By magnifying the solar energy, the technology can reduce the amount of semiconductor material needed for the photovoltaic cell.
A thin wafer of semiconductor material used for measuring ac power and magnetic output voltage is proportional to the current passing through it times the magnetic field perpendicular to it.
By contrast, photovoltaic solar power systems, mostly used on home rooftops, let light interact directly with semiconductor materials to generate power.
Researchers are applying the design to semiconductor materials to make solar cells that they hope will save money on materials costs while still offering high power-conversion efficiency.
