Poking tiny dents into solar panels makes them work better

Putting a dent in solar cells may actually make them more efficient. It could even pave the way to solar cells that break a fundamental limit on how much energy the material can absorb.

Solar cells work via the photovoltaic effect, in which light imparts energy to electrons, allowing them to move around and create electrical current. Most modern solar cells place two different types of semiconductor materials next to each other, which directs the electrical current to flow from one material to the other.…