Performance of lithium-ion batteries, like those used in mobile electronic devices, receives a jolt from nanosecond pulsed laser annealing (symbolic image). A new North Carolina State University study, performed in collaboration with battery testing researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, shows that extremely short pulses from a high-powered laser can cause tiny defects in lithium-ion battery materials – defects that can enhance battery performance. The technique, called nanosecond pulsed laser annealing, lasts for only 100 nanoseconds and is generated by the same type of laser used in modern-day eye surgeries. Researchers tested the technique on graphite, a material widely used in lithium-ion battery anodes, or positive electrodes. Narayan pioneered the use of lasers to create and manipulate defects in semiconductors in work spanning more than four decades.
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