Electrical engineer Vladimir Mitin. |
By
tweaking the smallest of parts, a trio of University at Buffalo
engineers is hoping to dramatically increase the amount of sunlight that
solar cells convert into electricity.
With
military colleagues, the UB researchers have shown that embedding
charged quantum dots into photovoltaic cells can improve electrical
output by enabling the cells to harvest infrared light, and by
increasing the lifetime of photoelectrons.
The
research appeared online last May in the journal Nano Letters (“Strong
Enhancement of Solar Cell Efficiency Due to Quantum Dots with Built-In
Charge”). The research team included Vladimir Mitin, Andrei Sergeev and
Nizami Vagidov, faculty members in UB’s electrical engineering
department; Kitt Reinhardt of the Air Force Office of Scientific
Research; and John Little and advanced nanofabrication expert Kimberly
Sablon of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.
Electrical
engineer Vladimir Mitin and colleagues have significantly increased the
electrical output of solar cells by embedding charged quantum dots in
them.
Mitin,
Sergeev and Vagidov have founded a company, OPtoElectronic Nanodevices
LLC (OPEN LLC.), to bring the innovation to the market.
The
idea of embedding quantum dots into solar panels is not new: According
to Mitin, scientists had proposed about a decade ago that this technique
could improve efficiency by allowing panels to harvest invisible,
infrared light in addition to visible light. However, intensive efforts
in this direction have previously met with limited success.
The
UB researchers and their colleagues have not only successfully used
embedded quantum dots to harvest infrared light; they have taken the
technology a step further, employing selective doping so that quantum
dots within the solar cell have a significant built-in charge.
This
built-in charge is beneficial because it repels electrons, forcing them
to travel around the quantum dots. Otherwise, the quantum dots create a
channel of recombination for electrons, in essence “capturing” moving
electrons and preventing them from contributing to electric current.
The
technology has the potential to increase the efficiency of solar cells
up to 45%, said Mitin, a SUNY Distinguished Professor. Through UB’s
Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR), he
and his colleagues have filed provisional patent applications to protect
their technology.
“Clean
technology will really benefit the region, the state, the country,”
Mitin said. “With high-efficiency solar cells, consumers can save money
and providers can have a smaller solar field that produces more energy.”
Mitin
and his colleagues have already invested significant amounts of time in
developing the quantum dots with a built-in-charge, dubbed “Q-BICs.” To
further enhance the technology and bring it to the market, OPEN LLC is
now seeking funding from private investors and federal programs.By
tweaking the smallest of parts, a trio of University at Buffalo
engineers is hoping to dramatically increase the amount of sunlight that
solar cells convert into electricity.
With
military colleagues, the UB researchers have shown that embedding
charged quantum dots into photovoltaic cells can improve electrical
output by enabling the cells to harvest infrared light, and by
increasing the lifetime of photoelectrons.
The
research appeared online last May in the journal Nano Letters. The
research team included Vladimir Mitin, Andrei Sergeev and Nizami
Vagidov, faculty members in UB’s electrical engineering department; Kitt
Reinhardt of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research; and John
Little and advanced nanofabrication expert Kimberly Sablon of the U.S.
Army Research Laboratory.
Mitin,
Sergeev and Vagidov have founded a company, OPtoElectronic Nanodevices
LLC. (OPEN LLC.), to bring the innovation to the market.
The
idea of embedding quantum dots into solar panels is not new: According
to Mitin, scientists had proposed about a decade ago that this technique
could improve efficiency by allowing panels to harvest invisible,
infrared light in addition to visible light. However, intensive efforts
in this direction have previously met with limited success.
The
UB researchers and their colleagues have not only successfully used
embedded quantum dots to harvest infrared light; they have taken the
technology a step further, employing selective doping so that quantum
dots within the solar cell have a significant built-in charge.
This
built-in charge is beneficial because it repels electrons, forcing them
to travel around the quantum dots. Otherwise, the quantum dots create a
channel of recombination for electrons, in essence “capturing” moving
electrons and preventing them from contributing to electric current.
The
technology has the potential to increase the efficiency of solar cells
up to 45%, said Mitin, a SUNY Distinguished Professor. Through UB’s
Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR), he
and his colleagues have filed provisional patent applications to protect
their technology.
“Clean
technology will really benefit the region, the state, the country,”
Mitin said. “With high-efficiency solar cells, consumers can save money
and providers can have a smaller solar field that produces more energy.”
Mitin
and his colleagues have already invested significant amounts of time in
developing the quantum dots with a built-in-charge, dubbed “Q-BICs.” To
further enhance the technology and bring it to the market, OPEN LLC is
now seeking funding from private investors and federal programs.
Strong Enhancement of Solar Cell Efficiency Due to Quantum Dots with Built-In Charge
