In a recent study, the analysis of energies in photovoltaic cells has been introduced to optimize imperfections and monitor significant improvements that can result in light absorption. Professor Dooyoung Ah, of the Abdullah Gül University University in Turkey, has discovered that tiny nanometer-sized protrusions on the cell surface can increase light absorption efficiency by a remarkable 66%.
This advance,“although still in the theoretical phase and without physical prototypes,” offers promising results for the future of organic photovoltaics. Virtual models suggest that hemispherical nanoshells increase the amount of absorbed photons and enhance their “entry points”, thus optimizing cell performance.
On the other hand, the current efficiency of organic photovoltaic cells stands at 19.2%, according to data from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This percentage, although competitive, is still below the conversion values of other semiconductor technologies. The goal is to increase this efficiency to facilitate the large-scale adoption of this technology, which already stands out for its low cost and independence from the Chinese supply chain.
Optimization of photovoltaic cell structure
Professor Dooyoung Ah’s study focuses on a P3HT:ICBA organic polymer photovoltaic cell integrated in a sandwich structure with aluminum aluminum aluminum indium tin oxide layers on a PMMA substrate. The inclusion of nanoshells on the surface has proven to be crucial in improving light absorption.
The research details that the interaction of light with these protrusions, especially under transverse polarized electric light, can increase light absorption by up to 66% compared to flat structures. Specifically, for transverse magnetic polarized light, the increase is 36%.
Professor Hah suggests that these improvements in absorption and omnidirectionality of organic photovoltaic cells have considerable potential for applications in biomedical devices, power generation in windows and greenhouses, and in the growing field of the Internet of Things.
Improving renewable energy efficiency
This discovery opens new avenues for optimizing the efficiency of organic photovoltaic cells, and sets a framework for future research and applications in various technological fields, promoting greater use of renewable and sustainable energy sources.
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Source: Journal of Photonics for Energy
Photo: Visual Tech
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