Measurement device paves way for nanowire power

摘要

TINY STRANDS of piezoelectric materials that produce a voltage when they are deformed are a potential way of powering sensors and other devices that are being created on a nanometer scale. The obstacle, though, is how to measure the energy generated when it is on the scale of fractions of an attojoule (10{sup}(-18) Joule). US scientists who have found a solution say it shows how nanowires could be used to produce power by harvesting mechanical energy from their surroundings.