Project description
Optimising the sensitisation process for efficient solar cells
Improving the efficiency of solar cells holds the potential for significant global impacts. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the OPTSENTUC project aims to enhance the quantum yield of solid-state triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (sTTAUC) by optimising the sensitisation process. This process can broaden the absorption spectral range of any solar cell, leading to a substantial enhancement in the power conversion efficiency of a single p-n junction solar cell beyond the fundamental Shockley-Queisser limit. The project focuses on the primary loss mechanism in sTTAUC by establishing a sensitiser concentration threshold and identifying an annihilator-sensitiser pair with minimal Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) loss. It also aims to overcome the challenge of high threshold intensity by coupling sensitiser absorption with a cavity mode, enhancing the upconversion system’s light absorption capacity.
Objective
Improving the efficiency of solar cells can have far reaching impacts globally. The proposal ‘OPTSENTUC’, is devised to improve the quantum yield of solid-state triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion(sTTAUC) by optimizing the sensitization process. sTTAUC can be exploited to extend the absorption spectral range of any solar cell and hence can significantly improve single p-n junction solar cell power conversion efficiency beyond the fundamental Shockley- Queisser limit. The first part will focus on understanding the major loss mechanism in sTTAUC- the back transfer of upconverted excitation energy via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) - and will try to address it by quantitatively optimizing sensitizer parameters. Based on this study a sensitizer concentration threshold with respect to Förster distance will be established and an annihilator-sensitizer pair with least FRET loss will be identified. The threshold intensity for TTAUC is usually orders of magnitude higher than the solar flux and decreasing sensitizer concentration to reduce FRET will further increase this threshold. The second part of the proposal will address this challenge by coupling the sensitizer absorption with a cavity mode so that the ability of the upconversion system to absorb light will be enhanced. A simultaneous coupling of another mode of the cavity will make sure the outcoupling efficiency is not compromised due to cavity introduction. Thus, enhancing the scope of sTTAUC in real world applications.
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
405 30 Goeteborg
Sweden