The ultra-thin "polychromat", which measures 50mm wide by 10mm long and is cut with three micrometer-wide light-separating grooves, was made through a photolithography process but could be mass-produced using an inexpensive mould and stamped out as with a DVD.

“Currently, high-efficiency solar cells are very expensive because they have to be carefully manufactured in a complex environment and are only cost-effective for space or defense applications like the Mars Rover,” states Rajesh Menon, a scientist at the Utah Science Technology and Research (UStar) centre at the university.

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