Onset of Quantum-Confined Stark Effects in Multijunction Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters Designed with Thin Subcells
Photovoltaic multijunction power-converting III–V semiconductor devices generate electrical power from the optical energy of laser beams. They exhibit conversion efficiencies reaching values greater than 60% and 50% for the GaAs and the InP material systems, respectively. The applications of optical...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Photonics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/10/11/1243 |
| _version_ | 1797458069621309440 |
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| author | Simon Fafard Denis Masson |
| author_facet | Simon Fafard Denis Masson |
| author_sort | Simon Fafard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Photovoltaic multijunction power-converting III–V semiconductor devices generate electrical power from the optical energy of laser beams. They exhibit conversion efficiencies reaching values greater than 60% and 50% for the GaAs and the InP material systems, respectively. The applications of optical wireless power transmission and power-over-fiber greatly benefit from employing such laser power converters constructed with multiple subcells; each is designed with either thin GaAs or InGaAs absorber regions. This study elucidates how the application of electric fields on thin heterostructures can create specific current–voltage characteristics due to modifications of the absorption characteristics from Franz–Keldysh perturbations and the onset of quantum-confined Stark effects. Negative differential photocurrent behavior can be observed as the reverse bias voltage is increased, until the corresponding current-clamping subcell reaches its reverse breakdown condition. The reverse voltage breakdown characteristics of the subcells were also measured to depend on the thickness of the subcell and on the optical intensity. The onset of the reverse breakdown was found to be at ~2.0–2.5 V under illumination and the thinner subcells exhibited higher levels of reverse bias currents. These effects can produce distinctive current–voltage behavior under spectrally detuned operations affecting the thinner subcells’ biases, but have no significant impact on the performance and maximum power point of multijunction power converters. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:31:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5b82b50d411406b941fb7a6d5defc79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-6732 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:31:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Photonics |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5b82b50d411406b941fb7a6d5defc792023-11-24T15:01:33ZengMDPI AGPhotonics2304-67322023-11-011011124310.3390/photonics10111243Onset of Quantum-Confined Stark Effects in Multijunction Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters Designed with Thin SubcellsSimon Fafard0Denis Masson1Broadcom (Canada), IFPD, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, CanadaBroadcom (Canada), IFPD, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, CanadaPhotovoltaic multijunction power-converting III–V semiconductor devices generate electrical power from the optical energy of laser beams. They exhibit conversion efficiencies reaching values greater than 60% and 50% for the GaAs and the InP material systems, respectively. The applications of optical wireless power transmission and power-over-fiber greatly benefit from employing such laser power converters constructed with multiple subcells; each is designed with either thin GaAs or InGaAs absorber regions. This study elucidates how the application of electric fields on thin heterostructures can create specific current–voltage characteristics due to modifications of the absorption characteristics from Franz–Keldysh perturbations and the onset of quantum-confined Stark effects. Negative differential photocurrent behavior can be observed as the reverse bias voltage is increased, until the corresponding current-clamping subcell reaches its reverse breakdown condition. The reverse voltage breakdown characteristics of the subcells were also measured to depend on the thickness of the subcell and on the optical intensity. The onset of the reverse breakdown was found to be at ~2.0–2.5 V under illumination and the thinner subcells exhibited higher levels of reverse bias currents. These effects can produce distinctive current–voltage behavior under spectrally detuned operations affecting the thinner subcells’ biases, but have no significant impact on the performance and maximum power point of multijunction power converters.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/10/11/1243optical power converterslaser power converterspower-over-fiberpower beamingphotovoltaicFranz–Keldysh effect |
| spellingShingle | Simon Fafard Denis Masson Onset of Quantum-Confined Stark Effects in Multijunction Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters Designed with Thin Subcells Photonics optical power converters laser power converters power-over-fiber power beaming photovoltaic Franz–Keldysh effect |
| title | Onset of Quantum-Confined Stark Effects in Multijunction Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters Designed with Thin Subcells |
| title_full | Onset of Quantum-Confined Stark Effects in Multijunction Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters Designed with Thin Subcells |
| title_fullStr | Onset of Quantum-Confined Stark Effects in Multijunction Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters Designed with Thin Subcells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Onset of Quantum-Confined Stark Effects in Multijunction Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters Designed with Thin Subcells |
| title_short | Onset of Quantum-Confined Stark Effects in Multijunction Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters Designed with Thin Subcells |
| title_sort | onset of quantum confined stark effects in multijunction photovoltaic laser power converters designed with thin subcells |
| topic | optical power converters laser power converters power-over-fiber power beaming photovoltaic Franz–Keldysh effect |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/10/11/1243 |
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