Laser light coherence offers a consistent approach

Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a new approach to applying thermodynamics to microscopic quantum systems.


In 1798, the officer and physicist Benjamin Thompson (a.k.a. Count Rumford) observed the drilling of cannon barrels in Munich and concluded that heat is not a substance but can be created in unlimited amounts by mechanical friction.


Rumford determined the amount of heat generated by immersing the cannon barrels in water and measuring how long it took the water to reach boiling. Based on such experiments, thermodynamics was developed in the 19th century. Initially, it was at the service of the Industrial Revolution and explained, physically, for instance, how heat can be efficiently converted into useful work in steam engines.

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Scientists found a new way to turn sunlight into fuel

As with natural photosynthesis, the new molecule temporarily stores two positive and two negative charges. 

Credit: Deyanira Geisnæs Schaad

A research team from the University of Basel, Switzerland, has developed a new molecule modeled on plant photosynthesis: under the influence of light, it stores two positive and two negative charges at the same time. The aim is to convert sunlight into carbon-neutral fuels.


Plants use the energy of sunlight to convert CO2 into energy-rich sugar molecules. This process is called photosynthesis and is the foundation of virtually all life: animals and humans can "burn" the carbohydrates produced in this way again and use the energy stored within them. This once more produces carbon dioxide, closing the cycle.

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