Diodes are large scale representations of dipole molecules. PN junctions when properly doped and shielded contain small electrical charges, somewhat evenly spread (+/i) depending on the sili/germanium used. When not shielded (eg: LED's) and without an induced current a diode acts as a very small solar conductor. Although without a better voltage loader and photoelectric conductor the diode will never be a viable photovoltaic emf.
Enter the KDP (potassium dihydrogen phosphate) crystal. Crystals have long been known to be electrically unstable cations. They drop or gain electrons with the slightest amount of motive force. Vibrating a crystal at below 1 megahertz will persist a very constant electric charge and capturing this charge through a conductor can generate a very low current. Up until the last five years it wasn't a very viable method of generating emf for general use but all that changed with the introduction of NIF.
NIF (National Ignition Facility) in California is an institute that was set up to engage in the physics behind stable fusion. One of the necessary components behind the scenes at NIF to enable fusion using lasers was to have a cheap, ready suppy of KDP. As a side process the teams at NIF created a process for the "quick growth" of very large KDP crystals. Crystals that previously required a year or more to grow are now attainable after only a few months.
These KDP crystals also happen to be electrically unstable!
It's amazing what parallel processing will get you.
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