Radioluminescent (beta-photovoltaic) nuclear battery

Matrix context

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

D.20 × C.39 · Nuclear binding-energy difference × Radioluminescentfamily: RadioluminescentD.20 × C.18 · Nuclear binding-energy difference × Photovoltaicfamily: Photovoltaic

Measured or reported performance

1. total power conversion efficiency0.289 %laboratory2017
   ⁶³Ni chloride solution mixed with ZnS:Cu,Al phosphor on an InGaP cell; the planar configuration reached 0.0638 % at 50 μm
   refs [7]
2. electrical power density3.35 nW/cm²laboratory2017
   volumetric configuration
   refs [7]

best recorded power density (derived)

3.35 nW/cm² per active device area — electrical power density, laboratory, 2017; electrical power per cell area at 30 mCi ⁶³Ni

best recorded efficiency (derived)

0.3% — total power conversion efficiency, laboratory, 2017; derived from the structured data above, not a stored number

Typed bounds on this route

Every limit the atlas holds for this route, as constraint records: reached through bounded_by claims on the route's own entities. Hard bounds (an upper bound or a formula) decide the thermodynamic-bound check above; benchmarks, constitutive relations and resource limits are listed and never decisive. No prose limit exists anywhere (pass 42).

• Shockley–Queisser limit · upper-bound · hard, filtered out by its applicability
  η ≤ 33.7% for a single p–n junction under unconcentrated AM1.5 sunlight
• Landsberg limit · formula-bound · hard, filtered out by its applicability
  η ≤ 1 − (4/3)(T_c/T_s) + (1/3)(T_c/T_s)⁴ for conversion of blackbody radiation at T_s with a sink at T_c; 93.3 % at 6000 K / 300 K

Steps

1. 01
   Nuclear binding-energy difference —drives→ Radioactive decayestablishedclaim record

   nuclear → nuclear

   radioisotope required

   refs [1]
2. 02
   Radioactive decay —produces→ Beta particlesestablishedclaim record

   nuclear → nuclear

   • beta emitters such as tritium, Ni-63, Pm-147, Sr-90

   refs [1]
3. 03
   Beta particles —drives→ Radioluminescenceestablishedclaim record

   nuclear → radiative · loss to thermal

   • a phosphor or scintillator (ZnS:Cu, plastic scintillator) excited by beta particles; tritium and Ni-63 sources are the usual choice for lifetime and shielding

   solid · radioisotope required

   refs [2] [1]
4. 04
   Radioluminescence —produces→ Photonsestablishedclaim record

   radiative → radiative

   refs [2]
5. 05
   Photons —drives→ Photovoltaic effectestablishedclaim record

   radiative → electronic-excitation · loss to thermal

   • photons from any source, including a thermal emitter, absorbed above the gap

   solid · semiconductor required

   refs [3] [4]
6. 06
   Photovoltaic effect —produces→ Electron–hole pairsestablishedclaim record

   electronic-excitation → electronic-excitation · loss to thermal

   refs [4] [5] [6]
7. 07
   Electron–hole pairs —converts into→ Electrical workestablishedclaim record

   electronic-excitation → electrical · loss to thermal

   • the junction field separates the pair and the carriers reach the contacts before recombining

   solid · semiconductor required

   refs [4] [5]

Evidence for the complete composition · 1

1. [7]
   J. Russo et al.. A radioluminescent nuclear battery using volumetric configuration: 63Ni solution/ZnS:Cu,Al/InGaP (2017)

   Applied Radiation and Isotopes 130, 66–74 · doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.09.018 · record

Evidence for the constituent relations · 6

1. [1]
   M. A. Prelas, et al.. A review of nuclear batteries (2014)

   Progress in Nuclear Energy 75, 117–148 · doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2014.04.007 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
2. [2]
   A. Iwan, W. Pellowski, K. A. Bogdanowicz. Conversion of Radiophotoluminescence Irradiation into Electricity in Photovoltaic Cells. A Review of Theoretical Considerations and Practical Solutions (2021)

   Energies 14, 6186 · doi:10.3390/en14196186 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-20 · record
3. [3]
   A. LaPotin, et al.. Thermophotovoltaic efficiency of 40% (2022)

   Nature 604, 287–291 · doi:10.1038/s41586-022-04473-y · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
4. [4]
   W. Shockley, H. J. Queisser. Detailed balance limit of efficiency of p-n junction solar cells (1961)

   Journal of Applied Physics 32, 510–519 · doi:10.1063/1.1736034 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
5. [5]
   C. Kittel. Introduction to Solid State Physics (8th ed.) (2005)

   Wiley · book, no DOI · record
6. [6]
   M. A. Green, et al.. Solar cell efficiency tables (Version 63) (2024)

   Progress in Photovoltaics 32, 3–13 · doi:10.1002/pip.3750 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record