Spectrum on demand light source (SOLS) for advanced photovoltaic characterization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Optical Physics

Background:

• Advanced characterization is crucial for photovoltaic (PV) material and device development.
• Existing solar simulators and quantum efficiency measurement systems often require separate setups.
• The demand for novel PV technologies necessitates versatile and efficient characterization tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a multi-purpose spectrum-on-demand light source (SOLS) for advanced PV material and device characterization.
• To present a unique spectral shaper illumination device capable of producing custom light spectra.
• To highlight SOLS's dual output modes for areal illumination and spectral splitting.

Main Methods:

• Development of a spectral shaper illumination device (SOLS) that modulates a primary light source's intensity and wavelength.
• Implementation of tuneability from broadband to narrowband illumination.
• Design of two distinct output configurations: spectrally shaped homogeneous beam and spectrally split beam.

Main Results:

• SOLS can generate almost any spectrum on demand.
• The device provides both areal illumination and spatially/spectrally split beam outputs.
• SOLS integrates the functionalities of a solar simulator and an external quantum efficiency measuring system.

Conclusions:

• The SOLS setup accelerates material screening for emergent PV technologies like organic, perovskite, and multi-junction solar cells.
• This versatile light source supports the optimization of novel PV materials and devices.
• SOLS is suitable for characterizing advanced PV applications including indoor, building-integrated, and agrivoltaics.