Improved model for solar cells with down-conversion and down-shifting of high-energy photons

Bădescu, Viorel; Vos, Alexis De; Badescu, Alina Mihaela; Szymańska, Aleksandra

doi:10.1088/0022-3727/40/2/009

Cited by 65 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(123 reference statements)

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“…The one of the most straightforward methods of quantum dots application in photovoltaics is their utilization for light conversion in down-conversion (DC) process, which is also known as quantum-cutting [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. The down-converter transforms one high energy photon into two or more photons of lower energy but simultaneously higher than the bandgap.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studying of Perovskite Nanoparticles in PMMA Matrix Used As Light Converter for Silicon Solar Cell

Lipiński¹,

Socha²,

Kędra³

et al. 2017

Archives of Metallurgy and Materials

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The nanoparticles of CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 hybrid perovskites were synthesized. These perovskite nanoparticles we embedded in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in order to obtain the composite, which we used as light converter for silicon solar cells. It was shown that the composite emit the light with the intensity maximum at about 527 nm when exited by a short wavelength (300÷450 nm) of light.The silicon solar cells were used to examine the effect of down-conversion (DC) process by perovskite nanoparticles embedded in PMMA. For experiments, two groups of monocrystalline silicon solar cells were used. The first one included the solar cells without surface texturization and antireflection coating. The second one included the commercial cells with surface texturization and antireflection coating. In every series of the cells one part of the cells were covered by composite (CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 in PMMA) layer and second part of cells by pure PMMA for comparison. It was shown that External Quantum Efficiency EQE of the photovoltaic cells covered by composite (CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 in PMMA) layer was improved in both group of the cells but unfortunately the Internal Quantum Efficiency was reduced. This reduction was caused by high absorption of the short wavelength light and reabsorption of the luminescence light. Therefore, the CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 perovskite nanoparticles embedded in PMMA matrix were unable to increase silicon solar cell efficiency in the tested systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studying of Perovskite Nanoparticles in PMMA Matrix Used As Light Converter for Silicon Solar Cell

Lipiński¹,

Socha²,

Kędra³

et al. 2017

Archives of Metallurgy and Materials

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“…It should be noted that this approach is slightly different than the approach followed by Badescu et al 4 in which efficiency factors were included to account for the carrier generations and recombinations, while in this work these effects are included in the IQE. Similar as for the direct radiation, the indirect solar radiation N 1i4 that is absorbed in the cell is equal to…”

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The geometrical factor B ab for the transmittance of radiation, in case of an axi-symmetrical source of radiation, from medium a to medium b is given by 4 B ab ¼ 2p where d is equal to p/2 in the case of a hemispherical radiation source. When direct solar radiation is considered d is given by the sine of the radius of the sun (0.6955Á10 6 km) divided over the distance from the sun to the earth (149.6Á10 6 km): 0.00465 rad.…”

Section: Appendix: Calculation Of the Transmittancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In these kinds of cells, efficiencies above the Shockley-Queisser limit can be obtained, since the thermalization of high energy photons is reduced by cutting a high energy photon into two lower energy photons. Badescu et al 4,5 extended the model by carefully taking into account the influence of the refractive indices of the different layers on the light in-coupling into the solar cell. Thomas et al recently used these models to calculate the efficiency of a cell with a spectral shifting layer on top.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Efficiency enhancement calculations of state-of-the-art solar cells by luminescent layers with spectral shifting, quantum cutting, and quantum tripling function

Kate

Jong

Hintzen

et al. 2013

Journal of Applied Physics

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Solar cells of which the efficiency is not limited by the Shockley-Queisser limit can be obtained by integrating a luminescent spectral conversion layer into the cell structure. We have calculated the maximum efficiency of state-of-the-art c-Si, pc-Si, a-Si, CdTe, GaAs, CIS, CIGS, CGS, GaSb, and Ge solar cells with and without an integrated spectral shifting, quantum cutting, or quantum tripling layer using their measured internal quantum efficiency (IQE) curves. Our detailed balance limit calculations not only take into account light in-coupling efficiency of the direct AM1.5 spectral irradiance but also wavelength dependence of the refractive index and the IQEs of the cells and the angular dependent light in-coupling of the indirect spectral irradiance. An ideal quantum cutting layer enhances all cell efficiencies ranging from a modest 2.9% for c-Si to much larger values of 4.0%, 7.7%, and 11.2% for CIGS, Ge, and GaSb, respectively. A quantum tripling layer also enhances cell efficiencies, but to a lesser extent. These efficiency enhancements are largest for small band gap cells like GaSb (7.5%) and Ge (3.8%). Combining a quantum tripling and a quantum cutting layer would enhance efficiency of these cells by a factor of two. Efficiency enhancement by a simple spectral shifting layer is limited to less than 1% in case the IQE is high for blue and UV lights. However, for CdTe and GaSb solar cells, efficiency enhancements are as high as 4.6% and 3.5%, respectively. A shifting layer based on available red LED phosphors like Sr 2 Si 5 N 8 :Eu will raise CdTe efficiency by 3.0%. V C 2013 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx

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“…The improvement of the absorption can be achieved by different methods, such as tandem structures [14,[122][123][124], downconversion [125][126][127][128][129][130][131], upconversion [132][133][134][135][136][137][138], synthesis of broad band absorption polymers [31,32,[139][140][141][142], scattering, employing plasmonic effects [143][144][145][146][147][148], and using fluorescence concentrators [149][150][151][152][153][154]. Considering our lab's capability, the fluorescence converter appears to be a viable approach.…”

Section: Enhancement Of Absorption By Fluorescence Structure Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photocurrent Limiting Mechanisms in Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

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As we use more energy as a society, there is a greater need to become less reliant on non-renewable energy sources. Photovoltaics (PV), as a method of harvesting sunlight and converting it into electricity, provide a potential way of producing clean renewable energy.Organic bulk heteojunction (BHJ) solar cells featured with low-cost, large-area and thin-film manufacture, have become more viable with the recent demonstration with power conversion efficiencies (PCE) as high as10.7%. However, there is still a room for further improvement to reach the thermodynamic PCE limit of ~22%. For organic BHJ solar cells, the efficiency is essentially limited by the low short-circuit current density, which is determined by four sequential steps that are necessary to transform incident photons to free charge carriers. These steps are photo absorption and exciton formation, exciton diffusion, polaron pair dissociation and free polaron collection. In order to know the extent to which each of these steps limits the efficiency, a systematic study to analyze the limiting mechanisms is beneficial.In this work, we report approaches that are capable of providing insight into these processes by applying several complementary experimental techniques and theoretical calculations. The material system that are studied are poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): Therefore, it is quite intrigue to explore the reasons behind that.For absorption, the optical transfer-matrix theory is applied on the multi-thinlayer structure of organic BHJ solar cells. The complex refractive index is extracted.Meanwhile, the optical electric field and the absorption efficiency are calculated and iii AcknowledgementThe Ph.D study is a strict but a joyful scientific training. To make through it, I'd like to thank to the people who gave me tremendous support in these years.First and foremost I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Joe C. Campbell, for his patient guidance, continual support and encouragement during my Ph.D study. I learned a lot from him, not only about how to tackle the experimental/theoretical problems, but also about the vision, the presentation skills, and the way to keep a good relationship with your collaborators. I also appreciate the research freedom that Dr. Joe C. Campbell gave to me, which allows me to deliberate, to try and to pursuit without worrying.

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Improved model for solar cells with down-conversion and down-shifting of high-energy photons

Cited by 65 publications

References 39 publications

Studying of Perovskite Nanoparticles in PMMA Matrix Used As Light Converter for Silicon Solar Cell

Studying of Perovskite Nanoparticles in PMMA Matrix Used As Light Converter for Silicon Solar Cell

Efficiency enhancement calculations of state-of-the-art solar cells by luminescent layers with spectral shifting, quantum cutting, and quantum tripling function

Photocurrent Limiting Mechanisms in Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

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