A new way has been uncovered to measure the conductivity of electronic components at optical frequencies for high-speed, nanoscale device components ultimately as small as a single molecule.

A transparent electrode with high electrical conductivity has been developed for solar cells and other optoelectronic components — that uses minimal amounts of material. It consists of a random network of silver nanowires that is coated with aluminium-doped zinc oxide. The novel electrode requires about 70 times less silver than conventional silver grid electrodes, but possesses comparable electrical conductivity.