The recent rapid drop of solar module prices and global growth of photovoltaics has moved frontiers for solar energy research towards new challenges and opportunities, including new nanophotonics-based tandem photovoltaic structures that have potential to leverage the enormous existing manufacturing base for Si photovoltaics. I will describe new approaches for nanophotonic design of high efficiency photovoltaics and photoelectrochemical generation of solar fuels. First, I describe a tandem-on-Si luminescent solar concentrator concept that uses quantum dot luminophores and nanoantennas to enable 30-100x concentration of diffuse sunlight onto small III-V compound semiconductor cells, with potential for beyond-Si module efficiencies.  Another direction towards achieving cost-effective III-V tandem-on-Si structures employs nanowire top cells prepared via epitaxy-free and vacuum-free processing methods. Finally, emerging two-dimensional semiconductor materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and layered perovskites with high luminescence yields and favorable bandgaps are interesting candidates for tandem photovoltaics.  I will also discuss approaches to use of tandem nanophotonic structures for photoelectrodes and light management in high efficiency, stable photoelectrochemical devices for water-splitting and carbon dioxide reduction.<br/>

Nanophotonics for the terawatt solar age: New concepts for generation of electricity and fuels from sunlight

255th National Meeting (2018)

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