Breaking Shockley-Queisser barrier with cryogenic silicon photo voltaic cells
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Sep 25, 2025
Researchers from Taizhou College and the College of Delaware have reported the primary experimental photo voltaic cell to exceed the long-standing Shockley-Queisser effectivity ceiling for single-junction units. Their n-type monocrystalline silicon cells achieved 50-60 p.c power-conversion effectivity at cryogenic temperatures of 30-50 Ok, practically doubling the very best room-temperature report.
The examine overturns standard considering that photovoltaic efficiency collapses at low temperatures. Typical cells endure provider freeze-out beneath about 150 Ok, however the brand new design turns this regime into a bonus. With phonon populations suppressed, hot-carrier cooling slows, permitting the open-circuit voltage to strategy the silicon band-gap power.
Key improvements embrace cryogenic hot-carrier administration, with lasers tuned simply above the band hole producing cellular photocarriers that keep away from speedy cooling. At temperatures beneath 50 Ok, relaxed momentum conservation allows influence ionization, so photons close to 980 nm can set off a number of excitons, elevating exterior quantum effectivity past 140 p.c.
The micro-thin cells, lower than 3 microns thick, had been optimized with 635 nm illumination to stability penetration depth and absorptivity, minimizing freeze-out results. Importantly, their efficiency remained secure throughout gentle intensities from 0.01 to 1 solar, suggesting functions from lunar exploration to deep-space probes the place starlight is the one energy supply.
Potential makes use of vary from powering rovers in completely shadowed lunar craters with mirrored gentle, to offering dependable power for superconducting electronics and quantum devices at excessive low temperatures. The analysis staff is now scaling as much as 4 cm2 cells for environmental testing beneath thermal biking and proton radiation, with NASA Industrial Lunar Payload Providers as a goal software.
Analysis Report:Surpassing Shockley-Queisser Efficiency Limit in Photovoltaic Cells
Associated Hyperlinks
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
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