Hot-Carrier Extraction in Nanowire-Nanoantenna Photovoltaic Devices
(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.
(Less)
- author
- Chen, I. Ju LU ; Limpert, Steven LU ; Metaferia, Wondwosen LU ; Thelander, Claes LU ; Samuelson, Lars LU ; Capasso, Federico ; Burke, Adam M. LU and Linke, Heiner LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2020
- 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
- 2024-08-07 21:27:53
@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}}, }