Eu2+/3+:Yb3+ co-doped sodium calcium silicate glass: A case study of a spectral converter

Abstract

Enhancing silicon solar cells’ efficiency is an ongoing challenge, and spectral converters offer a promising solution. In the present study, sodium calcium silicate glasses co-doped with

and

were prepared and analyzed for their potential application as spectral converters. Optical absorption spectroscopy confirmed the presence of rare-earth ions in the matrix, with

responsible for strong UV/blue absorption. Photoluminescence results show conversion of UV (355 nm) photons into near-infrared (970 nm) ones by energy transfer from

to

. A methodology was applied to assess the impact of spectral modification on the current output of a silicon solar cell. This analysis indicated a reduction of the solar cell output when using our materials due to the absorption of

and, mainly, of

. Even though the

is a well-known near-infrared emitter, its concentration should be limited to avoid the negative effect introduced by the reabsorption effect.