Announcement - International Summer School on Photovoltaics (Quantsol)
The International Summer School on Photovoltaics and New Concepts of Quantum Solar Energy Conversion takes place from 9th to 16th September 2012 in Hirschegg, Kleinwalsertal, Austria. Young postdocs, PhD students, and master students can apply by 10th June 2012.Details of the school’s program can be found on the website.
The Quantsol Summer School - established as a "must " for prospective solar scientists - is held for the 5th time. The school primarily addresses young postdocs, PhD students, and students in their final year at university with a strong interest in photovoltaics. During the 7-day program you get a comprehensive introduction to relevant topics in photovoltaics. Various Experts from leading international research institutes and universitys explain wide range of topics on the fundamental principles of the conversion of solar energy into chemical to the implementation of photovoltaics. Technical applications, material aspects and special analytic methods will be discussed additionally.
- CIGS-perovskite tandem cell achieves record efficiency of 25.5 %A Berlin-based team from HZB and Center for the Science of Materials Berlin (CSMB) at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin has set a new record for a tandem solar cell. Using a combination of a CIGS semiconductor layer and perovskite, along with several optimised intermediate layers, they were able to convert 25.5% of sunlight into electrical energy. The previous record for this combination of materials and this size of cell stood at 24.6%. The new record has been certified and is visible in the prestigious Solar Cell Efficiency Tables (the "Green Tables"), which serve as the definitive ledger for the global photovoltaic community.
- Disorder creates new properties in compound semiconductorsAn international research team has demonstrated that the intrinsic disorder of the compound semiconductor CuInSnS₄ can be exploited to influence its optical properties. While the atomic vibrations also sense the local disorder, their response is averaged over many different local environments and therefore appear isotropic, as expected for a cubic crystal. In contrast, the optical excitations, known as excitons, are much more sensitive to the local arrangement of atoms. Surprisingly, they show a direction-dependent optical response even though the average crystal structure is cubic. These findings shed new light on the relationship between disorder and material properties, opening up new options for targeted 'disorder engineering' in optoelectronic and photocatalytic devices.
- Perovskite solar cells: Predictions of long-term stabilityReliable statements about the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells are still difficult to make. However, a new study by Dr Carolin Ulbrich’s team, published in the renowned journal Joule, highlights which methods are useful for this purpose and identifies areas where further research is needed.