Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center
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- A record power conversion efficiency of 50%–60% was achieved in Si solar cells by inhibiting the lattice atoms’ thermal oscillations at low temperatures.
- Enhancing the light penetration depth can effectively mitigate carrier freeze-out and expand the operational temperature range of silicon cells to 10 K.
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Credit: Zhigang Li, Bingqing Wei.
The 33 % Shockley–Queisser (S-Q) ceiling has stood as the ultimate barrier for single-junction photovoltaics since 1961. Now, Prof. Zhigang Li (Taizhou University) and Prof. Bingqing Wei (University of Delaware) report the first experimental breach: n-type monocrystalline Si cells delivering 50–60 % power-conversion efficiency at 30–50 K, effectively doubling the room-temperature record and opening a practical route to cryogenic and deep-space power.
Why Low-Temperature PV Matters
Innovative Design & Features
Applications & Future Outlook
This work rewrites the low-temperature PV playbook, turning the once-dreaded freeze-out regime into an ultra-efficiency window—pointing toward >50 % single-junction devices for extreme-environment energy harvesting. Stay tuned for vacuum-chamber and lunar-simulant tests from the Wei–Li joint lab!
Nano-Micro Letters
10.1007/s40820-025-01844-8
Experimental study
Surpassing Shockley–Queisser Efficiency Limit in Photovoltaic Cells
14-Jul-2025
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Copyright © 2026 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
