Simulation of nanostructure-based and ultra-thin film solar cell devices beyond the classical picture

Abstract

In this paper, an optoelectronic device simulation framework valid for arbitrary spatial variation of electronic potentials and optical modes, and for transport regimes ranging from ballistic to diffusive, is used to study non-local photon absorption, photocurrent generation and carrier extraction in ultra-thin film and nanostructure-based solar cell devices at the radiative limit. Among the effects that are revealed by the microscopic approach and which are inaccessible to macroscopic models is the impact of structure, doping or bias induced nanoscale potential variations on the local photogeneration rate and the photocarrier transport regime.

arXiv comment15 pages, 10 figures

References in corpus (6)

• Microscopic non-equilibrium theory of quantum well solar cells
• Theory and simulation of quantum photovoltaic devices based on the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism
• Quantum-kinetic theory of photocurrent generation via direct and phonon-mediated optical transitions
• Theory and simulation of photogeneration and transport in Si-SiOx superlattice absorbers
• Effective microscopic theory of quantum dot superlattice solar cells
• Theoretical investigation of direct and phonon-assisted tunneling currents in InAlGaAs-InGaAs bulk and quantum well interband tunnel junctions for multi-junction solar cells

Cited by in corpus (6)

• A Microscopic Perspective on Photovoltaic Reciprocity in Ultrathin Solar Cells
• Photocarrier extraction in GaAsSb/GaAsN type-II QW superlattice solar cells
• Simulation of Ultra-thin Solar Cells Beyond the Limits of the Semi-classical Bulk Picture
• Impact of built-in fields and contact configuration on the characteristics of ultra-thin GaAs solar cells
• Impact of nanostructure configuration on the photovoltaic performance of quantum dot arrays
• Quantum-kinetic perspective on photovoltaic device operation in nanostructure-based solar cells