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Realization of axially defined GaInP/InP/InAsP triple-junction photovoltaic nanowires for high-performance solar cells

Hrachowina, Lukas LU ; Chen, Yang LU ; Barrigón, Enrique LU ; Wallenberg, Reine LU and Borgström, Magnus LU (2022) In Materials Today Energy 27.
Abstract
III-V semiconductor-based planar multi-junction solar cells synthesized to match the solar spectrum, increase absorption, and reduce thermalization loss are today's world-record efficiency solar cells. Realizing similarly performing multi-junction III-V nanowire (NW) solar cells would require significantly less material and is more sustainable at lower cost than planar solar cells. The NW geometry allows expanding the range of compatible material combinations along the NW axis far beyond current multi-junction solar cells and enables promising applications in, for example, space power technology and smart windows. However, multi-junction NW photovoltaics have been hampered by the inability to electrically connect different materials in an... (More)
III-V semiconductor-based planar multi-junction solar cells synthesized to match the solar spectrum, increase absorption, and reduce thermalization loss are today's world-record efficiency solar cells. Realizing similarly performing multi-junction III-V nanowire (NW) solar cells would require significantly less material and is more sustainable at lower cost than planar solar cells. The NW geometry allows expanding the range of compatible material combinations along the NW axis far beyond current multi-junction solar cells and enables promising applications in, for example, space power technology and smart windows. However, multi-junction NW photovoltaics have been hampered by the inability to electrically connect different materials in an axial geometry. We report the design and proof-of-principle demonstration of axially defined GaInP/InP/InAsP triple-junction photovoltaic NWs optimized for light absorption exhibiting an open-circuit voltage of up to 2.37 V. The open-circuit voltage is twice as large as previously reported for tandem-junction photovoltaic NWs and amounts to 94% of the sum of the respective single-junction NWs. Our findings pave the way for realizing the next generation of scalable, high-performance, and ultra-high power-to-weight ratio multi-junction, NW-based solar cells. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
III-V nanowires, Nanowire solar cell, Multijunction, III-V
in
Materials Today Energy
volume
27
article number
101050
pages
6 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85131791492
ISSN
2468-6069
DOI
10.1016/j.mtener.2022.101050
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7f40088d-7104-4738-9fd3-92283cace762
date added to LUP
2022-07-28 12:58:23
date last changed
2023-11-21 06:40:18
@article{7f40088d-7104-4738-9fd3-92283cace762,
  abstract     = {{III-V semiconductor-based planar multi-junction solar cells synthesized to match the solar spectrum, increase absorption, and reduce thermalization loss are today's world-record efficiency solar cells. Realizing similarly performing multi-junction III-V nanowire (NW) solar cells would require significantly less material and is more sustainable at lower cost than planar solar cells. The NW geometry allows expanding the range of compatible material combinations along the NW axis far beyond current multi-junction solar cells and enables promising applications in, for example, space power technology and smart windows. However, multi-junction NW photovoltaics have been hampered by the inability to electrically connect different materials in an axial geometry. We report the design and proof-of-principle demonstration of axially defined GaInP/InP/InAsP triple-junction photovoltaic NWs optimized for light absorption exhibiting an open-circuit voltage of up to 2.37 V. The open-circuit voltage is twice as large as previously reported for tandem-junction photovoltaic NWs and amounts to 94% of the sum of the respective single-junction NWs. Our findings pave the way for realizing the next generation of scalable, high-performance, and ultra-high power-to-weight ratio multi-junction, NW-based solar cells.}},
  author       = {{Hrachowina, Lukas and Chen, Yang and Barrigón, Enrique and Wallenberg, Reine and Borgström, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{2468-6069}},
  keywords     = {{III-V nanowires; Nanowire solar cell; Multijunction; III-V}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Materials Today Energy}},
  title        = {{Realization of axially defined GaInP/InP/InAsP triple-junction photovoltaic nanowires for high-performance solar cells}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mtener.2022.101050}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.mtener.2022.101050}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}