2.627 Fundamentals of Photovoltaics (Fall 2011, MIT OCW). Instructor: Prof. Tonio Buonassisi. In this course, students learn about the fundamentals of photoelectric conversion: charge excitation, conduction, separation, and collection. Lectures cover commercial and emerging photovoltaic technologies and cross-cutting themes, including conversion efficiencies, loss mechanisms, characterization, manufacturing, systems, reliability, life-cycle analysis, and risk analysis. Some of the course will also be devoted to discussing photovoltaic technology evolution in the context of markets, policies, society, and environment.
(from ocw.mit.edu)
Lecture 04 - Charge Excitation
Description of band gap and optical charge excitation in semiconductors. How a band gap determines maximum theoretical efficiency. Thermalization losses.