Magnetic fields help understand light particle splitting for boosting solar cell efficiency
Scientists are closer to giving the next generation of solar cells a powerful boost by integrating a process that could make the technology more efficient by breaking particles of light—photons—into small chunks
In a study published in Nature Chemistry researchers unravel the scientific understanding of what happens when light particles split—a process called singlet fission—and its underlying workings.
Lead researcher Professor Tim Schmidt from UNSW Sydney’s School of Chemistry has studied singlet fission for more than a decade. He says the process could be invoked and applied to improve existing silicon solar cell technologies.
“Today’s solar cells work by absorbing photons which are then sucked away to the electrodes to do the work,” Prof. Schmidt says.
“But as part of this process, a lot of this light is lost as heat. Which is why solar panels don’t run at full efficiency.”
Almost all photovoltaic solar panels on the market today are made from silicon. Co-author Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes from UNSW’s School of Photovoltaics & Renewable Energy Engineering says although the technology is now cheap, it is also nearing its fundamental limits in terms of performance.
“The efficiency of a solar panel represents the fraction of energy supplied by the sun that can be converted into electricity,” Prof. Ekins-Daukes says.
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