This material has the potential to vastly improve the efficiencies of solar cells, or create window coatings that not only let in visible light and keep out heat, but also stop electronic eavesdropping by blocking electromagnetic signals.

There are a number of materials that are able to almost perfectly absorb various frequencies of light (such as Harvard's use of vanadium dioxide), but these are not normally suitable for everyday use because they are costly, bulky, or simply impractical. In addition, they are only applicable to a very select array of frequencies, further restricting their broader use. 

However, the UCSD researchers responsible for creating a new material that is thin, flexible and transparent to visible light claim it is a near-perfect broadband absorber that soaks up more than 87 percent of light at near-infrared frequencies (wavelengths of between 1,200 to 2,200 nanometers), while being flexible and thin. It also has a claimed 98 percent absorption at the wavelength primarily used for fiber optic communication, at around 1,550 nanometers. The material also absorbs light at any angle.