Light management for ever-thinner photovoltaics: A tutorial review

Autor: Eduardo Camarillo Abad, Hannah J. Joyce, Louise C. Hirst
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: APL Photonics, Vol 9, Iss 1, Pp 011101-011101-20 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2378-0967
DOI: 10.1063/5.0176458
Popis: Ultra-thin solar cells, an order of magnitude thinner than conventional technologies, are an emerging device concept that enables low-cost, flexible, lightweight, and defect-tolerant photovoltaics. However, the advent of ultra-thin technologies is hindered by the fundamental challenge of poor light harvesting in thinnest absorber layers, which entails prohibitive photocurrent and efficiency penalties. Here, from a tutorial perspective, we review different light-management platforms that can overcome this inherent limitation, namely, antireflection coatings, rear mirrors, and light-trapping textures. We then review the state-of-the-art performances that have been achieved with these strategies and that have led to records of ∼20% efficiency in ∼200 nm absorbers. Finally, we identify persisting challenges and potential development avenues for attaining competitive performance with ever-thinner photovoltaic devices.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals