One of the most reliable predictions we can make about tomorrow is that the Sun will rise on the eastern horizon at dawn, relentlessly radiate light onto the land as it passes overhead, and eventually fall below the western horizon at sunset. This inevitable cycle makes solar power a prime candidate in the search for solutions to our growing energy demands.

The earth receives on average 173 TW of solar radiation, consisting of discrete packets of energy called photons. Through the considered configuration of materials with particular electrical properties, this incident power may be directly converted into useable electrical energy.

This is the primary function of a solar cell, a photovoltaic device most commonly made from semi-conductive materials. Not only is solar power a sustainable energy resource, but solar cells need consist of no moving parts other than their constituent charge carriers, resulting in system maintenance being relatively low; once solar panels or solar ‘farms’ are constructed, they are able to produce power day after day with little intervention.