Hot carrier solar cells: The device that did not exist (but should)

Hot carriers are an unusual type of solar cell, very efficient in principle but where electronic, optical and thermal effects are inextricably mixed. Modeling was used first to understand the device operation. Then more detailed simulations were made on phononic properties of the nanostructures absorbing material using DFT-based molecular dynamics and electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions using a Monte Carlo approach.