Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

A Metamaterial-based technology to create Electricity from Light

Project description

Solar energy with hot carrier technology

Traditional solar cells rely on P-N junctions to generate electricity, but this approach has limitations in efficiency and design flexibility. Researchers are exploring alternative methods to harness solar energy more effectively. One promising avenue is hot carrier technology, which captures high-energy charge carriers before they lose energy as heat. If successfully developed, this could lead to more efficient and versatile photovoltaic devices. In this context, the ERC-funded AMELI project builds on a breakthrough in hot carrier technology made during a previous ERC-funded project. By bypassing the need for P-N junctions, AMELI explores a new parameter space for energy conversion. The project aims to assess the disruptive potential of this approach and develop a proof-of-concept photovoltaic or photodetector prototype.

Objective

AMELI aims at developing a family of hot carrier devices that operate on a technology discovered by the PI during the course of his ERC-CoG project. This hot carrier technology does not rely on a P-N junction (or one of its many derivatives) to create electricity, giving access to a parameter space that is different from that of traditional solar cells. The goal of AMELI is to assess the potential for disruption of this approach and to propose a first proof of concept photovoltaic (if we can reach a 10% energy conversion efficiency threshold) or photodetector prototype at the end of the project.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2022-POC2

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 150 000,00
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0