Boston College researchers have observed the "hot electron" effect in a solar cell for the first time and successfully harvested the elusive charges using ultra-thin solar cells, opening a potential avenue to improved solar power efficiency, the authors report in the current online edition of Applied Physics Letters.
When light is captured in solar cells, it generates free electrons in a range of energy states. But in order to snare these charges, the electrons must reach the bottom of the conduction band. The problem has been that these highly energized "hot" electrons lose much of their energy to heat along the way.
Hot electrons have been observed in other devices, such as semiconductors. But their high kinetic energy can cause these electrons, also known as "hot carriers," to degrade a device. Researchers have long theorized about the benefits of harnessing hot electrons for solar power through so-called "3rd generation" devices.
Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091211074427.htm
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