Scientists move closer to "two for one deal" on solar cell efficiency

The causes of a hitherto mysterious process that could enhance the power of solar cells have been explained in a new study. If we want to implement this in a solar cell, we need to understand more about why and how singlet exciton fission occurs in the first place. Andrew Musser The underlying mechanism behind an enigmatic process called "singlet exciton fission", which could enable the development of significantly more powerful solar cells, has been identified by scientists in a new study. The process is only known to happen in certain materials, and occurs when they absorb light. As the light particles come into with electrons within the material, the electrons are excited by the light, and the resulting "excited state" splits into two. If singlet exciton fission can be controlled and incorporated into solar cells, it has the potential to double the amount of electrical current produced from highly energetic blue and green light, capturing a great deal of energy that would normally be wasted as heat and significantly enhancing the efficiency of solar cells as a source of green energy. Until now, however, scientists have not really understood what causes the process, and this has limited their ability to integrate it into solar devices.