THIRUVANTHAPURAM: Researchers at the University of Kerala have devised a smart, self-powered device that detects the presence of different colours of light and responds accordingly. The ‘intelligent’ photodetector could have wide ranging applications as a photo sensor in various fields, including in space science and also in enhancing the quality of photographic images.
The findings of the research by R Jayakrishnan, who heads University of Kerala’s Photovoltaic Research Laboratory, and his student Jishad A Salam have been published in the reputed ‘Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices.’ Researchers Akhil M Anand, Aruna Raj and Adithya Nath R were also part of the study.
The device uses indium sulfide that has been subjected to spray pyrolysis to achieve the desired results. Way back in 2007, Jayakrishnan had detected different current conduction channels in indium sulfide and also found that they are sensitive to the colour of incident light.
“Now 17 years later, we have come up with the discovery that there is a method by which this sensitivity to different colours can be tuned according to the needs of specific applications,” Jayakrishnan told TNIE.
The prototype developed by the team does not need any battery to power it as it uses the incident light itself to power up, making it very useful for space-age applications. Besides, the prototype is thin film-based, making it a light-weight device.
It has achieved an atom economy by applying the green chemistry principle to reduce pollution at source.
“As a sensor, the device can be used in cameras to enhance the quality of images as it responds effectively to different levels of light. This can ensure high resolution pictures,” Jayakrishnan said.