Nanodipole photovoltaics

Abstract

We propose a principle of photovoltaics utilizing the built-in electric field generated by aligned nanosize dipoles in a semiconductive host, either polymer or liquid, or amorphous, or polycrystalline. Such dipoles are readily found with the wurtzite CdS, CdSe, and some other nanoparticles. We show that their generated field can be uniform and strong enough, ∼3×104V∕cm, to separate electron-hole pairs and run significant drift currents. Our suggested structure does not rely on p-n or Schottky junctions and can be tunable in a broad range of parameters.

A ferroelectric-semiconductor-coupled solar cell with tunable photovoltage

“…The CdS nanodipoles matrix provides the ferro-electricity. This is similar to the "metal/CdS nanodipole-CdTe absorber mixed layer/metal" structure proposed by D. Shvydka and V. Karpov [6], but more practical in two aspects. First, the semiconductor films can be coated through vacuum deposition techniques, which are adaptable to the conventional CdTe thin film PV techniques.…”

“…[6] It was speculated that nanodipole electric field generated by polarized CdS nanodipole matrix with volume fraction of only 10% can form an electrical field strength of ~3 × 10 4 V/cm which is comparable to strong p-n junctions. Therefore, such a ferroelectric-semiconductorcoupled device exhibits great potential for reasonable photovoltage and photocurrent output.…”

Excited States in P3HT and P3HT/PCBM Blends

“…There is one model, which discusses local electric fields created by ferro-electric constituents within the films, as a further possibility for exciton dissociation [31]. In another model, it has been proposed, that excess photon energy after exciton dissociation is used to separate the bond pair at the donor-acceptor interface [29].…”

Chalcogenide Glass Thin Films for Nanodipole Junctionless Photovoltaics

“…Junctionless photovoltaic (PV) devices that employ the electric field of aligned nanodipoles, instead of junctions, for the separation of photogenerated carriers were proposed recently [1]. The active PV material consists of nano particles that possess uncompensated electric dipole moment and are embedded in a photoconductive host.…”