Revolutionary quantum material could double solar cell efficiency! In a groundbreaking development, scientists at Lehigh University have created a new type of material that could dramatically boost the power we get from solar panels. This new material has shown an ability to absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity with up to 190% efficiency. This is a big deal because it means solar panels could generate almost twice as much electricity as they do now from the same amount of sunlight. The team, led by Professor Chinedu Ekuma and doctoral student Srihari Kastuar, has been working on this project and their findings are shared in the Science Advances journal. The secret behind this material’s impressive performance is something called “intermediate band states.”
These are special energy levels within the material that are just right for capturing sunlight and turning it into electricity. This material is particularly good at absorbing light from both the visible part of the spectrum (the light we can see) and the infrared part (the heat we can feel). Normally, solar cells can convert only 100% of the sunlight they absorb into electricity, meaning one electron is generated for every photon (particle of light) absorbed. But this new material can do more, generating more than one electron for some photons, thanks to a process known as multiple exciton generation (MEG). The material gets its superpowers from a clever technique where copper atoms are inserted between layers of a two-dimensional material made from germanium selenide (GeSe) and tin sulfide (SnS). Read more:
A New Dawn For Solar Cells: 190% Quantum Efficiency Is Possible
A new material for next-generation solar cells has passed the proof of concept stage with a remarkable quantum efficiency of 190%.
cleantechnica.com
Novel Material Capable of 190% Quantum Efficiency Could Revolutionize Solar Power Systems - The Debrief
This potentially revolutionary new material raises the quantum efficiency of solar panels to an unprecedented 190%
thedebrief.org
Solar panel breakthrough promises record efficiency with new quantum material
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