Effect of internal electric field on InAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells

Journal Article · Fri Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4867042· OSTI ID:22277995

Kasamatsu, Naofumi; Kada, Tomoyuki; Hasegawa, Aiko; Harada, Yukihiro; Kita, Takashi ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501 (Japan)

We studied time-resolved carrier recombination in InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) solar cells. The electric field in a p-i-n diode structure spatially separates photoexcited carriers in QDs, strongly affecting the conversion efficiency of intermediate-band solar cells. The radiative decay lifetime is dramatically reduced in a strong electric field (193 kV/cm) by efficient recombination due to strong carrier localization in each QD and significant tunneling-assisted electron escape. Conversely, an electric field of the order of 10 kV/cm maintains electronic coupling in the stacked QDs and diminishes tunneling-assisted electron escape.

• OSTI ID: 22277995
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 8; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
COUPLING
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
HETEROJUNCTIONS
INDIUM ARSENIDES
LIFETIME
QUANTUM DOTS
RECOMBINATION
SOLAR CELLS
TIME RESOLUTION
TUNNEL EFFECT