Related papers: Exceeding the Shockley-Queisser limit within the d…
Many advanced solar cell concepts propose surpassing the Shockley Queisser (SQ) limit by introducing multiple quasi-Fermi level separations that are arranged in series and/or in parallel. Exceeding the SQ limit with any parallel arrangement…
The fundamental efficiency limit of a single bandgap solar cell is about 31% at one sun with a bandgap of about Eg = 1.35 eV (1), determined by the trade-off of maximising current with a smaller bandgap and voltage with a larger bandgap.…
The thermodynamic limit of photovoltaic efficiency for a single-junction solar cell can be readily predicted using the bandgap of the active light absorbing material. Such an approach overlooks the energy loss due to non-radiative…
The photovoltaic solar cell is a mature technology, with silicon-based technologies deployed at scale, yet current technologies are limited by the Shockley-Queisser thermodynamic limit, known since the early 1960s. The single-junction…
The intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) and quantum ratchet solar cell (QRSC) have the potential to surpass the efficiency of standard single-junction solar cells by allowing sub-gap photon absorption through states deep inside the band…
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…
Light trapping for solar cells can reduce production cost and improve energy conversion efficiency. Understanding some of the basic theoretical constraints on light trapping is therefore of fundamental importance. Here, we develop a general…
One of the most viable renewable energies is solar power because of its versatility, reliability, and abundance. In the market, a majority of the solar panels are made from silicon wafers. These solar panels have an efficiency of 26.4…
The quantum well solar cell (QWSC) has been proposed as a flexible means to ensuring current matching for tandem cells. This paper explores the further advantage afforded by the indication that QWSCs operate in the radiative limit because…
We argue that alternating-layer structures of lattice mismatched or misaligned (twisted) atomically-thin layers should be expected to be more efficient absorbers of the broad-spectrum of solar radiation than the bulk material of each…
We investigate in this letter the intrinsic properties that have limited the efficiency of nanostructured intermediate band solar cells. Those devices take advantage of intra-band transitions, which occur on narrow energy width, and present…
Organic solar cells (OSCs) are uniquely suited for semitransparent applications due to their adjustable absorption spectrum. However, most high-performance semitransparent cells reported to date are based on materials that have shown high…
The organic-inorganic hybrid lead trihalide perovskites have been emerging as the most attractive photovoltaic material. As regulated by Shockley-Queisser theory, a formidable materials science challenge for the next level improvement…
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…
We derive exact analytical solution of the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) model and present all photovoltaic (PV) characteristics in compact and convenient form via the Lambert W function. We show that the SQ condition of chemical of equilibrium…
Drift-diffusion model is an indispensable modeling tool to understand the carrier dynamics (transport, recombination, and collection) and simulate practical-efficiency of solar cells (SCs) through taking into account various carrier…
We used AlGaSb/AlGaAs material system for a theoretical study of photovoltaic performance of the proposed GaAs-based solar cell in which the type-II quantum dot (QDs) absorber is spatially separated from the depletion region. Due to…
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…
Intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) pursue the increase in efficiency by absorbing below-bandgap energy photons while preserving the output voltage. Experimental IBSCs based on quantum dots have already demonstrated that both…
The improvement of light absorption in Si/BeSe$_{0.41}$Te$_{0.59}$ heterostructures for solar cell applications is studied theoretically. First, using simple approaches we found that light absorption could be improved in a single…