Betavoltaic energy converters (i.e., β-batteries) are attractive power sources because of their potential for high energy densities (>200 MWh/kg) and long duration continuous discharge (>1 year). However, conversion efficiencies have been historically low (<3%). High efficiency devices can be achieved by matching β-radiation transport length scales with the device physics length scales. In this...

Pursuing a high power conversion efficiency with no sacrifice of cost-effectiveness has been a persistent objective for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). One promising solution to this impasse is increased light harvesting. Previous efforts in light harvesting have been made on setting blocking layers or reflecting layers, or adding a light harvester, resulting in tedious procedures without r...

Electrically driven light emission from carbon nanotubes could be used in nanoscale lasers and single-photon sources, and has therefore been the focus of much research. However, high electric fields and currents have either been necessary for electroluminescence, or have been an undesired side effect, leading to high power requirements and low efficiencies. Furthermore, electroluminescent linew...

We present three Cr3+:Colquiriite lasers as low-cost alternatives to Ti:Sapphire laser technology. Single-mode laser diodes, which cost only $150 each, were used as pump sources. In cw operation, with approximately 520 mW of absorbed pump power, up to 257, 269 and 266 mW of output power and slope efficiencies of 53%, 62% and 54% were demonstrated for Cr:LiSAF, Cr:LiSGaF and Cr:LiCAF, respective...

A system is being tested for recovery of rf power by conversion to DC pulsed power. The system consists of a cyclotron autoresonance accelerator (CARA) [1,2], and a single stage depressed collector (Fig. 1). A 50 kV, 5 A electron beam is injected into CARA, and up to 1 MW of S-band rf power is absorbed by the beam with efficiency exceeding 95%. The beam then passes to a single stage depressed c...

In the view of current requirements of power generation and the increased interest on renewable energy sources, many options are available for generation of clean power. Solar power generation would be one of the best options in this context. The solar pond uses the principle of conversion of solar energy into heat energy, and also has the capability of storing this energy for certain period of...

Conjugated polymers are excellent candidates for use in low-cost electronics and photovoltaics (PV)1. Polymer-based solar cells have reached power conversion efficiencies of 5% in recent reports2–6. Deposition of organics by screen printing, doctor blading, inkjet printing, and spray deposition is possible because these materials can be made soluble. These techniques are required for the high-t...

MOTIVATION In response to the DOE SunShot initiative to achieve utility scale solar power generation at $1 per watt peak, Sandia National Laboratories is investigating a microsystems-enabled photovoltaics (MEPV) approach that combines the high conversion efficiencies of concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) with the form factor and low system costs of flat panel PV. MEPV combines solar cells having ...

Lead halide perovskites have emerged as successful optoelectronic materials with high photovoltaic power conversion efficiencies and low material cost. However, substantial challenges remain in the scalability, stability and fundamental understanding of the materials. Here we present the application of radiative thermal annealing, an easily scalable processing method for synthesizing formamidin...

Open structure ZnO/CdSe core/shell nanoneedle arrays were prepared on a conducting glass (SnO2:F) substrate by solution deposition and electrochemical techniques. A uniform CdSe shell layer with a grain size of approximately several tens of nanometers was formed on the surface of ZnO nanoneedle cores after annealing at 400°C for 1.5 h. Fabricated solar cells based on these nanostructures exhibi...