Silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte–quantum dot multilayers
Down-shifting (DS) has proven to be an effective technique to address thermalization losses in photovoltaic devices. It involves the modification of the incident solar spectrum by luminescent species to better suit solar cell’s optimal absorption regions. Despite the number of favorable characterist...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-05-01
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| Series: | Results in Optics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266695012400052X |
| _version_ | 1827287959201644544 |
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| author | Jose Raul Montes-Bojorquez Maria F. Villa-Bracamonte Omar J. Castillo Arturo A. Ayon |
| author_facet | Jose Raul Montes-Bojorquez Maria F. Villa-Bracamonte Omar J. Castillo Arturo A. Ayon |
| author_sort | Jose Raul Montes-Bojorquez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Down-shifting (DS) has proven to be an effective technique to address thermalization losses in photovoltaic devices. It involves the modification of the incident solar spectrum by luminescent species to better suit solar cell’s optimal absorption regions. Despite the number of favorable characteristics of quantum dots (QDs) as DS materials, their incorporation into highly ordered close-packed films remains the major drawback of QD-based DS applications. This limitation can be overcome by the sequential integration of QDs into a multilayered film via the layer-by-layer assembly technique, that allows the precise control of composition and thickness. The experimental results discussed herein indicate that upon optimization employing a model-assisted design approach, the spectral response of a silicon solar cell benefits from the down-shifting and antireflection capabilities of the QD film, as evinced by their quantum efficiency. For the optimum design, the incorporation of QDs triggered an increment of 26.1% in the power conversion efficiency driven by an increase of 29.2% in the short circuit current density. The controlled assembly of QD multilayers offers unique opportunities in light harvesting for new hybrid photovoltaic technologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T11:20:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2b4406c8dee48e99ad23ac5c3938b09 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-9501 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T11:20:36Z |
| publishDate | 2024-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Optics |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2b4406c8dee48e99ad23ac5c3938b092024-04-11T04:42:07ZengElsevierResults in Optics2666-95012024-05-0115100655Silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte–quantum dot multilayersJose Raul Montes-Bojorquez0Maria F. Villa-Bracamonte1Omar J. Castillo2Arturo A. Ayon3Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249, TX, United States; Corresponding author.Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249, TX, United StatesDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249, TX, United StatesDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249, TX, United States; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, 78249, TX, United StatesDown-shifting (DS) has proven to be an effective technique to address thermalization losses in photovoltaic devices. It involves the modification of the incident solar spectrum by luminescent species to better suit solar cell’s optimal absorption regions. Despite the number of favorable characteristics of quantum dots (QDs) as DS materials, their incorporation into highly ordered close-packed films remains the major drawback of QD-based DS applications. This limitation can be overcome by the sequential integration of QDs into a multilayered film via the layer-by-layer assembly technique, that allows the precise control of composition and thickness. The experimental results discussed herein indicate that upon optimization employing a model-assisted design approach, the spectral response of a silicon solar cell benefits from the down-shifting and antireflection capabilities of the QD film, as evinced by their quantum efficiency. For the optimum design, the incorporation of QDs triggered an increment of 26.1% in the power conversion efficiency driven by an increase of 29.2% in the short circuit current density. The controlled assembly of QD multilayers offers unique opportunities in light harvesting for new hybrid photovoltaic technologies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266695012400052XLBL assemblyPhotovoltaicsSilicon solar cellCdTeQuantum dotDown-shifting |
| spellingShingle | Jose Raul Montes-Bojorquez Maria F. Villa-Bracamonte Omar J. Castillo Arturo A. Ayon Silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte–quantum dot multilayers Results in Optics LBL assembly Photovoltaics Silicon solar cell CdTe Quantum dot Down-shifting |
| title | Silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte–quantum dot multilayers |
| title_full | Silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte–quantum dot multilayers |
| title_fullStr | Silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte–quantum dot multilayers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte–quantum dot multilayers |
| title_short | Silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte–quantum dot multilayers |
| title_sort | silicon solar cell efficiency improvement employing electrostatically assembled polyelectrolyte quantum dot multilayers |
| topic | LBL assembly Photovoltaics Silicon solar cell CdTe Quantum dot Down-shifting |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266695012400052X |
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