News & updates
Latest developments from our institute
Stay informed about new research results, awards, events, and collaborations across our scientific community.
Cum laude defense Sander Mann
On December 6th Sander Mann successfully defended his PhD thesis Quantifying limits and losses in nanoscale photovoltaics at the University of Amsterdam. He obtained the cum laude degree for his doctorate research in the Nanoscale Solar Cells group led by Erik Garnett. This degree is reserved for the top 5% of students. Mann was Garnett’s first PhD student.
Understanding nanoscale solar cells
A team of researchers from the AMOLF-group Nanoscale Solar Cells and Eindhoven University of Technology have developed both a theory and an experimental method that provide the first detailed demonstration of how a nanoscale solar cell works. This had proved challenging until now due to the exceptionally small size of these solar cells. This new method has brought implementation of nanotechnology in the production of sustainable energy a step closer. The researchers published their results on 12 September 2016 in an article in Nature Nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology can improve solar cell efficiencies via directional emission
Researchers from the Nanoscale Solar Cells group at AMOLF together with collaborators from the University of Texas, Austin, and Columbia University, New York, found that nanostructures can enable efficiencies above the so-called “Shockley-Queisser” limit, which limits the efficiency of a normal solar cell to 34%. These results were published in ACS Nano on September 1, 2016.
Vidi grants for Erik Garnett and Yves Rezus
AMOLF group leaders Erik Garnett and Yves Rezus have received an NWO Vidi grant. NWO has awarded 87 experienced researchers a Vidi grant worth 800,000 euros. The grant enables them to develop their own innovative line of research.
AMOLF group leaders publish review article in Science on challenges in photovoltaic energy conversion
Analyzing 16 record-efficiency solar cell materials, the paper presents opportunities to improve photovoltaic efficiency using nanoscale light management and to enhance carrier collection with innovative materials science and engineering strategies.
AMOLF researchers make transparent conductors by means of stamping and growing
Researchers at AMOLF have discovered a new technique for making transparent conductors used in electronics such as solar cells and smartphones.
SOLARDAM – Amsterdam solar energy initiative has received first grant
The solar energy research network SOLARDAM has received its first research grant.The 1 M€ grant from the Amsterdam Academic Alliance (AAA) enables collaborative research between AMOLF, UvA, VU, and ECN on the development of novel methods to convert sunlight to electricity and fuel.
Solar cell researchers combine the best of two worlds with mineral based nanowires
For the first time a team of researchers from FOM Institute AMOLF have synthesized a mineral (AgFeS2) to create semiconducting nanowires. This earth-abundant semiconductor has a direct band gap of 0.88 eV and thus could form the basis for a cheap bottom cell in a multi-junction photovoltaic material. This work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on March 26, 2015.