Optics for High-Efficiency Full Spectrum Photovoltaics

While the price of solar energy has dropped dramatically in the last few years, costs must be further reduced to reach wide-scale adoption. One strategy to decrease cost is to increase efficiency. Photovoltaic energy conversion is most efficient for a narrow frequency range. Lack of absorption of low energy photons and thermalization of high-energy photons leads lead to a loss of over 40% of incident solar power on a silicon cell. Current-matching and lattice-matching restrictions limit the efficiency of traditional monolithic multijunction solar cells. In order to avoid these limitations and realize ultrahigh efficiency (close to 50%), this thesis explores use of optical elements to split broadband sunlight into multiple spectral bands that can each be sent to physically separated solar cells tuned to best convert that band. Design of a holographic diffraction grating based spectrum-splitting system resulted in a simulated module efficiency of 37%, meeting the efficiency of state-of-the-art modules. One of four holographic grating stacks is experimentally characterized. Next, a design incorporating dichroic filters, seven subcells with bandgaps spanning the solar spectrum, and concentrators with efficiency potential exceeding 45% module efficiency is presented. While prototyping this design, we also used on-going cost-modeling to ensure that our design was on-track to be a high-volume technology with low lifetime energy cost. Finally, high-contrast gratings are used as resonant, dielectric spectrally selective mirrors in a tandem luminescent solar concentrator and as alternatives to Bragg reflectors. Gratings can have omnidirectional, high reflectivity by appropriately offsetting grating resonances in nano-patterned subwavelength thickness high-refractive index material. Subwavelength feature sizes suppress diffraction, and the high-refractive index of the grating layer leads to relatively angle-insensitive reflectance. Gratings can be fabricated by nanoimprint lithography, making them a scalable and economical option for photovoltaic applications. Simulations show hemispherically average reflectivity near 90% possible from a single subwavelength thickness layer. These properties are well suited for a variety of applications including multiple spectrum-splitting device architectures.</p

Holographic spectrum splitter for ultra-high efficiency photovoltaics

To move beyond the efficiency limits of single-junction solar cells, junctions of different bandgaps must be used to avoid losses from lack of absorption of low energy photons and energy lost as excited carriers thermalize to the semiconductor band edge. Traditional tandem multijunction solar cells are limited, however, by lattice-matching and current-matching constraints. As an alternative we propose a lateral multijunction design in which a compound holographic optic splits the solar spectrum into four frequency bands each incident on a dual-junction, III-V tandem cell with bandgaps matched to the spectral band. The compound splitting element is composed of four stacks of three volume phase holographic diffraction gratings. Each stack of three diffracts three bands and allows a fourth to pass straight through to a cell placed beneath the stack, with each of the three gratings in the stack responsible for diffracting one frequency band. Generalized coupled wave analysis is used to model the holographic splitting. Concentration is achieved using compound parabolic trough concentrators. An iterative design process includes updating the ideal bandgaps of the four dual-junction cells to account for photon misallocation after design of the optic. Simulation predicts a two-terminal efficiency of 36.14% with 380x concentration including realistic losses

Positional irradiance measurement: characterization of spectrum-splitting and concentrating optics for photovoltaics

Multijunction photovoltaics enable significantly improved efficiency over their single junction analogues by mitigating unabsorbed sub-bandgap photons and voltage loss to carrier thermalization. Lateral spectrum-splitting configurations promise further increased efficiency through relaxation of the lattice- and current-matching requirements of monolithic stacks, albeit at the cost of increased optical and electrical complexity. Consequently, in order to achieve an effective spectrum-splitting photovoltaic configuration it is essential that all optical losses and photon misallocation be characterized and subsequently minimized. We have developed a characterization system that enables us to map the spatial, spectral, and angular distribution of illumination incident on the subcell reception plane or emerging from any subset of the concentrating and splitting optics. This positional irradiance measurement system (PIMS) comprises four motorized stages assembled in an X-Z-RY configuration with three linear degrees of freedom and one rotational degree of freedom, on which we mount an optical fiber connected to a set of spectrometers covering the solar spectrum from 280-1700 nm. In combination with a xenon arc lamp solar simulator with a divergence half angle of 1.3 degrees, we are able to characterize our optics across the full spectrum of our photovoltaic subcells with close agreement to outdoor conditions. We have used this tool to spectrally characterize holographic diffraction efficiency versus diffraction angle; multilayer dielectric filter transmission and reflection efficiency versus filter incidence angle; and aspheric lens chromatic aberration versus optic-to-receiver separation distance. These examples illustrate the versatility of the PIMS in characterizing optical performance relevant to both spectrum-splitting and traditional multijunction photovoltaics. © (2014) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

Spectrally Matched Quantum Dot Photoluminescence in GaAs-Si Tandem Luminescent Solar Concentrators

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) can capture both direct and diffuse irradiance via isotropic absorption of waveguide-embedded luminophores. Additionally, LSCs have the potential to reduce the overall cost of a photovoltaic (PV) module by concentrating incident irradiance onto an array of smaller cells. Historically, LSC efficiencies have suffered in part from incomplete light absorption and non-unity quantum yield (QY) of the luminophores. Inorganic quantum dot (QD) luminophores allow the spectral tuning of the absorption and photoluminescence bands, and have near-unity QYs. In a four-terminal tandem LSC module scheme, visible light is trapped within the LSC waveguide and is converted by GaAs cells, and near infrared light is optically coupled to a Si subcell. Here, we investigate the efficiency of a GaAs/Si tandem LSC as a function of luminophore absorption edge and emission wavelength for QD luminophores dispersed in an LSC waveguide with embedded, coplanar GaAs cells. We find that positioning the luminophore absorption edge at 660 nm yields a maximum module power efficiency of approximately 26%, compared with 21% for the non-optimized luminophore and 19% for the bare Si cases

Simulation and partial prototyping of an eight‐junction holographic spectrum-splitting photovoltaic module

Spectrum‐splitting photovoltaics incorporate optical elements to separate sunlight into frequency bands, which can be targeted at solar cells with bandgaps optimized for each sub‐band. Here, we present the design of a holographic diffraction grating‐based spectrum‐splitting photovoltaic module integrating eight III‐V compound semiconductor cells as four dual‐junction tandems. Four stacks of simple sinusoidal volume phase holographic diffraction gratings each simultaneously split and concentrate sunlight onto cells with bandgaps spanning the solar spectrum. The high‐efficiency cells get an additional performance boost from concentration incorporated using a single or a compound trough concentrator, providing up to 380X total concentration. Cell bandgap optimization incorporated an experimentally derived bandgap‐dependent external radiative efficiency function. Simulations show 33.2% module conversion efficiency is achievable. One grating stack is experimentally fabricated and characterized

Holographic spectrum splitter for ultra-high efficiency photovoltaics

To move beyond the efficiency limits of single-junction solar cells, junctions of different bandgaps must be used to avoid losses from lack of absorption of low energy photons and energy lost as excited carriers thermalize to the semiconductor band edge. Traditional tandem multijunction solar cells are limited, however, by lattice-matching and current-matching constraints. As an alternative we propose a lateral multijunction design in which a compound holographic optic splits the solar spectrum into four frequency bands each incident on a dual-junction, III-V tandem cell with bandgaps matched to the spectral band. The compound splitting element is composed of four stacks of three volume phase holographic diffraction gratings. Each stack of three diffracts three bands and allows a fourth to pass straight through to a cell placed beneath the stack, with each of the three gratings in the stack responsible for diffracting one frequency band. Generalized coupled wave analysis is used to model the holographic splitting. Concentration is achieved using compound parabolic trough concentrators. An iterative design process includes updating the ideal bandgaps of the four dual-junction cells to account for photon misallocation after design of the optic. Simulation predicts a two-terminal efficiency of 36.14% with 380x concentration including realistic losses

Spectrally Matched Quantum Dot Photoluminescence in GaAs-Si Tandem Luminescent Solar Concentrators

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) can capture both direct and diffuse irradiance via isotropic absorption of waveguide-embedded luminophores. Additionally, LSCs have the potential to reduce the overall cost of a photovoltaic (PV) module by concentrating incident irradiance onto an array of smaller cells. Historically, LSC efficiencies have suffered in part from incomplete light absorption and non-unity quantum yield (QY) of the luminophores. Inorganic quantum dot (QD) luminophores allow the spectral tuning of the absorption and photoluminescence bands, and have near-unity QYs. In a four-terminal tandem LSC module scheme, visible light is trapped within the LSC waveguide and is converted by GaAs cells, and near infrared light is optically coupled to a Si subcell. Here, we investigate the efficiency of a GaAs/Si tandem LSC as a function of luminophore absorption edge and emission wavelength for QD luminophores dispersed in an LSC waveguide with embedded, coplanar GaAs cells. We find that positioning the luminophore absorption edge at 660 nm yields a maximum module power efficiency of approximately 26%, compared with 21% for the non-optimized luminophore and 19% for the bare Si cases

Resonant dielectric high-contrast gratings as spectrum splitting optical elements for ultrahigh efficiency (>50%) photovoltaics

Resonant dielectric gratings are explored as low cost spectrum-splitting optical elements in a photovoltaic device architecture that incorporates many independently connected subcells of different bandgaps for ultrahigh efficiency (>50%). Gratings can have broadband reflectivity by appropriately offsetting grating resonances. Subwavelength feature sizes suppress diffraction, and the high-refractive index of the grating layer leads to relatively angle-insensitive reflectance. Gratings can be fabricated by nanoimprint lithography, making them a scalable and economical option for photovoltaic applications. Using these gratings to create a series of dichroic filters to separate incident solar light into a series of bands which can then be coupled into independent subcells has potential for high efficiency by overcoming losses due to lack of absorption of subbandgap photons and thermalization of excited carriers which account for loss of over 40% of incident power on single-junction solar cells. Independent connection and physically separated subcells permit freer bandgap selection and relieve the current-matching constraint which limits conventional monolithic tandem multijunction cell efficiency

Spectrum-splitting photovoltaics: Holographic spectrum splitting in eight-junction, ultra-high efficiency module

To achieve photovoltaic energy conversion with ultra-high module efficiency, the number of junctions can be increased beyond the 3-5 used in conventional lattice-matched multi-junction photovoltaics. We demonstrate a photovoltaic design that incorporates eight III-V semiconductor junctions arranged laterally as four dual-junction subcells operating electrically and optically in an independent manner. An integrated holographic optical element is used to split the incoming solar spectrum into four different spectral bands, each diffracted onto the appropriate subcell. In addition, two-axis concentration is used to achieve total concentration of 672 suns. A preliminary design for this holographic spectrum splitter composed of twelve simple, commercially available holograms predicts an achievable 76.1% optical efficiency and 37.1% two-terminal module efficiency; opportunities for improved efficiency are discussed

Full spectrum ultrahigh efficiency photovoltaics

Future photovoltaic systems can be greatly benefited by modules that exhibit simultaneously ultrahigh efficiency (> 50%) and low-cost (6) subcells are possible, including designs based on holographic spectrum splitting, specular reflection in dielectric polyhedra and light trapping textured filtered dielectric slabs that perform as nonimaging concentrators