David Jacques

Project Title: Improving the Efficiency of Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Background

I graduated with a BSc in Physics from The University of Manchester. After working a while as a foreign expert in Hunan province, China, I joined the third intake of Low Carbon Technologies DTC students in September 2011. I found the DTC an attractive prospect as it gave me to chance to place my fundamental knowledge in to a wider context whilst still being able to develop my main interests.

Research

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the requirements of the DTC scheme, my thesis is to be split in to two parts with Part I being the central engineering theme and part II supporting this research by placing it within the area of solar Energy. Part II focusses on current issues in photovoltaics such as resources assessment and life cycle analyses. The aim of part I is to fabricate and characterise a Schottky barrier solar cell which can then, potentially, be made more efficient by improving its response to the visible part of the solar spectrum by adding semiconducting nanocrystals. This new type of solar cell has the potential to have many advantages over standard silicon solar cells.