Related papers: Optical Refrigeration for Ultra-Efficient Photovol…
It is thought that nature already exploits quantum mechanical properties to increase the efficiency of solar energy harvesting devices. So, the operation of these devices can be enhanced by clever design of a nanoscopic, quantum mechanical…
A simple thermodynamic argument related to a (weakly absorbing) finite dielectric slab illuminated by sunlight- originally suggested by Yablonovich- leads to the conclusion that the absorption in a dielectric can at best be increased by a…
Hot carrier solar cells promise theoretical power conversion efficiencies far beyond the single junction limit. However, practical implementations of hot carrier solar cells have lagged far behind those theoretical predictions. Reciprocity…
At present, ultraviolet sensors are utilized in numerous fields ranging from various spectroscopy applications via biotechnical innovations to industrial process control. Despite of this, the performance of current UV sensors is…
Parabolic trough mirror plants are a popular design for the conversion of solar energy to electricity via thermal processes. The absorber of concentrated solar radiation can reach high temperatures (> 500 degrees Celsius) and is responsible…
For commercial one-sun solar modules, up to 80% of the incoming sunlight may be dissipated as heat, potentially raising the temperature 20 C - 30 C higher than the ambient. In the long term, extreme self-heating erodes efficiency and…
Silicon photodetectors operating at near-infrared wavelengths with high-speed and high sensitivity are becoming critical for emerging applications, such as Light Detection and Ranging Systems (LIDAR), quantum communications, and medical…
Thermophotovoltaics, devices that convert thermal infrared photons to electricity, offer a key pathway for a variety of critical renewable energy technologies including thermal energy storage, waste heat recovery, and direct solar-thermal…
Using the Spectroscopic Limited Maximum Efficiency, and Shockley and Queisser predictor models, we compute the solar efficiency of the chalcopyrites AgMX2(M=In,Al;X=S,Se,Te). The results presented are based on the estimation of the…
Photon recycling is required for a solar cell to achieve an open-circuit voltage ($V_{OC}$) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) approaching the Shockley-Queisser theoretical limit. In metal halide perovskite solar cells, the achievable…
We study the nonequilibrium steady state thermodynamics of a photodevice which can operate as a solar cell or a photoconductor, depending on the degree of asymmetry of the junction. The thermodynamic efficiency is captured by a single…
Infrared diodes generate electricity from thermal radiation emitted from themselves. The negative process of photovoltaic effect has been expected for application to energy harvesting systems converting from terrestrial radiation. However,…
Photon impingement is capable of liberating electrons in semiconductors. When the electron transport is primarily governed by temperature gradients, high irreversibilities will result, thus lowering converters' efficiencies. A fundamental…
We demonstrate an efficient and continuous microwave photon to electron converter with large quantum efficiency ($83\%$) and low dark current. These unique properties are enabled by the use of a high kinetic inductance disordered…
This paper shows a fundamental thermodynamic similarity between thermoelectric and photovoltaic energy converters which, at open circuit, can be represented as isochoric engines generating a finite chemical potential which appears as…
There is a renewed interest in photovoltaic solar thermal (PVT) hybrid systems, which harvest solar energy for heat and electricity. Typically, a main focus of a PVT system is to cool the photovoltaic (PV) cells to improve the electrical…
One way for solar cell efficiencies to overcome the Shockley-Queisser limit is downconversion of high-energy photons using singlet fission (SF) in polyacenes like tetracene (Tc). SF enables generation of multiple excitons from the…
Studies of emerging photovoltaics, such as organic and perovskite solar cells, have recently shown that the separation of photo-generated charge carriers is correlated with non-thermal, coherent oscillations within the illuminated device.…
We propose a dynamic mechanism for the reversible regulation of photosynthesis in varying light environments. We employ a three-level quantum model to take into account the correlations between charge donors and charge acceptors immediately…
Silicon solar cells dominate the solar cell market with record lab efficiencies reaching almost 26%. However, after 60 years of research, this efficiency saturated close to the theoretical limit for silicon, and radically new approaches are…