A Theoretical Perspective of the Photochemical Potential in the Spectral Performance of Photovoltaic Cells |
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Authors: | Agustin Prez-Madrid Ivan Santamaría-Holek |
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Institution: | 1.Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;2.UMDI-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro 76230, Mexico |
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Abstract: | We present a novel theoretical approach to the problem of light energy conversion in thermostated semiconductor junctions. Using the classical model of a two-level atom, we deduced formulas for the spectral response and the quantum efficiency in terms of the input photons’ non-zero chemical potential. We also calculated the spectral entropy production and the global efficiency parameter in the thermodynamic limit. The heat transferred to the thermostat results in a dissipative loss that appreciably controls the spectral quantities’ behavior and, therefore, the cell’s performance. The application of the obtained formulas to data extracted from photovoltaic cells enabled us to accurately interpolate experimental data for the spectral response and the quantum efficiency of cells based on Si-, GaAs, and CdTe, among others. |
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Keywords: | PVC spectral response quantum efficiency spectral entropy production photochemical potential two-level atom model |
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