Description
The thermodynamics of light set firm upper bounds on the power conversion efficiency of a solar cell, with the Landsberg limit setting the ultimate value at 93%. The consequences of this limit are surprising, requiring time-asymmetric absorption that violate Kirchhoff's law of radiation. Time-symmetric solar power conversion schemes are limited to 87% in the case of multi-junction devices and 85% in the case of a thermal system. Practical single-junction semiconductor devices are constrained to a much greater extent by the compromise of a single energy threshold for optical absorption and emission, resulting in the Shockley–Queisser efficiency limit of 33% under natural, unconcentrated sunlight. State-of-the-art semiconductor p–n junction solar cells now operate close to the Shockley–Queisser limit, which motivates work to explore unconventional approaches to solar power that can dramatically improve the power conversion efficiency.
| I am the presenting author | Yes |
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