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Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices

Chen, I. Ju LU ; Limpert, Steven LU orcid ; Metaferia, Wondwosen LU ; Thelander, Claes LU ; Samuelson, Lars LU ; Capasso, Federico ; Burke, Adam M. LU orcid and Linke, Heiner LU orcid (2020) In Nano Letters 20(6). p.4064-4072
Abstract

Nanowires bring new possibilities to the field of hot-carrier photovoltaics by providing flexibility in combining materials for band engineering and using nanophotonic effects to control light absorption. Previously, an open-circuit voltage beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit was demonstrated in hot-carrier devices based on InAs-InP-InAs nanowire heterostructures. However, in these first experiments, the location of light absorption, and therefore the precise mechanism of hot-carrier extraction, was uncontrolled. In this Letter, we combine plasmonic nanoantennas with InAs-InP-InAs nanowire devices to enhance light absorption within a subwavelength region near an InP energy barrier that serves as an energy filter. From photon-energy- and... (More)

Nanowires bring new possibilities to the field of hot-carrier photovoltaics by providing flexibility in combining materials for band engineering and using nanophotonic effects to control light absorption. Previously, an open-circuit voltage beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit was demonstrated in hot-carrier devices based on InAs-InP-InAs nanowire heterostructures. However, in these first experiments, the location of light absorption, and therefore the precise mechanism of hot-carrier extraction, was uncontrolled. In this Letter, we combine plasmonic nanoantennas with InAs-InP-InAs nanowire devices to enhance light absorption within a subwavelength region near an InP energy barrier that serves as an energy filter. From photon-energy- and irradiance-dependent photocurrent and photovoltage measurements, we find that photocurrent generation is dominated by internal photoemission of nonthermalized hot electrons when the photoexcited electron energy is above the barrier and by photothermionic emission when the energy is below the barrier. We estimate that an internal quantum efficiency up to 0.5-1.2% is achieved. Insights from this study provide guidelines to improve internal quantum efficiencies based on nanowire heterostructures.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Hot electron, III−V nanowire heterostructure, internal photoemission, photothermionic, plasmonic, solar energy conversion
in
Nano Letters
volume
20
issue
6
pages
9 pages
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85086345946
  • pmid:32347731
ISSN
1530-6992
DOI
10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04873
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dec59e46-34ce-4639-8c8c-04798a286af1
date added to LUP
2020-07-02 14:04:42
date last changed
2024-06-27 20:32:35
@article{dec59e46-34ce-4639-8c8c-04798a286af1,
  abstract     = {{<p>Nanowires bring new possibilities to the field of hot-carrier photovoltaics by providing flexibility in combining materials for band engineering and using nanophotonic effects to control light absorption. Previously, an open-circuit voltage beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit was demonstrated in hot-carrier devices based on InAs-InP-InAs nanowire heterostructures. However, in these first experiments, the location of light absorption, and therefore the precise mechanism of hot-carrier extraction, was uncontrolled. In this Letter, we combine plasmonic nanoantennas with InAs-InP-InAs nanowire devices to enhance light absorption within a subwavelength region near an InP energy barrier that serves as an energy filter. From photon-energy- and irradiance-dependent photocurrent and photovoltage measurements, we find that photocurrent generation is dominated by internal photoemission of nonthermalized hot electrons when the photoexcited electron energy is above the barrier and by photothermionic emission when the energy is below the barrier. We estimate that an internal quantum efficiency up to 0.5-1.2% is achieved. Insights from this study provide guidelines to improve internal quantum efficiencies based on nanowire heterostructures.</p>}},
  author       = {{Chen, I. Ju and Limpert, Steven and Metaferia, Wondwosen and Thelander, Claes and Samuelson, Lars and Capasso, Federico and Burke, Adam M. and Linke, Heiner}},
  issn         = {{1530-6992}},
  keywords     = {{Hot electron; III−V nanowire heterostructure; internal photoemission; photothermionic; plasmonic; solar energy conversion}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{4064--4072}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{Nano Letters}},
  title        = {{Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04873}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04873}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}