Abstract
We deduce a novel expression for the non-equilibrium photochemical potential and the power conversion efficiency of non-equilibrium light absorption by a thermostated material. Application of our results for the case of electron migration from valence to conduction bands in photovoltaic cells allows us to accurately interpolate experimental results for the maximal efficiencies of Ge-, Si-, GaAs-based cells and the like.
Highlights
Radiation-matter interaction is an ubiquitous and very important phenomenon in several fields of science including physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and technology.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] The key role of this interaction is that it promotes the absorption of the energy contained in the radiation that, in turn, may be converted and stored into other types of energy such as chemical or electrical
Beyond the Planck’s seminal work on the thermodynamics of thermal radiation,[9] one has to consider the existence of a non-vanishing photochemical potential associated to the photon-matter interaction.[10,11]
We analyze the radiative energy-exchange of two materials, α and β, which are thermalized with their corresponding heat baths at temperatures, Tα Tβ, see Fig. 1. The kinetics of this non-equilibrium situation coupling the two materials is studied on the basis of a quantum master equation for two-level atoms, from which we deduce an explicit expression for the non-equilibrium photochemical potential of photons and the entropy produced during photon absorption
Summary
Radiation-matter interaction is an ubiquitous and very important phenomenon in several fields of science including physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and technology.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] The key role of this interaction is that it promotes the absorption of the energy contained in the radiation that, in turn, may be converted and stored into other types of energy such as chemical or electrical. Power conversion efficiency of non-equilibrium light absorption Beyond the Planck’s seminal work on the thermodynamics of thermal radiation,[9] one has to consider the existence of a non-vanishing photochemical potential associated to the photon-matter interaction.[10,11]
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