新一代太阳电池概述

Next generation solar cells

文章对新一代太阳电池的基本概念、研究现状和研究目标进行了详细的介绍.从"充分吸收光能,减少能量转换损失"的角度,分析了新一代太阳电池的结构设计特征.以纳米技术与叠层电池结构为基础,就高能光子的利用,介绍了宽带隙吸收层窗口电池、量子点热载流子电池和多重激子激发(MEG)的量子点电池;为解决低能光子损失,介绍了窄带隙光伏材料和中间带光伏器件包括量子点中间带和高失配构建的中间带电池;探讨了利用光-光转换的模式,对上转换和下转换的电池体系以及可能的极限效率进行了阐述.

A detailed introduction to the concepts, current status and research targets for the next generation of solar cells is presented. Their structure and design characteristics are analyzed from the viewpoint of the full absorption of sunlight energy and low conversion loss. Wide band-gap solar cells, quantum clot hot-carrier solar cells, and multi-exciton generation quantum dot solar cells based on nanotechnology and tandem structures which can utilize high energy photons are described. To decrease the loss of low energy photons, narrow band-gap photovoltaic materials and intermediate band photovoltaic devices may be employed. Various modes of light conversion, solar cells with up-conversion and down-conversion, and the limits to their efficiency are discussed.