Photonic and Nanoscale Strategies for High Efficiency Solar Photovoltaic and Thermoelectric Energy Conversion

The field of solar and thermal energy conversion continues to confront a persistent challenge: existing systems perform far below their fundamental thermodynamic efficiency limits. The primary culprits are unmanaged photon losses and insufficiently directed heat fluxes, both of which reduce usable energy capture and conversion. Recent breakthroughs in photonic and nano-optical engineering—powered by metasurfaces, resonant dielectric nanostructures, and plasmonic architectures—have transformed this landscape. They enable broadband light trapping in ultrathin absorbers, photon recycling in high-radiance thin-film devices, and precise control of thermal emission. In parallel, radiative cooling structures and spectrally selective emitters demonstrate that thermal radiation can now be tailored with the same precision as solar illumination, unlocking hybrid photovoltaic–thermoelectric (PV–TE) architectures. Advances in thermoelectric materials and nanophononics, particularly through phonon engineering and phononic crystals, have further improved thermal conductivity control, bringing the field closer to high-efficiency, scalable energy systems. Yet, despite these advances, a cohesive framework linking photonic design, thermal management, and device performance across technologies remains elusive.This Research Topic aims to create a unified, cross-disciplinary platform that merges photonics, nanoscale thermal management, and materials science to achieve tangible gains in solar photovoltaic and thermoelectric conversion efficiency. The objective is to elucidate when and why photonic or nanostructured approaches outperform conventional optical and thermal strategies, and how these structures influence charge transport, recombination, mechanical stability, and integration. Key questions include how to couple inverse or physics-guided design of nanostructures with scalable fabrication, high-precision metrology, and realistic operational validation under spectral, angular, and thermal variations. By fostering a dialogue between solar PV and TE communities, this Topic seeks to accelerate the development of hybrid devices—such as photothermal-radiative converters and radiative cooling-assisted photovoltaics—and to establish standardized reporting practices that ensure comparability across materials and architectures.This Research Topic focuses on photonic, nano-optical, and nanoscale thermal strategies that demonstrably improve energy conversion in solar photovoltaic and thermoelectric systems. It encompasses modeling, experimental, and translational studies, while excluding purely theoretical investigations that lack energy-conversion metrics.To gather further insights in the intersection between light–matter interaction and energy efficiency, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Photonic light-trapping, photon recycling, and near-field radiative transfer mechanisms• Nanostructured thermal emitters, absorbers, and radiative cooling architectures• Coupled optical–thermal–electrical modeling and device-level validation• Scalability, tolerance analysis, and manufacturability of photonic nanostructures• Nanophononic and phonon-engineered thermoelectric materials and devices• Hybrid PV–TE architectures and radiative/thermal coupling strategies• Benchmarking frameworks and robust reporting of optical, thermal, and performance metrics Topic editors: Azadeh Didari-Bader, Monika Rai, Hamed Saghaei Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81481/photonic-and-nanoscale-strategies-for-high-efficiency-solar-photovoltaic-and-thermoelectric-energy-conversion