have already begun to complain about the “new” city, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg. Kiruna has become colder.
What is important to consider when building a city in an Arctic climate? Building in a location with elongated hours of sunshine and protected from cold winds when placing buildings and streets. These principles have given way to other considerations, it seems, when designing the new ...
Mayo Clinic study finds majority of midlife women with menopause symptoms do not seek care
2025-10-29
ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new study from Mayo Clinic underscores the widespread impact of menopause symptoms on midlife women — and raises concern that most are navigating this stage of life without medical care to help manage those challenges.
The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, was based on responses from nearly 5,000 women ages 45-60 who were surveyed across four Mayo Clinic primary care locations. More than 3 out of 4 respondents experienced menopause symptoms, with many reporting substantial effects on daily life, work productivity ...
Underwater robot ‘Lassie’ discovers remarkable icefish nests during search for Shackleton’s lost ship off Antarctica
2025-10-29
In a remote part of Antarctica's Western Weddell Sea, an area once hidden beneath a 200-metre-thick ice shelf, scientists have uncovered a new and unusual phenomena: extensive maintained fish nesting grounds arranged in patterns.
When the A68 iceberg, measuring 5,800 square kilometres, calved from Larsen C Ice Shelf in 2017, it opened new access for research. A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) exploring the seafloor revealed more than 1,000 circular nests, each cleared of the layer of plankton detritus that blanketed ...
Wearable robots you can wear like clothes: automatic weaving of “fabric muscle” brings commercialization closer
2025-10-29
The commercialization of clothing-type wearable robots has taken a significant step forward with the development of equipment that can continuously and automatically weave ultra-thin shape memory alloy coil yarn—thinner than a human hair—into lightweight and flexible “fabric muscle” suitable for large-scale production.
The Advanced Robotics Research Center at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM, President Seog-Hyeon Ryu), under the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST, Chairman Young-Shik Kim), led by Principal ...