Issue 6, 2014

Experimental demonstration of enhanced photon recycling in angle-restricted GaAs solar cells

Abstract

For cells near the radiative limit, optically limiting the angles of emitted light causes emitted photons to be recycled back to the cell, leading to enhancement in voltage and efficiency. While this has been understood theoretically for some time, only recently have GaAs cells reached sufficient quality for the effect to be experimentally observed. Here, as proof of concept, we demonstrate enhanced photon recycling and open-circuit voltage (Voc) experimentally using a narrow band dielectric multilayer angle restrictor on a high quality GaAs cell. With angle restriction we observe a clear decrease in the radiative dark current, which is consistent with the observed Voc increase. Furthermore, we observe larger Voc enhancements for cells that are closer to the radiative limit, and that more closely coupling the angle restrictor to the cell leads to greater Voc gains, emphasizing the optical nature of the effect.

Graphical abstract: Experimental demonstration of enhanced photon recycling in angle-restricted GaAs solar cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
31 Oct 2013
Accepted
15 Apr 2014
First published
15 Apr 2014

Energy Environ. Sci., 2014,7, 1907-1912

Author version available

Experimental demonstration of enhanced photon recycling in angle-restricted GaAs solar cells

E. D. Kosten, B. M. Kayes and H. A. Atwater, Energy Environ. Sci., 2014, 7, 1907 DOI: 10.1039/C3EE43584A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements