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Wilfried Gjhm van Sark¹, Jessica de Wild, Jatin K Rath

¹Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 6, Utrecht 3584 CD, The Netherlands. w.g.j.h.m.vansark@uu.nl.

Nanoscale Research Letters

|February 19, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers explore spectral conversion using nanomaterials for enhanced photovoltaics. Lanthanide-based upconversion shows promise for improving thin-film silicon solar cell efficiency.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Photovoltaics
Nanotechnology

Background:

Tunable properties of nanosized materials significantly impact technologies like photovoltaics.
Spectral conversion, including down- and upconversion, is crucial for optimizing solar energy absorption.
Nanostructures such as quantum dots, luminescent dyes, and lanthanide-doped glasses enable wavelength modification of photons.

Purpose of the Study:

To discuss the principles and applications of upconversion using lanthanide compounds in various host materials.
To demonstrate the efficacy of upconversion for enhancing thin-film silicon solar cells.

Main Methods:

Investigating upconversion phenomena in lanthanide-doped materials.
Integrating upconversion nanomaterials with thin-film silicon solar cell architectures.

Main Results:

Lanthanide compounds exhibit effective upconversion capabilities when incorporated into suitable host materials.
Demonstrated successful application of upconversion to improve the performance of thin-film silicon solar cells.

Conclusions:

Spectral conversion using nanomaterials, particularly lanthanide-based upconversion, offers a viable strategy for advancing photovoltaic technology.
Upconversion is a promising approach to enhance the energy harvesting efficiency of thin-film silicon solar cells.