A recent breakthrough in photon upconversion could reshape solar energy, medical treatment and 3D printing.
Researchers at UNSW Sydney have developed a nanoscale device capable of converting low-energy infrared and red light into higher-energy visible light.
This is an advance that could one day improve solar panels, medical therapies, sensing technologies and next-generation manufacturing systems.
The findings, published in Nature Photonics, address a longstanding challenge in photonics: how to prevent energy from being lost before it can be used.
The process, known as photon upconversion, has historically been difficult to achieve efficiently in solid, thin-film materials, where managing light absorption and minimising energy loss are both critical and competing demands.
The UNSW team’s device achieved photon conversion efficiencies of 8.2 per cent, placing it among the strongest results reported for this type of architecture.
“This work demonstrates a big step forward,” said study lead author Dr Thilini Ishwara, a researcher at UNSW Sydney.
“Achieving high efficiencies in films is difficult in these ultrathin molecular systems — good light absorption is needed, and energy loss needs to be minimised.”
One of the most immediate potential applications is in solar energy.
Conventional silicon solar cells are largely blind to infrared light, which makes up a substantial portion of the solar spectrum.
That energy passes through the cells unused.
By converting some of that infrared light into visible wavelengths before it reaches the cell, the new technology could help recover energy that is currently wasted, improving the overall performance of solar panels without requiring a fundamental redesign of existing infrastructure.
Beyond solar, the researchers believe their approach may prove valuable across a broad range of industries.
Applications include infrared sensing, photocatalysis, optical communications and advanced additive manufacturing, in particular, volumetric 3D printing, which uses light to cure material in three dimensions simultaneously.
Medical applications are also on the horizon.
Infrared light penetrates human tissue more deeply than visible light, making it an attractive candidate for therapies that need to reach tumours or target internal structures without surgery.
The ability to harness and redirect that light at a nanoscale level could enable more precise and less invasive treatment options.
A key advantage of the UNSW device is its compatibility with existing semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Unlike earlier upconversion technologies that relied on liquid-based systems, which are impractical for most commercial applications, the new device operates in a solid-state structure, bringing it significantly closer to real-world deployment.
“We are keen to commercialise our technology,” said Dr Ishwara.
“It could be used for a range of techniques such as tumour treatment with deeper tissue penetration, cheap water purification, night vision, and 3D printing.”
The research represents a convergence of materials science, photonics and engineering, and positions UNSW at the forefront of efforts to make light-harvesting technologies more efficient and commercially viable.
While the path from laboratory breakthrough to widespread adoption involves further development, the results offer a compelling proof of concept for a technology with the potential to touch nearly every corner of the energy and manufacturing landscape.
