Multichannel energy harvesting and conversion in a 3D graphene/silicon heterostructure

Today, photovoltaic systems, wind power, and nuclear energy provide a significant share of low-carbon electricity. Photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into electricity, wind turbines harness the power of the wind, and nuclear power plants rely on nuclear fission. However, all of these technologies have their limitations.

Power generation from solar panels and wind turbines depends on the time of day, weather conditions, and geographic location, making their operation unstable. Nuclear power faces safety concerns, long payback periods, and limited uranium reserves.

Against this backdrop, neutrinovoltaics technology, developed by scientists at the Neutrino Energy group led by mathematician Holger Thorsten Schubert, offers a new approach. It utilizes multi-channel energy harvesting in a graphene-silicon heterostructure. This technology could offer a solution to several fundamental problems associated with traditional energy sources:

• Overcoming intermittency (a problem with solar and wind energy). Unlike photovoltaic systems, which rely on sunlight, and wind turbines, which require airflow, the described structure is designed to collect multiple weak and constant energy sources: neutrinos, cosmic particles, the electromagnetic background (including radio and infrared radiation), and thermal vibrations of the grid. These environmental components are present 24/7, regardless of weather and geographic location, theoretically eliminating the problem of intermittency.

• No fuel and no fission risks (a problem with nuclear power). The technology is not based on nuclear reactions, does not use radioactive materials, and does not generate radioactive waste. Consequently, it does not face the challenges of the fuel cycle, spent fuel management, or the risk of radiation accidents.

• Zero carbon footprint and inexhaustibility of the resource. Since the energy source is background radiation and thermal fluctuations of the environment, rather than the combustion of fossil fuels, there are no CO₂ emissions. At the same time, the “resource” (background energy) is not depleted.

The year 2026 marked a significant milestone in the theoretical justification for generating electric current from invisible radiation. This year, significant advances were made in four key fields: particle physics, quantum materials, semiconductor nanotechnology, and nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Neutrinovoltaic technologies have created a closed scientific cycle, recognized by the global interdisciplinary community as a paradigm for fourth-generation distributed clean energy.

Neutrinovoltaic technology is fundamentally different from the traditional "single-particle detection" method. It relies on the Schubart formula, the coherent elastic scattering effect (CEνNS), thermoelectric decoupling based on a graphene Dirac liquid, and a multilayer nanoheterogeneous rectifier architecture. This enables the simultaneous capture of four types of background energy across the entire spectrum: neutrinos, cosmic muons, ambient electromagnetic radiation, and phonons from thermal lattice fluctuations. Thus, the technology provides all-weather, carbon-free, and continuous electricity generation without the use of fuel.

The operation of a neutrinovoltaic generator is independent of sunlight, wind, or temperature fluctuations. It can be installed underground, in deep-sea environments, in polar regions, and even in deep space. This solution completely eliminates the main problems associated with the instability and geographical limitations of traditional energy sources.

A common misconception in the scientific community is that neutrinovoltaic generators produce electricity solely from neutrinos. However, devices based on the Schubart formula can simultaneously capture four types of constant energy flows from the environment.

Multi-source superposition compensates for diurnal and regional variations of individual particles. Research at the Munich Quantum Center shows that multi-channel interaction increases the overall system efficiency by 18%. This confirms that a single energy source is incapable of reaching the power threshold required to solve engineering problems:

1. Solar and geological neutrinos (58%): uniformly distributed throughout the day, independent of sunlight or seasons. They are the primary stable energy source due to the CEνNS effect, which excites phonons in the lattice.

2. Cosmic muons (32%): high-energy secondary particles of cosmic origin that steadily fall to the Earth's surface. They release additional energy through ionization and Cherenkov radiation.

3. Global electromagnetic background radiation (10%): includes infrared radiation, terahertz noise, and radio interference. This energy is captured using the plasmonic resonance of graphene.

4. Lattice thermal fluctuation phonons: these are Brownian oscillations inherent in matter at room temperature. They are converted into electrical signals through a random resonance effect in open, nonequilibrium systems.

The key physical feature of neutrinovoltaic energy sources is the ability to simultaneously accept four types of energy, ensuring highly stable output voltage and power. This solution is an important innovation, distinguishing this device from single-particle detectors.

In 2026, a breakthrough in graphene research confirmed three key quantum properties: Dirac-like thermoelectric decoupling, microrotational topological domain walls, and a flat band structure of the orthorhombic ABC stacking. This will fill the most critical theoretical gap in neutrinovoltaic technology, providing physical decoupling of charge transport and thermal loss.

A neutrinovolt-based power generation unit is now available and capable of pilot scale production. It utilizes a 12-cycle heterojunction made of nanopiezoelectric materials based on graphene-doped silicon. These materials are fabricated using proven semiconductor technologies: atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and low-energy ion implantation. The interlayer spacing is precisely controlled in the range of 0.5–0.8 nm.

Each layer plays a specific role in energy conversion:

1. The current collector substrate (high-purity copper or aluminum foil) provides low ohmic contact with the graphene, dissipating the charge and preventing cracking of the interlayer boundaries.

2. The fractal graphene capture layer is created using laser-induced technology, which forms nanopores and wrinkles. This increases the neutrino scattering cross section and efficiently captures phonons generated by nuclear recoil.

3. The nanopiezoelectric transducer layer (a film of AlN/ZnO atoms) converts microscopic vibrations of the graphene into alternating charges. This completes the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy.

4. The N-type silicon rectifier layer creates an asymmetric Schottky barrier, filters out disordered signals, and produces a constant current.

Twelve layers is the optimal number for the experiment. Fewer layers yield insufficient output voltage, which does not meet standards. More layers increase phonon reflection losses, which reduces product quality.

Right: Holger Thorsten Schubart, President of the Neutrino Energy Group. Left: L.K. Rumyantsev, Deputy Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Neutrino Energy Group.

Conclusion

The presented study demonstrates a revolutionary approach to generating electrical energy based on the multichannel collection of various types of background energy in a 3D graphene/silicon heterostructure.

The key achievements of this technology lie in the creation of a fundamentally new energy source, free from the fundamental limitations of traditional generation methods.

The practical value of the developed neutrinovoltaic technology lies in the possibility of creating a distributed, fourth-generation clean energy system capable of operating in any environment: underground, in deep-sea zones, in polar regions, and even in space.

Prospects for development lie in further improvement of the heterostructure and scaling up the technology. Pilot generators based on a 12-cycle heterojunction are already available, paving the way for the practical application of this technology in the energy sector of the future.

Thus, the presented technology marks an important stage in the development of alternative energy and has all the prerequisites to become the basis for the creation of environmentally friendly and uninterruptible next-generation energy sources.

Authors: Holger Thorsten Schubart, PhD in Economics, President of the Neutrino Energy Group

L.K. Rumyantsev, PhD in Engineering, Deputy Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Neutrino Energy Group

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