World's First Solar Panel with 60% Energy Conversion Potential

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A team of researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) has developed the world's first intermediate band (IB) solar cell using gallium phosphide (GaP) and titanium (Ti). This cell has the potential to achieve record energy conversion efficiency of up to 60%. After 15 years of intensive research and experimentation, this technology could significantly change the world of solar energy.

Problems with Traditional Solar Panels
Silicon-based solar cells, although widely used, can only convert a portion of sunlight into electricity, losing the rest as heat. Theoretically, the upper efficiency limit for silicon solar cells is 33.7%, according to the so-called Shockley-Queiser (SQ) limit. This means that even the most advanced models cannot convert more than 77.3% of the sun’s available energy.

Discovery of new material
The problem lies in the limitations of the materials used to chinese overseas australia data make the batteries. To improve the situation, researchers from the Complutense University chose gallium phosphide, which has a band gap of 2.26 eV. This allows for a higher SQ limit, which in turn increases the efficiency of energy conversion. By combining GaP and Ti, the team was able to create a 1 cm² solar cell with a very thin GaP absorber of only 50 nm.

Achievements and challenges
During a series of experiments, the team found that their battery exhibited significantly improved absorption of light at wavelengths greater than 550 nm, likely due to the use of titanium. The theoretical potential of the new battery design reaches about 60%. However, the device is not ready for practical use at this time.

Development Prospects
Despite the success, the researchers acknowledge that they still have a lot of work to do to achieve commercially viable products. The team plans to create prototypes of solar cells and demonstrate their efficiency, as well as find new ways to use titanium in production. This discovery could pave the way for the development of new generations of solar cells that can harness the sun's energy more efficiently and meet the world's growing demand for electricity.