74.7% Efficient GaAs-Based Laser Power Converters at 808 nm at 150 K

Abstract

High-efficiency multijunction laser power converters are demonstrated for low temperature applications with an optical input at 808 nm. The photovoltaic power converting III-V semiconductor devices are designed with GaAs absorbing layers, here with 5 thin subcells (PT5), connected by transparent tunnel junctions. Unprecedented conversion efficiencies of up to 74.7% are measured at temperatures around 150 K. At temperatures around 77 K, a remarkably low bandgap offset value of Woc = 71 mV is obtained at an optical input intensity of ~7 W/cm2. At 77 K, the PT5 retains an efficiency of 65% with up to 0.3 W of converted output power.

Keywords

• optical power converters
• laser power converters
• power-over-fiber
• power beaming
• photovoltaic
• galvanic isolation