Comparative study on the effect of magnetic field on the photocurrent density of organic, dye-sensitized and silicon solar cells

Abstract

The effect of magnetic field on the photocurrent generation of three main types of solar cells with entirely different structures, i.e., organic, dye-sensitized and silicon solar cells, is investigated. The magnetic field effect on photocurrent (MPC) signals of organic and dye-sensitized solar cells are estimated by fitting experimental data with a single non-Lorentzian. For the first time, the MPC signal of a silicon solar cell is theoretically obtained and proved by performing a novel analysis of electromagnetic force produced by external magnetic field. Experimental results are given that explicitly verify the theoretical results, in particular, the correctness of the MPC signal obtained in this study. To provide a clear and concise conclusion deduced from experimental data and theoretical analyses presented in this research work, the MPC signals of organic, dye-sensitized and silicon solar cells are also compared. The comparison demonstrates that external magnetic field causes an increase in the photocurrent density of a bulk-heterojunction organic solar cell, while its impact on dye-sensitized and silicon solar cells is negative, i.e., it causes a reduction in their photocurrent density. Thus, under influence of unavoidable external magnetic fields, organic solar cells are more efficient and advantageous compared to dye-sensitized and silicon solar cells.