Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have discovered a way to enhance the light-absorption and light-emission qualities of quantum dots: a kind of semiconductor crystal developed to convert photons, or light particles, into energy.
Their research, published in the Nature Communications journal after years of study, focused on optimizing the carrier multiplication process — that is, the process by which a single photon entering a semiconductor material can excite multiple electrons — in order to enhance the efficiency of the energy conversion.
Through the introduction of magnetic manganese impurities that modify the properties of the quantum dots, the team designed a system that operated on spin exchange carrier multiplication, a step up from conventional carrier multiplication in terms of efficiency.
"Power conversion efficiency simulations from the study predict that this method could achieve an efficiency increase of up to 41%, which is approaching the theoretical limit for fully optimized devices utilizing conventional carrier multiplication," the researchers noted.
While the study speaks relatively in the abstract regarding the potential applications of the team's discovery in photochemistry, the improvement of conventional carrier multiplication methods has even more pressing relevance in the realm of solar cell research.
As it stands, solar panels aren't capable of converting even half their absorbed sunlight into usable electricity, but as they become more and more mainstream on rooftops and solar farms alike, researchers across disciplines are finding ways to boost their photoconversion capacity.
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In particular, as the changing climate continues to manifest in the form of rising temperatures, volatile weather patterns, and resource scarcity, diversifying our clean energy sources becomes all the more essential.
Carbon pollution is the leading cause of our planet's overheating crisis, and the power sector alone contributes over 44 billion tons of it each year, according to the International Energy Agency.
There are a variety of alternatives to dirty fuels out there, ranging from wind power to nuclear energy, but solar panels are by far the most accessible for the average consumer.
As a matter of fact, by going solar, you can take advantage of cutting-edge clean energy innovations from the comfort of your home, setting yourself up for a financially as well as environmentally conscious choice.
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