Publication date: 22nd July 2026
Quantum dots-in-host (QD@Host) hetero-semiconductors exhibit properties of significant interest for photovoltaic (PV) applications, including photogeneration beyond the conventional semiconductor bandgap absorption limit—allowing for substantially broader harvesting of the solar spectrum.[1,2] However, one crucial aspect has remained unexplored: integrating these features with advanced light-management strategies that can markedly enhance solar cell performance by amplifying QD absorption within targeted spectral regions. This work therefore investigated the optical advantages achievable with optimized QD@Host absorber materials (specifically PbS@Perovskite) incorporated into solar cells, combined with light-trapping (LT) from photonic structures. A semi-classical optical method was developed to explore quantum-enabled photogeneration from QDs in thin perovskite-based PV cells. Smart-search design optimization was then conducted for both planar and photonic-enhanced configurations. For the latter, the goal was to maximize resonant LT to amplify QD-generated absorption. The optimized structures demonstrated substantial below-bandgap absorption via embedded QDs, without compromising the above-bandgap absorption occurring primarily in the host perovskite, yielding photocurrent gains of up to 30%. Incorporating LT structures further increased absorption by approximately 20% (reaching 50% total enhancement relative to pristine cells). Notably, while pristine device photocurrent falls below the standard Shockley-Queisser limit for single-bandgap cells, as expected, the LT-enhanced QD@Host solar cells surpassed this limit by 44%, highlighting the remarkable potential of this technology.
This work received funding from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.) under the projects LA/P/0037/2020, UIDP/50025/2020 and UIDB/50025/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication—i3N, as well as by the projects SpaceFlex (2022.01610.PTDC, DOI: 10.54499/2022.01610.PTDC). The work was also supported by the project M-ECO2 - Industrial cluster for advanced biofuel production, Ref. C644930471-00000041, co-financed by PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan of the European Union (Next Generation EU). The authors also acknowledge funding from the European Union via the projects X-STREAM (Horizon EU, ERC-2023-CoG, No. 101124803), JUMP INTO SPACE (HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01, No. 101162377). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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