Mighty crystals

Heated lattice tungsten filaments can emit more energy than solid tungsten filaments-a discovery that could meet the increasing power demand in advanced electrical applications such as hybrid electric cars-says an analysis by Technical Insights (www.technical-insights.frost.com). With crystalline regularity, tungsten lattices are capable of bending light without losing any energy, exhibiting a conversion efficiency of 34% and electrical power density of about 14 W/cm² when heated to 1,250 centigrade. Thanks to computer chip production technology, they can now be mass-fabricated.