Date:10/12/16

New smart windows regulate light and act as solar panels

Every day the number of smart devices is growing. Even some 3-4 years ago “smart” watches were seen as something exotic, and now they are almost every second. “Smart” is getting around, from kettles to vacuum cleaners and light bulbs and became regular home windows, however, this process developed in parallel in two ways: on the one hand, the experts were given the window function of the regulation of the transparency and screen to display information, on the other hand, using windows as solar panels made the glass very dark. But recently a group of scientists under the leadership of Jeremy Monda managed to combine together both of these technologies.
 
Windows, so to speak, of the new generation have a fairly complex structure of three layers. Extreme layers are composed of amorphous silicon, which is the main material used in the production of solar panels. Each of the layers has a thickness of 13 nanometers. Between the layers of amorphous silicon is a layer with liquid crystals, which in the “normal” state diffuse light and do not allow it to pass inside, thus making the window opaque . When “on” the crystals change their orientation in space and make the window transparent. All of this difficult arranged structure is placed between two layers of ordinary window glass.
 
Electric energy generated by the layers of amorphous silicon is used to maintain the crystals in the “on” state, but when the opaque crystal is inactive, the energy is redirected in a special charger that can be used for work window, and for charging of smartphones, laptops and other gadgets. 

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