Boosting Photovoltaic Efficiency in Double Quantum Well Intermediate Band-Solar Cells through Impurity Positioning

Abstract

The photovoltaic conversion efficiency of a single-intermediate band solar cell that incorporates a double quantum well structure consisting of GaAs/InAs/GaAs/InAs/GaAs embedded in the intrinsic region of conventional p-i-n structure is analyzed. The width of the intermediate band and the solutions for the two lowest energy states has been determined by solving the two-impurities-related Schrodinger equation based on the Numerov method. The position of these impurities determines three distinct cases: the system in the absence of impurities (Case 1), impurities at the center of GaAs quantum barriers (Case 2), and impurities at the center of InAs quantum wells (Case 3). The photovoltaic conversion efficiency has been calculated as a function of the widths L y H of the quantum well structures. The obtained results indicate an improvement in efficiency under the specific conditions of these parameters.

Keywords

• solar cell
• intermediate band
• quantum well
• impurities
• Schrödinger equation
• conversion efficiency