Laser engineering breakthrough boosts solar thermoelectric power generation 15X

https://bioengineer.org/15x-boost-in-solar-thermoelectric-power-via-laser-engineering/

"fs-laser pulses sculpt micro/ nanostructures on thermoelectric surface... common materials, reduced manufacturing/ maintenance costs, complexity... optimizes absorption spectrum to match solar irradiance while minimizing reflective losses, traps converts broader range of sunlight frequencies... even scattered sunlight usable... future: optimizing laser patterns' geometric parameters, semiconductor/ plasmonic nanoparticle nanocomposites for enhanced light trapping, integrating intelligent thermal regulation"

See also: Black metal could give a heavy boost to solar power generation
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1094469

Bill commented by email regarding whether same sunlight footprint can be used for this device and traditional solar cells simultaneously: My background reading says such a thermal-electric device uses IR photons. These are of a different energy than the photons used by photovoltaic cells. IR photons are harmful to normal solar cells. So, using a meta-material or lens might be possible to direct solar photons at normal solar cell and this IR heat device.

Related:

Thermoelectric breakthrough: resolving classic model limitations with new insights
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1094701

AI-assisted discovery of the ‘self-optimizing’ mechanism in magnesium-based thermoelectric materials
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1095487