TY - JOUR

T1 - Photon frequency management for trapping & concentration of sunlight

AU - Markvart, Tomas

AU - Danos, Lefteris

AU - Fang, Liping

AU - Parel, Thomas

AU - Soleimani, Nazila

PY - 2012/1/30

Y1 - 2012/1/30

N2 - This paper considers a range of techniques which – within the realm of classical optics – can be used to enhance light capture as a first step in photovoltaic energy conversion. Examples include a simple case of downshifting, fluorescent collectors which reduce the size of a light beam, and a novel form of light trapping to increase the path length of light within the solar cell. The results are discussed using a thermodynamic framework where the energy exchange with an absorbing/fluorescent medium allows the entropy of the captured photon gas to be lowered, reducing the étendue of the emitted beam. We show that frequency management represents a powerful tool, allowing enhancement in light trapping above the Yablononovitch limit, leading to potentially highly efficient but very thin crystalline silicon solar cells.

AB - This paper considers a range of techniques which – within the realm of classical optics – can be used to enhance light capture as a first step in photovoltaic energy conversion. Examples include a simple case of downshifting, fluorescent collectors which reduce the size of a light beam, and a novel form of light trapping to increase the path length of light within the solar cell. The results are discussed using a thermodynamic framework where the energy exchange with an absorbing/fluorescent medium allows the entropy of the captured photon gas to be lowered, reducing the étendue of the emitted beam. We show that frequency management represents a powerful tool, allowing enhancement in light trapping above the Yablononovitch limit, leading to potentially highly efficient but very thin crystalline silicon solar cells.

U2 - 10.1039/C2RA01160C

DO - 10.1039/C2RA01160C

M3 - Journal article

VL - 2

SP - 3173

EP - 3179

JO - RSC Advances

JF - RSC Advances

IS - 8

ER -