Among next-generation photovoltaic systems requiring low cost and high efficiency, quantum dot (QD)-based solar cells stand out as a very promising candidate because of the unique and versatile characteristics of QDs.
"Our developed technology has achieved an impressive 18.1% efficiency in QD solar cells," stated Professor Jang. "This remarkable achievement represents the highest efficiency among quantum dot solar cells recognized by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States."
A groundbreaking research breakthrough in solar energy has propelled the development of the world's most efficient quantum dot (QD) solar cell, marking a significant leap towards the commercialization of next-generation solar cells.
Our work on quantum dot solar cells was supported as part of the Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics an Energy Frontier Research Center within the office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Sciences, US DOE. Funding was provided to NREL under contract number DE-AC36-086038308 with DOE.
We have focused on utilizing the unique properties of quantum dots to implement MEG in prototype solar cells. In an ideal MEG absorber, one photon with energy equal to twice the bandgap will give two electrons circulating in the PV device, and then three electrons at 3 Eg, and so forth.
In the search for a third generation of solar-cell technologies (as a follow-up to silicon and thin-film solar cells), a leading candidate is the use of “quantum dots”—iny spheres of semiconductor material measuring only about 2–10 billionths of a meter in diameter.