This work reports the design of an efficient multiband UC system based on Ln³⁺/Yb³⁺-doped core-shell upconversion nanoparticles (Ln/Yb-UCNPs, Ln³⁺=Ho³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺). In the design, Ln³⁺ ions are incorporated into distinct layers of Ln/Yb-UCNPs to function as near-infrared (NIR) absorbers across different spectral ranges. This design achieves broad multiband absorption withtin the 1100 to 2200 nm range, with an aggregated bandwidth of approximately 500 nm. It can effectively extend the photovoltaic performance of silicon solar cells.

Kyoto, Japan -- Explosions in the sky and explosions on land are literally worlds apart. A supernova and a land mine explosion don't seem like they would have much in common. But at the fine level, their mechanisms are not so different: the so-called cell structure appears at the smallest scale, which provides the most important criterion in predicting the success or failure of terrestrial detonation in a land-mine explosion.

Terrestrial and astrophysical detonations are basically dictated by the same theories for their time-averaged characteristics. Terrestrial cell-based theories, however -- such as those that explain a land mine explosion -- have not yet been applied as criteria for astrophysical detonation.

Motivated by the potential of this theoretical analogy, an interdisciplinary research team of engineers and astrophysicists at Kyoto University recently joined together to better understand how type Ia supernovae explode.

In a recent study, Dr. Maria Koliou and other Texas A&M University researchers investigated the potential benefits of retrofitting older buildings to increase their resilience against earthquakes and other disasters, creating shorter recovery times for affected communities.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President: Dr. Lee Ho Seong) has developed equipment that monitors the quality of hydrogen fuel supplied to vehicles through hydrogen refuelling stations in real-time.