Thermodynamic efficiency of an intermediate band photovoltaic cell with low threshold Auger generation

The detailed balance method is used to study the thermodynamic efficiency of an intermediate band photovoltaic cell with low threshold Auger generation. Hot electrons generated by high-energy photons pump electrons from the intermediate band to the conduction band. The intermediate band is filled up after absorption of low-energy photons. A thermodynamic efficiency of about 70% is obtained, which is higher than the maximal efficiency of 63.2% for an intermediate band solar cell without Auger generation. The optimum band gap is shifted towards the silicon band gap. This result gives silicon its place in the new generation of solar cell materials using generation mechanism absent in single-band-gap solar cells. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.