Transforming Bismuth Oxide in a Flash (IMAGE)
Caption
The same material, two crystal forms. Bismuth oxide films on coated glass, photographed before and after treatment with an ultra-fast flash of light. Left: the material in its common, stable form, which appears pale grey. Right: the same material after a flash lasting a fraction of a millisecond has rearranged its atoms into a different crystal structure, turning it bright yellow. The yellow form absorbs more visible light and generates substantially more electrical current from it. Each sample measures 13 by 13 millimetres, roughly the size of a fingernail.
Credit
Shahar Artzi, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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