The photonic solar cell: system design and efficiency estimations

Oliver Höhn; Tobias Kraus; Ulrich T. Schwarz; Benedikt Bläsi

doi:10.1117/12.2051322

15 May 2014 The photonic solar cell: system design and efficiency estimations

Oliver Höhn, Tobias Kraus, Ulrich T. Schwarz, Benedikt Bläsi

Proceedings Volume 9140, Photonics for Solar Energy Systems V; 91400B (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2051322
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2014, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

The possibility to increase the efficiency of solar cells by a restriction of the maximal angle of emission has been proposed for several times. Typically, this is achieved by applying a directionally selective filter on top of the solar cell. This filter leads to a reflection of emitted light under certain angles back into the cell, where it then can be reabsorbed. A system where the emission process itself is inhibited for certain angles (photonic solar cell) is in principle a better system, because then optical losses in the system can be suppressed as the emission in fact does not take place. In this contribution, we focus on a photonic solar cell, where the cell and the filter are combined in one single optoelectronic device. This means that the solar cell itself has a photonic structure or is implemented into a photonic crystal. The interesting question is how such a device could look like and how it performs. Here, design concepts for photonic solar cells are shown and simulated optically. An interesting system could be an integration of a solar cell as defect layer into a thin film stack. To get an idea of the potential of such systems, the emission out of a photonic solar cell has to be compared to the emission out of a standard solar cell. To this end, a scattering-matrix-formalism is used. First estimations of the possible system efficiencies are given as indication of the system quality.

Citation Download Citation

Oliver Höhn, Tobias Kraus, Ulrich T. Schwarz, and Benedikt Bläsi "The photonic solar cell: system design and efficiency estimations", Proc. SPIE 9140, Photonics for Solar Energy Systems V, 91400B (15 May 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2051322

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