Blu-ray disc can be used to improve solar cell performance

[nsaspook]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...ar_energy+(Solar+Energy+News+--+ScienceDaily)

An interdisciplinary research team has discovered that the pattern of information written on a Blu-ray disc -- and it doesn't matter if it's Jackie Chan's "Supercop" or the cartoon "Family Guy" -- works very well for improving light absorption across the solar spectrum. And better yet, the researchers know why.
...
The Northwestern researchers have demonstrated that a Blu-ray disc's strings of binary code 0s and 1s, embedded as islands and pits to store video information, give solar cells the near-optimal surface texture to improve their absorption over the broad spectrum of sunlight.

Pretty cool use of a mass produced product but how much do you think a Chuck Norris disk would boost performance?

 

[dragoneyes001]

so they plan to make solar cells with a BR disc like surface or try and alter BR's into solar cells?

a chuck BR would come with too many POW's.

 

[nsaspook]

so they plan to make solar cells with a BR disc like surface or try and alter BR's into solar cells?

a chuck BR would come with too many POW's.

I would think you could use a generic photo type mask to imprint the pattern directly on an encapsulation layer of the cell and use a RF etch or bath process to remove material like a regular semiconductor layer process. Like most things it looks good in the lab but how will it scale and how long will it remain effective under commercial conditions like a house roof in Arizona during the summer heat?
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/141125/ncomms6517/carousel/ncomms6517-f2.jpg[/PLAIN]

 

[dragoneyes001]

with an extra layer of glass on top it might just last through most weathering just not so well in high rain areas with lots of mold buildup

 

[alphy]

I must caution against making assumptions about the performance enhancement of a solar cell based on the content of a Blu-ray disc. While the study has shown that the pattern of information on a Blu-ray disc can improve light absorption in solar cells, it does not necessarily mean that a specific movie or TV show will have the same effect. The researchers have identified the underlying mechanism for the improved performance, which is the near-optimal surface texture created by the disc's binary code. Therefore, it is unlikely that a Chuck Norris disc would have a significantly different impact on solar cell performance compared to other Blu-ray discs. Further research would be needed to determine the specific effects of different types of information patterns on solar cell performance.