A collaborative research team led by the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new “sandwiched” MoOx/Ag/MoOx (MAM) buffer layer to improve the performance and scalability of semi-transparent CsPbI₃/TOPCon tandem solar cells. The MAM buffer layer enhances light transmittance and charge carrier transport while effectively protecting underlying layers from sputtering damage. This innovation enabled semi-transparent CsPbI₃ solar cells to achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.86% (0.50 cm²) and corresponding 4-T CsPbI₃/TOPCon tandem cells to reach 26.55% PCE. Significantly, the technology was successfully scaled to larger-area minimodules, achieving 16.67% and 26.41% PCE for CsPbI₃ and 4-T tandem minimodules (6.62 cm²), respectively—marking the first reported minimodule demonstration for this architecture. This work provides a scalable and efficient buffer layer strategy, paving the way for next-generation, high-efficiency perovskite-based photovoltaic systems.

Micro display is one of the important components of AR glasses. Micro-QLED is emerging as promising AR display technology due to its wide luminance range, facile fabrication of high-resolution and full-color patterns. Scientist from Beijing Institute of Technology reported the fabrication of color-converted Micro-QLED which provides a simple and low-cost route to achieve full-color micro display.

Scientists in China have developed a vertical integrated photonic chip that achieves high-throughput optical computing at 25 million frames per second. Leveraging mutually incoherent vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array and diffractive neural networks, the chip performs single-shot images processing with high energy efficiency and robustness. This breakthrough opens a pathway to next-generation free-space optical processors for real-time vision, AI acceleration, and low-power computing.

A team of scientists from Khalifa University has identified a new form of carbon material that could revolutionize energy storage for electric vehicles and portable electronics. Their study, published in Carbon Research, reveals that a two‑dimensional compound called biphenylene oxide can store nearly five times more energy than graphite, the main material used in most lithium‑ion batteries today.

Penn Engineers have developed a mathematical “Rosetta Stone” that translates atomic and molecular movements into predictions of larger-scale effects, like proteins unfolding and crystals forming, without the need for costly, time-consuming simulations or experiments. That could make it easier to design smarter medicines, semiconductors and more.

Study in PNAS Nexus reveals how chemical networks can mimic nervous systems to power movement in soft materials.

University of Texas at Dallas researchers are developing a material to protect spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) from harsh environments that can damage vehicles in space, such as satellites, shortening their lifespans.

The research project is supported by a two-year, $1 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).