Performance assessment and optimization of a hot carrier solar cell with double energy selective contacts

Abstract

A novel model of the hot carrier solar cell (HCSC) with double energy selective contacts (ESCs) is established. Expressions of the efficiency and power output are derived analytically. The effects of the cell voltage, extraction energy level, width of the ESCs, band gap energy of the absorber, and energy gap between the two contacts on the performance of the HCSC with double quantum dot (QD)- and quantum well (QW)-ESCs are examined. The results obtained show that the HCSC with double QD- and QW-ESCs can obtain a high efficiency. When the parameters of the HCSC are optimized, the maximum efficiency of the HCSC with double QD-ESCs is higher than that with double QW-ESCs. Moreover, the maximum efficiencies of the HCSC with double QD- and QW-ESCs decrease with the increase of the energy gap between the two contacts.