Daniel Suchet : Light on photovoltaics

Abstract:
Discovered by Edmond Becquerel in 1839, the photovoltaic effect makes it possible to convert sunlight into electrical power. The spectacular progress achieved in this field has turned solar cells into symbols of the energy transition.

However, although these objects have become familiar, they can still offer physicists surprising insights, which this seminar aims to introduce.

I will begin with a thermodynamic approach to the conversion of radiation by matter in order to establish the main orders of magnitude of the field (solar resource, theoretical maximum efficiency, etc.). I will then present the reciprocal situation—the emission of light by the cell—highlighting its importance both for the fundamental understanding of devices (generalized Planck’s law) and for the optical characterization of photovoltaic properties (photoluminescence).

Biography:
Daniel Suchet is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Physics at École Polytechnique and at the Institut Photovoltaïque d’Île-de-France (IPVF). After completing a PhD in cold-atom physics (LKB), he became interested in high-efficiency strategies for solar energy conversion. He is also Deputy Scientific Director of the interdisciplinary center Energy For Climate (E4C).