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Valley Photovoltaics: An alternative approach towards a practical hot carrier solar cell

ORAL

Abstract

Hot carrier solar cells offer the potential to increase the efficiency of single gap solar cells beyond 60%. Here, a different approach is investigated where hot carriers are scattered to the L and X valleys prior to thermalization via a combination of intervalley scattering and the Gunn Effect. Transfer and storage, followed by successful extraction, of high energy carriers through satellite valleys of absorber has the potential to produce strong photocurrent and above-bandgap photovoltage, which in an optimized system would exceed the single gap limit. A simple AlInAs/InGaAs/AlInAs heterojunction solar cell provides proof-of-principle operation evidenced in simultaneous monochromatic current-voltage and photoluminescence measurements. Measurements of the contribution of photoinduced and field enhanced valley scattering are presented, and the effect of valley dependent carrier extraction discussed.

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Presenters

  • Kyle R Dorman

    Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma

Authors

  • Kyle R Dorman

    Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma

  • Hamidreza Esmaielpour

    Institut du Photovoltaïque d'Ile de France, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma

  • David K Ferry

    School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University

  • Tetsuya D Mishima

    Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma

  • Michael B Santos

    Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma

  • Vincent R. Whiteside

    Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma

  • Brandon Kenneth Durant

    Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma

  • Ian R Sellers

    Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma