New approach may be key to quantum dot solar cells with real gains in efficiency
Thursday, June 19, 2014 - 08:02
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) —Los Alamos researchers have demonstrated an almost four-fold boost of the carrier multiplication yield with nanoengineered quantum dots. Carrier multiplication is when a single photon can excite multiple electrons. Quantum dots are novel nanostructures that can become the basis of the next generation of solar cells, capable of squeezing additional electricity out of the extra energy of blue and ultraviolet photons.