According to physicist organization network recently reported that Canadian scientists have developed out of a can significantly improve the efficiency of solar cells of new technology, the technology can be in the near infrared region of the spectrum increased 35% of the solar energy conversion efficiency, overall conversion efficiency (optical spectrum) resulting in increased 11%, so that quantum dots photovoltaic as an alternative to the existing solar cell technology excellent candidates. Related papers published in the latest issue of "nano letters".
　　Quantum dot photovoltaic cells can provide low cost, large area of solar power, but the device in the solar spectrum of infrared segment efficiency is not high, while the infrared segment occupies half of the solar energy to reach the earth. Canada Toronto University Engineering Professor Ted?? Sargent and his team put forward, through spectrum tuning, solution treatment of plasmonic nanoparticles, of light propagation and absorption can provide unprecedented ability to control.
　　Colloidal quantum dots has two major advantages. The first is cheaper, because they reduce the cost per watt of electricity, but the main advantage is that simply change the size of the quantum dots, you can change the absorption spectrum. The size of the plasma material is easily changed and can be tuned by changing the size of the plasma particles, the researchers will be able to overlap the absorption and scattering spectra of these two important nanoparticles.
　　The Sargent research group has improved the efficiency of solar cells by embedding gold nanoparticles into the quantum dots directly, and they will be looking for the same goals in the next step. Paul Weiss, director of the Institute of nano systems at the University of California in the United States, said the importance of the study is to demonstrate the potential to improve the efficiency of solar cells by adjusting the properties of nanoparticles.