Scientists develop thin, flexible material that can absorb light to keep buildings and cars cool

For those times of scorching heat, scientists have developed a thin, flexible, lightweight material that can easily block thermal detection and absorb light to keep buildings and cars cool.

The material owing to its qualities has been named by the scientists as a near perfect broadband absorber.

It absorbs more than 87 per cent of near-infrared light (1,200 to 2,200 nanometre wavelengths), with 98 per cent absorption at 1,550 nanometres, the wavelength for fiber optic communication. The material is capable of absorbing light from every angle.

However, there are materials available that can absorb light but they are bulky and can break when bent. They also cannot be controlled to absorb only a selected range of wavelengths, which is a disadvantage for certain applications.

This flexible, thin material called broadband absorber has been developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego in the US.

This material is selective in absorbing light and also can be tuned to distinct parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

With PTI Inputs