Abstract: Converting sunlight into electricity is an important process that spans many fields from electrical engineering to physics and chemistry. However, for a high quality material, the power conversion efficiency can be determined solely by its absorption and emission properties using the method of detailed balance (equating absorbed and emitted photon fluxes). Using this method Shockley and Queisser determined the limiting photovoltaic efficiency for a pn-junction device, which has remained the standard of comparison for new photovoltaic technologies. Here, I will present our recent work on a variety of architectures used to confine and control light on the nanoscale for applications in solar energy. Structures can be designed to act as broadband antireflection coatings, localized couplers to waveguide modes, and optical concentrators. To surpass the efficiency limit of traditional photovoltaic devices, I will discuss novel new methods using nanoscale optical concentration, photonic crystals to effectively modify the semiconductor bandgap, and the generation and collection of hot electrons in plasmonic structures.

Speaker(s): Dr. Jeremy N. Munday,

Location:
Room: MC603
Bldg: McConnell Eng. Building
3480 rue University
Montreal, Quebec
H3A0E9