High temperature layered absorber for thermo-solar systems

•The fundamental limits for high temperature solar absorbers have been derived.•Highly efficient layered thermo-solar collectors were designed.•The fabricated structure highlights a conversion rate of 85% of the incident light.

We present a theoretical description of ideal absorber performances for solar thermodynamic systems as well as a numerical and experimental study of high temperature layered absorber. The structure designed can convert 85% of the incident light under a concentration factor of 1000 suns, that is to say almost the ultimate power that a perfect absorber can deliver.