ICFO solar cell design could break the Shockley-Queisser limit

Researchers at ICFO in Barcelona replaced the transparent front electrode of a solar cell with an ultrathin silver layer that also acts partly as a mirror. This restricts the angles at which infrared glow escapes, cutting Boltzmann losses and boosting efficiency; the method could theoretically reach nearly 43%.

• Standard single-layer solar cells are capped at 33% efficiency by the Shockley-Queisser limit
• An ultrathin silver layer replaced indium tin oxide as the transparent front electrode
• Restricting escape angles of infrared glow reduces Boltzmann losses
• The method could theoretically reach 43% efficiency, though test gains were small