Cover Picture: III–V nanowire photovoltaics: Review of design for high efficiency (Phys. Status Solidi RRL 10/2013)

High efficiency III–V nanowire solar cell: III–V nanowire‐based photovoltaics (PV) are a promising replacement for thin‐film solar cells, offering the potential for less material utilization, excellent anti‐reflection properties, lattice‐mismatched growth on silicon, and high power conversion efficiency. In the Review@RRL article by LaPierre et al. (pp. 815–830), the status of nanowire PV is summarized including issues related to nanowire growth, control of nanowire growth direction, crystal structure, optical absorption, carrier collection, strain accommodation, tunnel junctions, Ohmic contact formation, passivation and doping. Performance data of III–V nanowire cells and the primary challenges in nanowire PV are summarized.