Microscopic approach for intersubband-based thermophotovoltaic structures in the terahertz and mid-infrared

PEREIRA, Mauro (2011). Microscopic approach for intersubband-based thermophotovoltaic structures in the terahertz and mid-infrared. Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 28 (8), p. 2014.

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Abstract

This paper describes microscopic calculations of photocurrent generation spectra due to intersubband transitions in semiconductor heterostructures that can extract energy from photons in the THz and Mid Infrared Ranges. As expected in the mid infrared the interconduction conduction band transitions dominate the photocurrent. However, the numerical results presented here show that in the far infrared there is a range in which valence-band-based transitions dominate the photocurrent and these can be sustained under perpendicular incidence. This would lead to devices that do not need prisms and couplers in contrast with conduction-band based intersubband absorbers. Examples for different quantum well structures and different thermal source temperatures are compared and contrasted numerically. It is further demonstrated that many body effects, so far ignored in simulations of materials for photovoltaic and thermophotovoltaic applications, are shown to be of relevance for both conduction (TM Mode) and valence-band based (TE Mode) configurations.

Item Type:	Article
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018:	Materials and Engineering Research Institute > Advanced Coatings and Composites Research Centre > Electronic Materials and Sensors Research Group
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAB.28.002014
Page Range:	p. 2014
Depositing User:	Helen Garner
Date Deposited:	27 Sep 2011 15:24
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2021 04:39
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/3925

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