The science behind transparent solar.
A solar cell wants to absorb photons. A transparent surface wants photons to pass through. LumiFold's research direction is to resolve this tension by harvesting invisible wavelengths — UV and near-infrared.
Photovoltaic principle
Sunlight → photon absorption → electron excitation → charge transport → electrical output. Our research focuses on making this cascade happen with photons humans cannot see.
Mesoporous TiO₂
A nanostructured semiconductor host. High surface area supports dye interaction, charge separation and controllable optical behavior.
Dye sensitization
Specialized dye molecules interact with incoming photons, participating in electron generation across UV / NIR bands while leaving visible light largely undisturbed.
Transparent electrodes
The core tension of transparent PV: electrical conductivity vs. optical transparency. LumiFold explores thin-film conducting layers optimized for this trade-off.
TiO₂ nanotubes
Ordered nanotube geometry can increase active surface area and create more direct charge-transport pathways compared to disordered mesoporous films.
Electrophoretic deposition
One potential thin-film manufacturing route — controllable, scalable and compatible with flexible substrates.
LumiFold does not claim to be actively pursuing every one of these architectures. This is the field in which our research direction operates. Source: transparent solar PV research literature.