Leenheer, Andrew J. and Narang, Prineha and Lewis, Nathan S. and Atwater, Harry A. (2014) Solar energy conversion via hot electron internal photoemission in metallic nanostructure: Efficiency estimates. Journal of Applied Physics, 115 (13). Art. No. 134301. ISSN 0021-8979. doi:10.1063/1.4870040. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140408-084811849
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Abstract
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.
| Item Type: | Article | |||||||||
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| Additional Information: | © 2014 American Institute of Physics Publishing LLC. Received 31 October 2013; accepted 15 February 2014; published online 1 April 2014. This material is based upon work performed by the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, a DOE Energy Innovation Hub, supported through the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Award No. DESC0004993. P.N. is supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and by the Resnick Sustainability Institute. | |||||||||
| Group: | Resnick Sustainability Institute, JCAP | |||||||||
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| Issue or Number: | 13 | |||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1063/1.4870040 | |||||||||
| Record Number: | CaltechAUTHORS:20140408-084811849 | |||||||||
| Persistent URL: | https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140408-084811849 | |||||||||
| Official Citation: | Solar energy conversion via hot electron internal photoemission in metallic nanostructures: Efficiency estimates Andrew J. Leenheer, Prineha Narang, Nathan S. Lewis and Harry A. Atwater J. Appl. Phys. 115, 134301 (2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4870040 | |||||||||
| Usage Policy: | No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. | |||||||||
| ID Code: | 44728 | |||||||||
| Collection: | CaltechAUTHORS | |||||||||
| Deposited By: | Ruth Sustaita | |||||||||
| Deposited On: | 08 Apr 2014 16:47 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 10 Nov 2021 16:55 |
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