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New strategies for colloidal-quantum-dot-based intermediate-band solar cells
Marco Califano1, Erik S Skibinsky-Gitlin2, Francisco M Gómez-Campos2
1Pollard Institute, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, and Bragg Centre for Materials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|October 24, 2019
Summary
Intermediate-band solar cells (IBSCs) aim to boost efficiency by absorbing more light. New research proposes novel IBSC designs using colloidal quantum dots, potentially surpassing theoretical efficiency limits.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- The intermediate-band solar cell (IBSC) concept, proposed over 20 years ago, aims to enhance solar energy conversion by enabling the absorption of sub-bandgap photons.
- Existing IBSC designs, primarily using embedded epitaxial quantum dots, have underperformed compared to conventional solar cells, failing to meet theoretical efficiency promises.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically re-evaluate the recent proposal of utilizing intragap states in colloidal quantum dots as intermediate bands.
- To introduce and analyze two novel IBSC architectures designed to overcome the limitations of previous approaches and achieve higher efficiencies.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of IBSC principles and limitations.
- Modeling of two proposed IBSC schemes utilizing colloidal InAs nanocrystals with different sizes and coupling.
- Estimation of theoretical limiting efficiencies for the proposed schemes.
Main Results:
- The study identifies shortcomings in the recent proposal for using intragap states in colloidal quantum dots as intermediate bands.
- Two alternative IBSC schemes are proposed: one using surface trap states in small InAs nanocrystals, and another using a miniband in larger InAs nanocrystals.
- Both proposed schemes demonstrate theoretical limiting efficiencies that exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit for single-junction solar cells.
Conclusions:
- The proposed IBSC designs offer a promising pathway to significantly improve solar cell efficiency beyond current theoretical limits.
- Exploiting naturally occurring states in colloidal quantum dots, specifically surface trap states or minibands, presents a viable strategy for advanced solar cell development.
- These novel approaches could lead to the realization of highly efficient intermediate-band solar cells, advancing photovoltaic technology.
