Feature
Breaking the Limits of Optical Energy Conversion
Attendees of a recent OSA Incubator Meeting explored new strategies to overcome the limits of optical energy conversion in conventional solar-fueled engines.
[Graphic: Svetlana Boriskina/Alessia Kirkland; Solar panels: iStock]
In increased interest in harvesting renewable energy resources is fueling both applied and fundamental research in optical energy conversion. Mature solar technologies, such as photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP), are capable of converting light energy into work or electricity at only a fraction of the theoretically achievable efficiency. In an attempt to break the efficiency limits of these conventional technologies, scientists are exploring alternative conversion schemes.
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