Threshold wavelength of photovoltaic cells

What is the wavelength of a solar cell?

The wavelengths of visible light occur between 400 and 700 nm, so the bandwidth wavelength for silicon solar cells is in the very near infrared range. Any radiation with a longer wavelength, such as microwaves and radio waves, lacks the energy to produce electricity from a solar cell.

Are photovoltaic cells sensitive to sunlight?

Photovoltaic cells are sensitive to incident sunlight with a wavelength above the band gap wavelength of the semiconducting material used manufacture them. Most cells are made from silicon. The solar cell wavelength for silicon is 1,110 nanometers. That's in the near infrared part of the spectrum.

How many nanometers does a photovoltaic cell have?

Visible light waves measure between 400 and 700 nanometers, although the sun's spectrum also includes shorter ultraviolet waves and longer waves of infrared. A photovoltaic cell responds selectively to light wavelengths. Those much longer than 700 nanometers lack the energy to affect the cell and simply pass through it.

What is the spectral response of a silicon solar cell under glass?

The spectral response of a silicon solar cell under glass. At short wavelengths below 400 nm the glass absorbs most of the light and the cell response is very low. At intermediate wavelengths the cell approaches the ideal. At long wavelengths the response falls back to zero.

How do photovoltaic cells improve efficiency?

Newer photovoltaic cell designs achieve higher efficiency by converting more wavelengths into useful energy. Visible light is a very small part of the electromagnetic spectrum, a continuous range of energy wavelengths that includes radio waves, light and X-rays.

How does light affect a photovoltaic cell?

Light causes the charges to move, producing an electric current. Materials containing different impurities change the wavelengths at which the cell responds in different ways. The photovoltaic cell doesn't convert all the light, even if it's at the right wavelength. Some of the energy becomes heat, and some reflects off the cell's surface.