A group of international researchers led by St Andrews and York Universities in the UK have found a method to make solar cells more efficient so that they can convert more sunlight into electricity. Solar cells are required to convert sunlight into electricity. They are thin, transparent disks made of semiconductors like silicon that attach to circuits. The light that hits the disc is transformed into electricity, which flows through the circuit. The key issue in solar power engineering lies in improving solar cell efficiency so that they can capture the most light possible and convert it into electricity. A new study by Nature Communications reports that British, Chinese, and Belgian researchers have developed an approach to increasing the efficiency of solar cell technology. This method traps broad-band sunlight in thinner films. It could allow solar cells designers to turn more light into electricity. Nanophotonics This work is at forefront of the field of “nanophotonics”, which studies the interaction between light and various materials at nano- or atomic levels. This field is exciting as materials may behave differently on this scale. These discoveries can lead to new optical properties. Nanophotonics researchers are especially interested in “quasicrystals”, a group of materials that can absorb broad wavelengths of light. This is what specialists refer to as their “Fourier spectrum.” The quasi-random structure used to optimize the performance of thin-film silicon solar cells. Quasi-crystals can be difficult to manipulate due to the inability of designers to control the Fourier spectrum or the band of light they capture. The international research team describes a method based on “binary gratings”, which allows them to create new quasi-random nanostructures that allow for the manipulation of the Fourier spectra and bands of light. Application of nanophotonics designs to solar cells Dr Thomas F Krauss (an Anniversary Professor at the University of York) said: “Applying my nanophotonics ideas to such a crucial area like solar cells is essential to improving the competitiveness of solar energy generation.” The research was funded by the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, Guangdong Natural Science Foundation and the National Key Basic Research Special Foundation.
New approach improves efficiency of solar cells
