Solar Energy: Photovoltaics and Related Materials - MATTHEW ESCARRA

The sun provides Earth with almost 6000 times the energy that is needed by all of humanity. Yet directly harvesting it at large scale is an ongoing challenge. This lecture will introduce this promising opportunity and then will focus on direct conversion of sunlight to electricity with photovoltaics. Fundamental principles in solid state and optical physics will be reviewed. Key topics in materials science and engineering will be addressed, with emphasis on both standard and novel materials and their associated applications.