Related papers: Hot Carrier Solar Cells : In the Making ?
The ideal solar cell conversion efficiency limit known as the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit, which is based on a detailed balance between absorption and radiation, has long been a target for solar cell researchers. While the theory for this…
A theoretical model using electron-phonon scattering rate equations is developed for assessing carrier thermalization under steady-state conditions in two-dimensional systems. The model is applied to investigate the hot carrier effect in…
Among several solutions to exploit solar energy, thermophotovoltaics (TPV) have been popularized and have known great breakthroughs during the past two decades. Yet, existing systems still have low efficiencies since the wavelength range of…
The selfconsistent model for the temperature dependence of photoconversion efficiency $\eta$ for highly efficient silicon solar cells (SCs) is developed. It is demonstrated that effect of the efficiency decrease due to increasing…
We consider the setting of a sensor that consists of a speed-scalable processor, a battery, and a solar cell that harvests energy from its environment at a time-invariant recharge rate. The processor must process a collection of jobs of…
An isolated single-junction solar cell's temperature in outer space depends only on its radiation exchange with its environment. We consider a cell with zero emissivity below its bandgap and unity above it -- an idealization so far…
Nanowire arrays exhibit efficient light coupling and strong light trapping, making them well suited to solar cell applications. The processes that contribute to their absorption are interrelated and highly dispersive, so the only current…
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC), built upon organic/inorganic hybrid materials, are promising third generation solar cells, which attract wide attentions due to their low-cost, flexibility and environment-friendly properties. We review…
Spectrally selective solar absorbers (SSAs), harvesting sunlight into heat, are the key to the concentrated solar thermal systems. Current SSAs' designs using photonic crystals, metamaterials, or cermets are either cost-inefficient or have…
We propose a concentrated thermionic emission solar cell design, which demonstrates a high solar-to-electricity energy conversion efficiency larger than 10\% under 600 sun, by harnessing the exceptional electrical, thermal and radiative…
The promise of any small improvement in the performance of light-harvesting devices, is sufficient to drive enormous experimental efforts. However these efforts are almost exclusively focused on enhancing the power conversion efficiency…
The challenge in solar energy today is not the cost of photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation, already competing with fossil fuel prices, but rather utility-scale energy storage and flexibility in supply. Low-cost thermal energy storage…
Thin-film solar cells that are considered as the second generation of solar cells are known for their low cost and acceptable efficiency. In this technology, semiconductor layers with a thickness of micrometer are deposited on thick enough…
Selenium, the world's oldest photovoltaic material, has experienced a renaissance in research over the past decade, with certified solar cell efficiencies climbing from the historical record of 5% to breaking the 10% barrier. Its wide…
Producing useful electrical work in consuming chemical energy, the fuel cell have to reject heat to its surrounding. However, as it occurs for any other type of engine, this thermal energy cannot be exchanged in an isothermal way in finite…
Wearable electronics and smart textiles are growing fields in the cause to integrate modern communication and computing tools into clothing instead of carrying around smart phones and tablets. Naturally, this also requires power sources to…
Solar cell thermal recovery is recently attracting more and more attention in the research community as a viable solution to increase photovoltaic efficiency. However the convenience of the implementation of such strategy is bound to the…
Solar energy is the most convenient and reliable energy source among all renewable energy resources and an efficient photovoltaic device is required to convert this energy into utilizable energy. Different types of solar cells (SC) are…
The ability to absorb light is indispensable for high efficient solar power generation. This places conflicting requirements on the structure of a solar cell: On one hand, it needs to have thick active layers to absorb more of the available…
Understanding the maximal enhancement of solar absorption in semiconductor materials by light trapping promises the development of affordable solar cells. However, the conventional Lambertian limit is only valid for idealized material…