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The role of intersubband optical transitions on the electrical properties of InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells
Author(s) -
Jolley Greg,
Fu Lan,
Lu Hao Feng,
Tan Hark Hoe,
Jagadish Chennupati
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.2161
Subject(s) - photocurrent , quantum dot , solar cell , optoelectronics , gallium arsenide , absorption (acoustics) , open circuit voltage , physics , materials science , voltage , optics , quantum mechanics
We report on an experimental study of the intersubband optical response of an In 0.5 Ga 0.5 As/GaAs quantum dot solar cell (QDSC). By calculating the quantum dot absorption cross section, the strength of the intersubband optical transitions is gauged, and their importance and influence on the electrical properties of the solar cell can be compared with those of other physical processes such as thermal intersubband and optical interband transitions. The temperature‐dependent photocurrent and dark current characteristics of the QDSC have also been analyzed in detail, leading to an understanding of the specific effects reducing the open‐circuit voltage. The deviation of QDSCs from idealized models is discussed, and some conditions required for an improved open‐circuit voltage are suggested. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.