• Energy Research
• 2016-2025close

The insertion of quantum dots in a host material produces band offsets which are greatly dependent on the field of strains brought about by this insertion. Based on the Empiric KP Hamiltonian model, the energy spectrum of the quantum dot/host system is easily calculated and a relationship between the conduction and valence band offsets is determined by the energy at which the lowest peak of the sub-bandgap quantum efficiency of an intermediate band solar cell is situated; therefore knowledge of the valence band offset leads to knowledge of both offsets. The calculated sub-bandgap quantum efficiency due to the quantum dot is rather insensitive to the value of the valence band offset. However, the calculated quantum efficiency of the wetting layer, modeled as a quantum well, is sensitive to the valence band offset and a fitting with the measured value is possible resulting in a determination of both offsets in the finished solar cell with its final field of strains. The method is applied to an intermediate-band solar cell prototype made with InAs quantum dots in GaAs.

A conceptual energy storage system design that utilizes ultra high temperature phase change materials is presented. In this system, the energy is stored in the form of latent heat and converted to electricity upon demand by TPV (thermophotovoltaic) cells. Silicon is considered in this study as PCM (phase change material) due to its extremely high latent heat (1800 J/g or 500 Wh/kg), melting point (1410 °C), thermal conductivity (~25 W/mK), low cost (less than $2/kg or $4/kWh) and abundance on earth. The proposed system enables an enormous thermal energy storage density of ~1 MWh/m3, which is 10–20 times higher than that of lead-acid batteries, 2–6 times than that of Li-ion batteries and 5–10 times than that of the current state of the art LHTES systems utilized in CSP (concentrated solar power) applications. The discharge efficiency of the system is ultimately determined by the TPV converter, which theoretically can exceed 50%. However, realistic discharge efficiencies utilizing single junction TPV cells are in the range of 20–45%, depending on the semiconductor bandgap and quality, and the photon recycling efficiency. This concept has the potential to achieve output electric energy densities in the range of 200–450 kWhe/m3, which is comparable to the best performing state of the art Lithium-ion batteries Peer Reviewed

In this work, we study type-II GaSb/GaAs quantum-dot intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) by means of quantum efficiency (QE) measurements. We are able, for the first time, to measure an absolute QE which clearly reveals the three characteristic bandgaps of an IBSC; EG, EH, and EL, for which we found the values 1.52, 1.02, and 0.49 eV, respectively, at 9 K. Under monochromatic illumination, QE at the energies EH and EL is 10–4 and 10–8, respectively. These low values are explained by the lack of efficient mechanisms of completing the second sub-bandgap transition when only monochromatic illumination is used. The addition of a secondary light source (E = 1.32 eV) during the measurements produces an increase in the measured QE at EL of almost three orders of magnitude.

AbstractResearch into the formation of InAs quantum dots (QDs) in GaAs using the metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy technique is presented. This technique is deemed to be cheaper than the more often used and studied molecular beam epitaxy. The best conditions for obtaining a high photoluminescence response, indicating a good material quality, have been found among a wide range of possibilities. Solar cells with an excellent quantum efficiency have been obtained, with a sub‐bandgap photo‐response of 0.07 mA/cm2 per QD layer, the highest achieved so far with the InAs/GaAs system, proving the potential of this technology to be able to increase the efficiency of lattice‐matched multi‐junction solar cells and contributing to a better understanding of QD technology toward the achievement of practical intermediate‐band solar cells. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In this work we report, for the first time at room temperature, experimental results that prove, simultaneously in the same device, the two main physical principles involved in the operation of intermediate band solar cells: (1) the production of sub-bandgap photocurrent by two optical transitions through the intermediate band; (2) the generation of an output voltage which is not limited by the photon energy absorption threshold. These principles, which had always required cryogenic temperatures to be evidenced all together, are now demonstrated at room temperature on an intermediate band solar cell based on InAs quantum dots with Al0.3Ga0.7As barriers.