Solar energy conversion via hot electron internal photoemission in metallic nanostructures: Efficiency estimates
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- Andrew J. Leenheer
- Thomas J. Watson Laboratories of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology 1 , Pasadena, California 91125, USA
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- Prineha Narang
- Thomas J. Watson Laboratories of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology 1 , Pasadena, California 91125, USA
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- Nathan S. Lewis
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology 3 , Pasadena, California 91125, USA
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- Harry A. Atwater
- Thomas J. Watson Laboratories of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology 1 , Pasadena, California 91125, USA
Description
<jats:p>Collection of hot electrons generated by the efficient absorption of light in metallic nanostructures, in contact with semiconductor substrates can provide a basis for the construction of solar energy-conversion devices. Herein, we evaluate theoretically the energy-conversion efficiency of systems that rely on internal photoemission processes at metal-semiconductor Schottky-barrier diodes. In this theory, the current-voltage characteristics are given by the internal photoemission yield as well as by the thermionic dark current over a varied-energy barrier height. The Fowler model, in all cases, predicts solar energy-conversion efficiencies of <1% for such systems. However, relaxation of the assumptions regarding constraints on the escape cone and momentum conservation at the interface yields solar energy-conversion efficiencies as high as 1%–10%, under some assumed (albeit optimistic) operating conditions. Under these conditions, the energy-conversion efficiency is mainly limited by the thermionic dark current, the distribution of hot electron energies, and hot-electron momentum considerations.</jats:p>
Journal
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- Journal of Applied Physics
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Journal of Applied Physics 115 (13), 2014-04-01
AIP Publishing
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Details 詳細情報について
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- CRID
- 1362825894699538432
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- ISSN
- 10897550
- 00218979
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- Data Source
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- Crossref