Defects in some new electronic materials can be removed by making ions move under illumination.
A sample of the mineral perovskite is shown in the foreground, while behind it is an image the researchers used to prove the effects of intense light on a thin film of perovskite. Fluorescence imaging shows that areas that received more light became more purified, as revealed by brighter fluorescence from those regions. Image: MIT News. Fluorescence image courtesy of the researchers.