Quantum-dot-induced optical transition enhancement in InAs quantum-dot-embedded p-i-n GaAs solar cells

Photocurrents (PCs) of three p-i-n GaAs solar cells, sample A with InAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded in the depletion region, B with QDs in the n region, and C without QDs, were studied experimentally and theoretically. Above GaAs bandgap, the PC of A is increased, while B is decreased with respect to C, since in A, the QD-induced reflection of hole wave function increases its overlap with electron wave function so that the optical transition rate is enhanced, while carrier mobility in B is reduced due to QD-induced potential variations. Moreover, A and B have increased PCs in the sub-GaAs-bandgap range due to QD optical absorptions. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3638488