2009/12/08 by Urs Aeberhard, U. Aeberhard, Aeberhard, U. +3
Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #FOS: Physical sciences #Laser-Ablation Synthesis of Nanoparticles #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Silicon Nanostructures and Photoluminescence #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.0912.1450
6 pages, 5 figures, extended LaTeX version of the EUPVSEC09 proceedings article
arxiv created 2009/12/08 · openalex publication_date 2009/12/08 · arxiv updated 2010/01/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Absorption and emission in inorganic bipolar solar cells based on low dimensional structures exhibiting the effects of quantum confinement is investigated in the framework of a comprehensive microscopic theory of the optical and electronic degrees of freedom of the photovoltaic system. In a quantum-statistical treatment based on non-equilibrium Green's functions, the optical transition rates are related to the conservation of electronic currents, providing a quantum version of the balance equations describing the operation of a photovoltaic device. The generalized Planck law used for the determination of emission from an excited semiconductor in quasi-equilibrium is replaced by an expression of extended validity, where no assumptions on the distribution of electrons and photons are made. The theory is illustrated by the numerical simulation of single quantum well diodes at the radiative limit.