Effects of non-ideal energy selective contacts and experimental carrier cooling rate on the performance of an indium nitride based hot carrier solar cell

Abstract

The performance of an InN based hot carrier solar cell with a bulk InN absorber has been evaluated using an innovative approach that takes into account absorber energy-momentum dispersion relations, energy conservation, Auger recombination and impact ionization mechanisms simultaneously. The non ideality of the energy selective filters has also been included in the model. In order to obtain practical achievable values of conversion efficiency, the actual thermalisation velocity of hot carriers in InN has been measured using time resolved photoluminescence. Results of the computations shown limiting efficiencies of 24 for 1000 suns and 36.2 for maximal concentration. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.