Blocking vibrations that remove heat could boost efficiency of next-gen solar cells

(DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a study of a solar-energy material with a bright future revealed a way to slow phonons, the waves that transport heat. The discovery could improve novel hot-carrier solar cells, which convert sunlight to electricity more efficiently than conventional solar cells by harnessing photogenerated charge carriers before they lose energy to heat.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news