Hot carrier solar cells by adiabatic cooling

TL;DR

This paper proposes a hot carrier solar cell design that utilizes adiabatic cooling in charge transport layers to maintain thermopower and carrier entropy, aiming to improve energy conversion efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hot carrier solar cell concept employing adiabatic cooling to preserve thermodynamic properties during charge transport.

Findings

Conceptual design of adiabatic cooling in hot carrier solar cells

Potential for increased efficiency by maintaining thermopower

Theoretical framework for thermoelectric-like behavior in solar cells

Abstract

Hot carrier solar cell is proposed where charge carriers are cooled adiabatically in the charge transport layers adjoining the absorber. The device resembles an ideal thermoelectric converter where thermopower, and therefore also carrier entropy, are maintained constant during cooling from the temperature attained in the absorber to the temperature at contacts.