Design optimization for two-step photon absorption in quantum dot solar cells by using infrared photocurrent spectroscopy

Multi-stacked quantum dot solar cell (QDSC) is a promising candidate for intermediate band solar cell, which can exceed thermodynamic efficiency limit of single-junction solar cells. In recent years, lots of effort has been made to evaluate and understand the photo-carrier response of two-step photon absorption in QDSCs. One crucial issue is to suppress thermal excitation of photo-carriers out of QDs, which obscures the QD filling under quasi-equilibrium at operation conditions. We have investigated infrared photocurrent spectra of the QD states to conduction band (CB) transition by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Multi-stacked In(Ga)As QDSCs with different barrier materials, such as GaAs, GaNAs, GaAsSb, and AlGaAs, were investigated. The IR absorption edge of the QD to CB transition was evaluated at low temperature by analyzing the low energy tail of the FTIR spectra. The threshold temperature of the two-step photon absorption in In(Ga)As QDSCs was determined by observing temperature dependence of the IR photo-response. A universal linear relationship between the threshold temperature and the IR absorption edge was obtained in In(Ga)As QDSCs with varied barrier materials. The threshold temperature of 295 K was predicted for the absorption edge at 0.459 eV by extrapolating the linear relationship. It reveals strategy for cell optimization to achieve efficient two-step photon absorption at ambient conditions.