Surpassing Shockley–Queisser Efficiency Limit in Photovoltaic Cells

• A record power conversion efficiency of 50%–60% was achieved in Si solar cells by inhibiting the lattice atoms’ thermal oscillations at low temperatures. • Enhancing the light penetration depth can effectively mitigate carrier freeze-out and expand the operational temperature range of silicon cells to 10 K. • The breakthrough challenges the classical Shockley–Queisser limit and opens new avenues for high-efficiency photovoltaics in extreme environments. • The findings have significant implications for powering cryogenic devices and deep-space exploration missions.