High-performance piezo-phototronic multijunction solar cells based on single-type two-dimensional materials

Abstract

Abstract Piezotronics and piezo-phototronics based on the third-generation semiconductor (such as ZnO, GaN, CdS, and monolayer chalcogenides) and two-dimensional materials, have attracted increasing attention due to the coupling characteristic of piezoelectric, photon excitation, and semiconductor properties. Strain can not only induce piezoelectric charges but also modulate bandgap of piezotronic materials. In this paper, we propose a structure of piezo-phototronic multijunction solar cell based on single-type two-dimensional piezoelectric semiconductor materials. By using the theory of detailed balance limit, the open circuit voltage and short circuit current of this piezo-phototronic multijunction solar cell are calculated. The results indicate that power conversion efficiency of the piezo-phototronic multijunction solar cell can theoretically reach to 33%, under the blackbody of temperature 6000 K, which is higher than the well-known theoretical Shockley-Queisser limit. This work provides guidance to design the next generation ultra-high performance piezo-phototronic solar cells.