Abstract
Discovered by Edmond Becquerel in 1839, the photovoltaic effect transforms sunlight into electrical power. Spectacular advances in this field have made solar cells emblems of the energy transition. However, although these objects have become familiar, they can still offer physicists some surprises, which this seminar proposes to introduce.
I'll start with a thermodynamic approach to the conversion of radiation by matter to establish the large orders of magnitude of the field (Shockley-Queisser limit). I will then present the reciprocal situation - light emission from the cell - highlighting its importance both for fundamental understanding of the devices (generalized Planck's law) and for optical characterization of photovoltaic properties (photo- and electro-luminescence).
