TY - GEN
T1 - Modeling carrier relaxation in hot carrier solar cells
AU - Goodnick, Stephen
AU - Honsberg, Christiana
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Third generation concepts in photovoltaic devices depend critically on the dynamics of ultrafast carrier relaxation and electron-phonon interactions on very short times scales in nanostructures such as quantum wells, wires and dots. Hot carrier solar cells in particular depend on the reduction in the energy relaxation rate in an absorber material, where hot carriers are extracted through energy selective contacts. Here we investigate the short time carrier relaxation in quantum well, hot electron solar cells under varying photoexcitation conditions using ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) simulation coupled with rate equation models, to understand the limiting factors affecting cell performance. In particular, we focus on the potential role of hot phonons in reducing the energy loss rate in order to achieve sufficient carrier temperature for efficient performance.
AB - Third generation concepts in photovoltaic devices depend critically on the dynamics of ultrafast carrier relaxation and electron-phonon interactions on very short times scales in nanostructures such as quantum wells, wires and dots. Hot carrier solar cells in particular depend on the reduction in the energy relaxation rate in an absorber material, where hot carriers are extracted through energy selective contacts. Here we investigate the short time carrier relaxation in quantum well, hot electron solar cells under varying photoexcitation conditions using ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) simulation coupled with rate equation models, to understand the limiting factors affecting cell performance. In particular, we focus on the potential role of hot phonons in reducing the energy loss rate in order to achieve sufficient carrier temperature for efficient performance.
KW - Hot carrier solar cells
KW - Hot phonons
KW - Monte Carlo simulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859976558&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84859976558&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1117/12.910858
DO - 10.1117/12.910858
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84859976558
SN - 9780819488992
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
BT - Physics, Simulation, and Photonic Engineering of Photovoltaic Devices
T2 - Physics, Simulation, and Photonic Engineering of Photovoltaic Devices
Y2 - 23 January 2012 through 26 January 2012
ER -