Upconversion as a spear carrier for tuning photovoltaic efficiency

Abstract

Solar energy constitutes a major share of the total renewable energy produced all over the world. Different types of photovoltaics, including silicon, perovskite, and dye-sensitized solar cells, are being explored to increase the energy-harvesting capability to generate maximum energy from the total solar spectrum. However, the current photovoltaic technology does not utilize a large part of the solar spectrum, mainly the infrared region. The unutilized IR radiation is detrimental to solar-cell performance and gradually degrades the lifespan of the devices due to the severe heating effect. In this aspect, upconversion presents a feasible route for harvesting the unutilized part of solar energy; it converts sub-bandgap photons into photons of higher energy. Upconversion nanoparticles include a host matrix and lanthanides as dopant materials, where the constituents can be tuned to obtain the desired range of upconverted wavelengths. This review discusses the various possibilities of utilizing the upconversion matrix to gain the technological know-how to improve the efficiency of existing solar technologies. The major emphasis is on increasing the efficiency of silicon-based photovoltaic technology.