Solar energy is one of the most important alternative energy sources available to us. In Europe, alongside an increasing number of wind turbines, houses with solar panels are a familiar sight. These solar cells are, however, not particularly efficient compared to the state of the art. One reason for this is their simple construction: they are made from silicon, which has a particular electronic structure. Because of this, electricity production is possible for the entire range of visible light, but the solar cell is only really efficient for a narrow range of wavelengths.
It's possible to work around this by carefully engineering materials so that each absorbs only part of the solar spectrum, which it converts to electricity efficiently. These cells operate with efficiencies of up to 40-50 percent—and cost, per square meter, more than a gold plated Mercedes.
In contrast, silicon solar panels are now so cheap that the limiting cost factors are the supporting structure and power conversion electronics rather than the cells themselves. Reducing those costs is proving difficult, so increasing the efficiency of the solar cell could become rather important. In a recent publication, researchers have used the power and magic of plasmonics to show that maybe, just maybe, one can enhance the efficiency solar cells rather cheaply.
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