Harvesting Sub-bandgap Photons via Upconversion for Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract

Lanthanide-based upconversion (UC) allows harvesting subbandgap near-infrared photons in photovoltaics. In this work, we investigate UC in perovskite solar cells by implementing UC single crystal BaF 2 :Yb 3+ , Er 3+ at the rear of the solar cell. Upon illumination with high-intensity sub-bandgap photons at 980 nm, the BaF 2 :Yb 3+ , Er 3+ crystal emits upconverted photons in the spectral range between 520 and 700 nm. When tested under terrestrial sunlight representing one sun above the perovskite's bandgap and sub-bandgap illumination at 980 nm, upconverted photons contribute a 0.38 mA/cm 2 enhancement in the short-circuit current density at lower intensity. The current enhancement scales non-linearly with the incident intensity of subbandgap illumination, and at higher intensity, 2.09 mA/cm 2 enhancement in current was observed. Hence, our study shows that using a fluoride single crystal like BaF 2 :Yb 3+ , Er 3+ for UC is a suitable method to extend the response of perovskite solar cells to near-infrared illumination at 980 nm with a subsequent enhancement in current for very high incident intensity.

Synthesis of SrF2:Yb:Er ceramic precursor powder by co-precipitation from aqueous solution with different fluorinating media: NaF, KF and NH4F

“…50 The synthesis methods developed are scalable 51 and can be used to obtain nanoparticles in industrial volumes. The nanoparticles obtained can be used to increase the efficiency of solar panels, 35,[52][53][54][55][56] in anticounterfeiting, 57 in the production of thin optical films for anti-reflective protective coatings on glass, 58 in 2D/3D monitors, 59 in bioimaging, 33 pressure and temperature sensors, 60 and in plastic sorting. 61 The physicochemical regularities revealed confirmed the possibility of synthesising precursor powders for laser ceramics using the method of precipitation from aqueous solutions.…”

Microstructure-driven annihilation effects and dispersive excited state dynamics in solid-state films of a model sensitizer for photon energy up-conversion applications

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Owing to their easily executable and inexpensive processing protocols, solution processable TTA-UC solid-state mixtures prepared by using small molecular and macromolecular p-conjugated systems are ideal candidate systems to be used as TTA-UC interlayers for device applications. [14][15][16] The solution processable character of TTA-UC organic materials offers an attractive opportunity to complement the portfolio of other existing photon energy up-converting systems [17][18][19][20][21] and to avoid disruptions in the design of currently employed device architectures. Although the realization of TTA-UC layers as functional device components is lagging, encouraging results were recently presented on a green-to-blue model TTA-UC composite prepared by blending the greenabsorbing (2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-porphyrinato) Pt II (PtOEP) square-planar sensitizer with the blue-light emitting 9,10 diphenyl anthracene (DPA) emitter, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derivative.…”

A non-rare earth ion doped broadband emission phosphor located in NIR-II for ethanol concentration detection

“…7 However, Yb 3+ and Er 3+ ions have a narrow emission FWHM due to their characteristic 4f-level electron leap between different energy levels. [8][9][10] Eu 2+ and Mn 2+ ions can have a certain FWHM but their emission positions tend to be located from the deep red region to NIR-I, with emission wavelengths relatively close to the short-wave direction. [11][12][13] Generally, Cr 3+ ions are widely used as near infrared emitting ions due to their tunable emission position; however, the emission spectra of Cr 3+ -doped phosphors have been reported to be mainly located in NIR-I or only a part of the spectra in NIR-II.…”