Thin Film light-trapping enhanced Quantum Dot photovoltaic cells: an enabling technology for high power-to-weight ratio space solar arrays (TFQD) With TFQD we aim at developing a new generation of high-efficiency thin-film photovoltaic devices for future solar arrays, by exploiting cross-cutting Key Enabling Technologies as: advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, photonics. The core device is a thin-film …
The maximum theoretical efficiency of single-junction solar cells is limited by the inability to absorb photons with energy lower than the material bandgap and by the thermalisation of electron-hole pairs produced by photons with energies larger than the bandgap. For GaAs based solar cells, this turns into a Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit of about 33.5% and …
TFQD goal is to bring new knowledge and strong innovation into the space and terrestrial energy production field, by integrating novel concepts and non-standard, interdisciplinary Key Enabling Technologies such as advanced materials, photonics, and advanced manufacturing processes. Being the primary power source in spacecraft systems, solar array impose tight constraints to conceive and realize novel …