TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - The absorber layer has at least one inorganic materials selected from titania (TiO2), nanocrystalline TiO2, zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO or Cu2O or CuxOy), zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, niobium oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, strontium oxide, calcium/titanium oxide and other oxides, sodium titanate, potassium niobate, cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium sulfide (CdS), copper sulfide (Cu2S), cadmium telluride (CdTe), cadmium-tellurium selenide (CdTeSe), copper-indium selenide (CuInSe2), cadmium oxide (CdOx), CuI, CuSCN, semiconductive material and/or silicon. The absorber layer has at least one material selected from an oligomeric material, micro-crystalline silicon, inorganic nanorods dispersed in an organic matrix, inorganic tetrapods dispersed in an organic matrix, quantum dot materials, ionic conducting polymer gels, sol-gel nanocomposites containing an ionic liquid, ionic conductors, low molecular weight organic hole conductors, CeO and/or other small molecules.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - The pottant layer comprises at least one of ethyl vinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, ionomer, silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer polyolefin, tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene vinylidene, fluorinated ethylene-propylene, saturated rubber, butyl rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, flexibilized epoxy, epoxy, amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, urethane acrylic, acrylic, and/or other fluoroelastomers.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - The absorber layer has at least one organic materials selected from: conjugated polymer, poly(phenylene) or its derivative, poly(phenylene vinylene) or its derivative (e.g. poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene (MEH-PPV), poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (PPV)), PPV copolymers, poly(thiophene) or its derivative (e.g. poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom poly(thienylenevinylene) or its derivative, and poly(isothianaphthene) or its derivative, 2,2'7,7'-tetrakis(N,N-di-para-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene (spiro-MeOTAD), organometallic polymer, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines) and their derivatives, and discotic liquid crystals, organic pigments or dyes, Ruthenium-based dye, liquid iodide/triiodide electrolyte, azo-dyes having azo chromophores (-N=N-) linking aromatic groups, phthalocyanines including metal-free phthalocyanine, perylenes or their derivatives, copper pthalocyanines (CuPc), zinc pthalocyanines (ZnPc), naphthalocyanines, squaraines, merocyanines and their respective derivatives, poly(silanes), poly(germinates), 2,9-di(pent-3-yl)-anthra(2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f)diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone, and 2,9-bis-(1-hexyl-hept-1-yl)-anthra(2,1,9-d'e'f':6,5,10-d'e'f)diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone and pentacene or their derivatives and/or precursors, N-type ladder polymer, and/or poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder).