Hans-Joachim Queisser and William Shockley calculated an ideal efficiency limit for a single-junction solar cell using detailed balance. The cell must emit as well as absorb photons, and radiative recombination therefore limits the electrical work extracted from illumination even when other losses are removed. Their 1961 analysis varies the band gap and allows a specified fraction of nonradiative recombination. The familiar limit belongs to stated assumptions about the illumination, cell temperature and device; it is not one universal numerical efficiency for every photovoltaic design.[ref]
A physicist who coauthored Detailed Balance Limit of Efficiency of p-n Junction Solar Cells by William Shockley and Hans-Joachim Queisser.
Portrait of Hans-Joachim Queisser
. Rolf Kickuth. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source. Articles by others on the same topic
Hans-Joachim Queisser is a German physicist known for his significant contributions in the field of semiconductor physics and solar energy, particularly in the development of solar cell technology. One of his notable achievements is the discovery of the "Queisser limit," which defines the maximum theoretical efficiency of solar cells based on the bandgap energy of the semiconductor materials used. His work has greatly influenced the research and development of photovoltaic devices, leading to advancements in solar energy conversion.