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multijunction graphene solar cell idea

Hi,

From this article:

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They show that two layers of graphene can have an adjustable bandgap voltage based on the varying electric field of each of the graphene layers. I had a similar idea before for modifying the band gap voltages of LED's etc, by using insulated voltages on each side of the diode to adjust the inherent bandgap voltage.

I think the laser light shining onto the graphene stack in this levitation example is also creating varying electric fields in each of the graphene layers, with the layer closest to the light having the strongest electric field, so this will give a bandgap voltage between each layer as the attenuated laser light passes through the stack of graphene sheets, making it an on demand solar cell, since without some form of electric field the band gaps should be zero.

Once there are the bandgaps, then the standard solar cell operation should occur, with electrons being pumped through the stack of graphene sheets.

Maybe to make a good multijunction solar cell, the stacked insulated graphene sheets could have independent voltage connections, allowing them to have programmable voltage offsets, adjusted to create bandgaps that match the light energy at that depth in the multijunction stack for efficiently harvesting the most solar energy.

Hooking up terminals to stacked sheets of graphene would be challenging, but maybe a single etched contact could be made that axially connects to the graphene sheet stack, and breaks out the wires to the individual graphene layers.

With just two layers of graphene, with an electrically adjustable bandgap, you could make a variable frequency light source or detector diode.

cheers, Jamie

Reply to
Jamie M
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Please! You could bombard us with fifty gee-wiz silly research breakthrough press releases a day. Graphene is the latest goofy craze.

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Reply to
John Larkin

Hi,

I guess you haven't seen the light yet:

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cheers, Jamie

Reply to
Jamie M

I did see that; it's hilarious, a resistive incandescent lamp made of that wonder material graphene. They didn't say how many milliseconds it lasted.

This will "pave the way" to incendescent pixel computer monitors! And imagine the data rates possible with incendescent fiberoptic transmitters, as soon as we figure out how to couple this into a fiber.

(It is possible to transmit audio optically, using a modulated incandescent flashlight bulb or even a car headlight bulb.)

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   laser drivers and controllers 

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Reply to
John Larkin

Did you READ the first words "Schematic illustration"? In other words, to be blunt, FAKE; does not have to be even close to an accurate representation. T. Edison knew far better..

Reply to
Robert Baer

YEAH! It admits to it all right here, "Previously, in 2006, researchers at the ALS observed a bandgap in bilayer graphene in which one of the layers was chemically doped by adsorbed metal atoms."

ALS explains it all.

Doesn't that famous astro guy have ALS?

Reply to
rev.11d.meow

The way we fund research is a bit screwy... to get money you have to do the latest "thing". Graphene would be fun to play with though... a zero band gap semiconductor.

George H.

Reply to
George Herold

Maybe it'll "pave the way" to a better material for incandescant lights, like maybe Tungsten?

THz braodcasting!

Reply to
krw

Way too many "science" web sites and newspapers and stuff show faked Photoshop pics of distant planets with oceans (well, tiny dips in light from a distant star) and magical nanotech devices that will cure cancer and giant colorful dinosaurs extrapolated from a bone fragment.

This is science as fictional entertainment. There's a lot of that going around. Not 0.1% of it is going to be verified or useful.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Reply to
John Larkin

"The visible light from atomically thin graphene is so intense that it is visible even to the naked eye, without any additional magnification,"

Reply to
Jamie M

In case you didn't know, mnay things that go poof under electrical current will also emmit light and usually short lived!

Jamie

Reply to
M Philbrook

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