WASHINGTON DC: In a breakthrough discovery, scientists have revealed a new method which could lead to cheap, efficient metal-based solar cells.

Scientists from Rice’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics described a new method that solar-panel designers could use to incorporate light-capturing nanomaterials into future designs.

Bob Zheng, a graduate student and postdoctoral research associate Alejandro Manjavacas created a methodology that solar engineers could use to determine the electricity-producing potential for any arrangement of metallic nanoparticles.