Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices

Chen, I-Ju; Limpert, Steven; Metaferia, Wondwosen Tilahun; Thelander, Claes; Samuelson, Lars; Capasso, Federico; Burke, Adam M.; Linke, Heiner

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04873

Title: Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices

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Abstract

Nanowires bring new possibilities to the field of hot-carrier photovoltaics by providing flexibility in combining materials for band engineering and using nanophotonic effects to control light absorption. Previously, an open-circuit voltage beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit was demonstrated in hot-carrier devices based on InAs–InP–InAs nanowire heterostructures. However, in these first experiments, the location of light absorption, and therefore the precise mechanism of hot-carrier extraction, was uncontrolled. In this study, we combine plasmonic nanoantennas with InAs–InP–InAs nanowire devices to enhance light absorption within a subwavelength region near an InP energy barrier that serves as an energy filter. From photon-energy- and irradiance-dependent photocurrent and photovoltage measurements, we find that photocurrent generation is dominated by internal photoemission of nonthermalized hot electrons when the photoexcited electron energy is above the barrier and by photothermionic emission when the energy is below the barrier. We estimate that an internal quantum efficiency up to 0.5–1.2% is achieved. Insights from this study provide guidelines to improve internal quantum efficiencies based on nanowire heterostructures.

Authors:

^[1];

^[2]; Thelander, Claes ^[1];

^[1]; Capasso, Federico ^[3]; Burke, Adam M. ^[1];

^[1]

Lund Univ. (Sweden)
Lund Univ. (Sweden); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2020

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); European Research Council (ERC); People Programme of the European Union; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW)

OSTI Identifier:: 1660024

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-77254
Journal ID: ISSN 1530-6984; MainId:26200;UUID:6a73038f-e5e3-498b-af72-26cfffacf5fb;MainAdminID:13784

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; 336126; 608153; 2016.0089

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nano Letters

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 20; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1530-6984

Publisher:: American Chemical Society

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; hot electron; III-V nanowire heterostructure; internal photoemission; photothermionic; plasmonic; solar energy conversion

Citation Formats


                    Chen, I-Ju, Limpert, Steven, Metaferia, Wondwosen Tilahun, Thelander, Claes, Samuelson, Lars, Capasso, Federico, Burke, Adam M., and Linke, Heiner. Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices.  United States: N. p., 2020. 
Web.  doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04873.

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                    Chen, I-Ju, Limpert, Steven, Metaferia, Wondwosen Tilahun, Thelander, Claes, Samuelson, Lars, Capasso, Federico, Burke, Adam M., & Linke, Heiner. Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04873

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                    Chen, I-Ju, Limpert, Steven, Metaferia, Wondwosen Tilahun, Thelander, Claes, Samuelson, Lars, Capasso, Federico, Burke, Adam M., and Linke, Heiner. Wed .  
"Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04873.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1660024.

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@article{osti_1660024,

  title        = {Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices},

  author       = {Chen, I-Ju and Limpert, Steven and Metaferia, Wondwosen Tilahun and Thelander, Claes and Samuelson, Lars and Capasso, Federico and Burke, Adam M. and Linke, Heiner},

  abstractNote = {Nanowires bring new possibilities to the field of hot-carrier photovoltaics by providing flexibility in combining materials for band engineering and using nanophotonic effects to control light absorption. Previously, an open-circuit voltage beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit was demonstrated in hot-carrier devices based on InAs–InP–InAs nanowire heterostructures. However, in these first experiments, the location of light absorption, and therefore the precise mechanism of hot-carrier extraction, was uncontrolled. In this study, we combine plasmonic nanoantennas with InAs–InP–InAs nanowire devices to enhance light absorption within a subwavelength region near an InP energy barrier that serves as an energy filter. From photon-energy- and irradiance-dependent photocurrent and photovoltage measurements, we find that photocurrent generation is dominated by internal photoemission of nonthermalized hot electrons when the photoexcited electron energy is above the barrier and by photothermionic emission when the energy is below the barrier. We estimate that an internal quantum efficiency up to 0.5–1.2% is achieved. Insights from this study provide guidelines to improve internal quantum efficiencies based on nanowire heterostructures.},

  doi          = {10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04873},

  journal      = {Nano Letters},

  number       = 6,

  volume       = 20,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2020},

  month        = {Wed Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2020}

}

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