The lecture will introduce the basic concept of photovoltaic energy conversion using semiconductor materials. To this end, we will talk about photon absorption and the generation, transport and recombination of charge carriers. Then we will cover how a typical current-voltage characteristic of a solar cell looks like (and why!) followed by discussing what fundamental factors limit device performance.
In second part of the lecture, we will go into more detail on perovskite and organic solar cells as these are mostly used for research and development within Area A of livMatS. By the end of this lecture, students should be able to:
• Understand the principle working mechanism of a solar cell
• Differentiate between a crystalline silicon solar cell and an organic or perovskite solar cell
• Recognize what is done in current solar cell research within livMatS