High efficiency photovoltaics through engineering spontaneous emission

主要研究者：Munday，JeremyProposal编号：1335857机构：马里兰州大学公园标题：通过工程自发发射的高效率光致发光本项目的目的是表明，抑制太阳能电池的自发发射率导致电池的改进？的效率。自发辐射的抑制导致载流子浓度的增加，从而增加准费米能级分裂和电池电压。为了抑制自发辐射率，将使用光子晶体，这是众所周知的，以降低复合载流子的辐射率。在过去的二十年里，人们在自发辐射工程和光化学这两个独立的领域做了大量的工作。该提案代表了这些领域的融合，通过为设计增加额外的自由度：自发发射工程，可能对光伏器件产生变革性影响。已知光子晶体抑制自发发射，这导致载流子寿命的增加。通过增加自由载流子寿命，并因此增加自由载流子的密度，准费米能级分裂增加，导致开路电压的改善。本项目将开发光子晶体太阳能电池，以抑制自发辐射，提高太阳能电池的功率转换效率。除了改善清洁能源发电技术的社会效益外，研究所还将开展一系列旨在鼓励未来科学家，教育公众和向科学界传播新发现的活动。这些活动包括通过马里兰州大学的路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与大学生研究计划联盟、电子和应用物理研究所的大学生暑期研究计划招募代表性不足的群体，并通过鼓励和支持高中生在实验室开展研究项目，向当地高中推广。

PI: Munday, JeremyProposal Number: 1335857Institution: University of Maryland College ParkTitle: High efficiency photovoltaics through engineering spontaneous emissionThe objective of this project is to show that the suppression of the spontaneous emission rate of a solar cell leads to an improvement in the cell?s efficiency. The inhibition of spontaneous emission leads to increased carrier concentrations and hence an increase in the quasi-Fermi level splitting and cell voltage. To suppress the spontaneous emission rate, photonic crystals will be used, which are well known to decrease the radiative rate of recombining carriers. This effect will lead to higher open circuit voltages and hence higher cell efficiencies.Over the past two decades, much work has been done in the two separate fields of spontaneous emission engineering and in photovoltaics. This proposal represents the convergence of these fields, which may have a transformative impact on photovoltaic devices by adding an additional degree of freedom to the design: spontaneous emission engineering. Photonic crystals are known to inhibit spontaneous emission, which leads to an increase in the carrier lifetime. By increasing the free carrier lifetime, and hence the density of free carriers, the quasi-Fermi level splitting increases, leading to an improvement in the open circuit voltage. In this project, photonic crystal solar cells will be developed to suppress spontaneous emission and improve solar cell power conversion efficiencies.In addition to the societal benefits of improving clean energy generation technologies, the PIs will engage in a number of activities aimed to encourage future scientists, educate the public, and disseminate new finding to the scientific community. These activities include recruitment of under-represented groups through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Undergraduate Research Program (LSAMP URP) at the University of Maryland, the Undergraduate Summer Research Program within the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, and outreach to local high schools by encouraging and supporting high school students to perform research projects in their labs.