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Vol. 73, No. 11, June 18, 2021 Art connections 4 NM senators Pride Month 5 visit Sandia Mileposts 6 Page 9 Chemistry magic 11 World’s smallest, best acoustic amplifier emerges from 50-year-old hypothesis Acousto-electric devices reveal new road to miniaturizing wireless tech By Troy Rummler andia scientists have built the world’s smallest and best acous- S tic amplifier. And they did it using a concept that was all but abandoned for almost 50 years. According to a paper published last month in Nature Communications, the device is more than 10 times more AMPED UP — Scientists Matt Eichenfield, left, and Lisa Hackett led the Sandia team that created the — CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 world’s smallest and best acoustic amplifier. Photo by Bret Latter Labs join forces to set gold, platinum standards Research at extreme pressure at Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national labs by Neal Singer ike two superheroes joining forces, Sandia’s Z machine, generator of the world’s most powerful electrical pulses, L and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility, the planet’s most energetic laser source, in a series of 10 experiments have detailed the responses of gold and platinum at pressures so extreme that their atomic structures momentarily distorted like images in a funhouse mirror. READY, AIM, FIRE — Shown is the complete target assembly inside the Similar high-pressure changes induced in other settings have pro- Z machine for the high-pressure materials experiments coordinated with duced oddities like hydrogen appearing as a metallic fluid, helium researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The samples are in the form of rain and sodium a transparent metal. But until now invisible because they are covered by probes. Photo by Leo Molina — CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 SANDIA LAB NEWS | June 18, 2021 2 TABLE of CONTENTS 1 | World’s smallest, best acoustic amplifier emerges from Managed by NTESS LLC for the National Nuclear Security Administration 50-year-old hypothesis continued on page 9 Sandia National Laboratories 1 | Labs join forces to set gold, platinum standards continued on page 8 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1468 Livermore, California 94550-0969 2 | Sandia helps lead technical reference reports for Tonopah, Nevada | Nevada National Security Site photovoltaic community Amarillo, Texas | Carlsbad, New Mexico | Washington, D.C. 4 | Connecting with others through art Jim Danneskiold & Katherine Beherec, Editors 505-844-0587 Meagan Brace, Digital Editor 505-844-0499 5 | Pride Month: Angela Norris talks about asexual orientation Taylor Henry, Production 505-373-0775 Randy Montoya, Photographer 505-844-5605 6 | Mileposts Paul Rhien, California Site Contact 925-294-6452 CONTRIBUTORS 7 | Sandia gives awards, mentoring to local girls Michelle Fleming (milepost photos, 505-844-4902), Darrick Hurst (505-844-0587), Neal Singer (505-846-7078), 9 | Sandia plays host to New Mexico solons Stephanie Holinka (505-284-9227), Luke Frank (505-844-2020), Kristen Meub (505-845-7215), Michael Baker (505-284-1085), 11 | Fourth graders on virtual field trip witness magic of chemistry Troy Rummler (505-284-1056), Manette Fisher (505-844-1742), Valerie Alba (505-284-7879), Michael Langley (925-294-1482), Mollie Rappe (505-844-8220) LAB Notes Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed NEWS and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell Interna- EDITORʼS NOTE: We’ve stopped printing the Lab News, but will continue to publish every two weeks. We tional Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear want you to remain in our community of readers, so please send your comments and suggestions for stories Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525. or for improving the paper. Lab News welcomes guest columnists who wish to tell their own “Sandia story” Published on alternate Fridays by Internal, Digital or offer their observations on life at the Labs or on science and technology in the news. If you have a column and Executive Communications, MS 1468 (500-800 words) or an idea to submit, contact Lab News editor Jim Danneskiold at [email protected]. LAB NEWS ONLINE: sandia.gov/LabNews Sandia helps lead technical reference reports for photovoltaic community By Kelly Sullivan “provide support to market actors work- ing to improve the operation, the reliabil- andia researcher Joshua S. Stein ity and the quality of PV components and co-led work resulting in two recent systems,” according to the International S reports that aim to advance the Energy Agency. development of photovoltaics. Two-sided photovoltaic The International Energy Agency systems popular Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) reports focused on bifacial mod- “Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules ules and systems and the design of new and Systems: Experience and Results photovoltaic materials. from International Research and Pilot The reports, which were released this Applications,” examines the growing pop- spring, act as technical references on the ularity of bifacial photovoltaic cells, mod- state of the photovoltaics field and address ules and systems. the issues that are important to industry Recently, bifacial photovoltaics on sin- stakeholders, Joshua said. gle-axis trackers have become the solar “The bifacial report is the culmination technology with the lowest levelized of several years of work with an outstand- cost of energy in most parts of the world. ing group of researchers from around the New cell designs have replaced opaque, world,” Joshua said. monolithic back surface foil contacts — and allow light to reach the cell from the TWO OF A KIND Sandia researcher Joshua is a member of the agency pro- Joshua S. Stein co-led activities for two national gram’s group that focuses on photovolta- rear, resulting in bifacial solar cells with reports that focus on bifacial modules and systems ics performance and reliability and aims to rear side efficiencies from more than and the design of new photovoltaic materials. SANDIA LAB NEWS | June 18, 2021 3 60% to 90% of the front side. These cells can offer, and also reviews current efforts to Joshua was second author of the report, now come in several varieties and many ensure long module lifetimes.” after Gernot Oreski of the Polymer manufacturing lines have converted to The report provides a global survey Competence Center Leoben in Austria. A producing bifacial cells. from agency member countries of efforts total of 24 researchers and scientists from The study considered newly discov- to design new materials for photovoltaic around the world contributed. ered degradation issues specific to bifacial cell and module applications. Researchers More information is available at cells due to such causes as light and ele- organized the report by module component the PV Performance and Modeling vated temperatures, and rear side potential and included reviews “This report helps Collaborative about induced degradation, as well as new opti- of material innova- the IEA Photovoltaic stakeholders better mized bifacial systems and models. tions in front-sheets, Power Systems For example, the study evaluated the encapsulants, back- understand the Programme’s TASK state of the art of bifacial PV performance sheets, cell metalliza- opportunities for higher 13 reports, and more models. Researchers defined four hypo- tion and cell intercon- performance and lower is also available about thetical system designs and two designs nects. Included are cost that new materials the International based on field measurements. sections on the state can offer, and also reviews Energy Agency Then, necessary input parameters and of the art in photo- current efforts to ensure programs. weather files were provided to volunteers voltaic module mate- long module lifetimes.” Sandia also is from 13 different research and commercial rials, the functional co-sponsoring entities, each with their own bifacial PV requirements of each component and mate- the 15th Photovoltaic Performance performance model. The report described rials typically used to meet the require- Modeling Collaborative Workshop in each model in detail, with a range of ments; motivations for applying new mate- Salt Lake City, Utah, from Oct. 19-20. results, with some models unable to simu- rial solutions to PV modules; and a global Also sponsored by CFV Labs and late all the scenarios. The predicted gains survey of novel material solutions under GroundWork Renewables, the work- for some of the different bifacial systems development and testing for the next gen- shop will examine technical challenges and were as great as double, which showed the eration of modules. opportunities of photovoltaic systems. value of defining standard test cases to ver- ify and validate the models. The last section of this report provides a summary of 11 bifacial field test sites around the world, along with examples of field results. Many of these sites include a variety of bifacial test arrays with different orientations, designs and site conditions. This is Joshua and Christian Reise of Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg, Germany, why I got were the report’s lead co-authors. In total, 49 international scientists contributed to vaccinated. the publication, including Sandia research- ers Cameron Stark and Dan Riley. Examining the growing market for photovoltaics The second study, “Designing New Materials for Photovoltaics: Opportunities for Lowering Cost and Increasing Performance through Advanced Material Innovations,” examines the rapidly growing photovoltaic market, including the dramatic drop in module prices. “There is concern in the PV industry that falling module prices may result in lower quality and reliability issues,” said Joshua. “This report helps stakeholders better understand the opportunities for higher per- They’re safe. They keep you safe. They keep others safe. coronavirus.sandia.gov formance and lower cost that new materials SANDIA LAB NEWS | June 18, 2021 4 Connecting with others through art By Emily Rada ith in-person socialization on hold, many are seek- ing new ways to connect and have fun. Painting can W improve concentration, relieve stress, increase creativ- ity and be a meditative activity.