Combined photoluminescence and electrical characterization of valley photovoltaic devices explained with an equivalent circuit
Abstract
We present an equivalent-circuit analysis that simultaneously considers the photoluminescence and electrical responses of valley photovoltaic devices. Valley photovoltaics (VPV) are a novel concept for hot-carrier solar cells, where intervalley scattering of electrons in the absorbing material helps maintain the conduction-band electron populations at metastable satellite valleys, which are at energies higher than the conduction-band minimum. We measure intensity- and voltage-dependent photoluminescence and electrical signals of a VPV device, which has previously shown S-shaped current-voltage characteristics and thus low efficiency. We present an equivalent circuit that captures the S-shaped current-voltage curves and simultaneously describes our photoluminescence and electric measurements. The equivalent-circuit model indicates that a reverse diode causes inefficient extraction of electrons and thus the S shape. We use a Poisson/drift-diffusion model to demonstrate that the reverse diode can be either explained by the valley-scattering process itself or a heterojunction barrier. The reverse diode must be eliminated before VPV devices can achieve high efficiency.
Related
- Photovoltaic Panels on Green Roofs: Optical, Thermal and Electrical Contributions in a Multi-Energy Model
- Reduced-parameter ultrasound electrical impedance spectroscopy for characterization of piezoelectric transducers and polymer materials
- Paradox, Probability, and Quantum Reality: Explained with Physics and with Philosophy — and How Perception Works Within Them
- A glueball puzzle explained in terms of ϕh1(1380) dynamics: Aka X(2370)
- Photoluminescence of resin-based solder flux residue under ultraviolet excitation from 120 nm to 310 nm
BibTeX
@misc{xia2026combined,
title = {{Combined photoluminescence and electrical characterization of valley photovoltaic devices explained with an equivalent circuit}},
author = {Daixi Xia and Abhinav S. Sharma and Andreas Pusch and Murad J. Y. Tayebjee and Michael P. Nielsen and Fiacre E. Rougieux and Kyle R. Dorman and Tetsuya D. Mishima and Michael B. Santos and Ian R. Sellers and Nicholas J. Ekins-Daukes and Jacob J. Krich},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.37854},
eprint = {2609.37854},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.37854},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Combined photoluminescence and electrical characterization of valley photovoltaic devices explained with an equivalent circuit
AU - Daixi Xia
AU - Abhinav S. Sharma
AU - Andreas Pusch
AU - Murad J. Y. Tayebjee
AU - Michael P. Nielsen
AU - Fiacre E. Rougieux
AU - Kyle R. Dorman
AU - Tetsuya D. Mishima
AU - Michael B. Santos
AU - Ian R. Sellers
AU - Nicholas J. Ekins-Daukes
AU - Jacob J. Krich
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.37854
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.37854
AB - We present an equivalent-circuit analysis that simultaneously considers the photoluminescence and electrical responses of valley photovoltaic devices. Valley photovoltaics (VPV) are a novel concept for hot-carrier solar cells, where intervalley scattering of electrons in the absorbing material helps maintain the conduction-band electron populations at metastable satellite valleys, which are at energies higher than the conduction-band minimum. We measure intensity- and voltage-dependent photoluminescence and electrical signals of a VPV device, which has previously shown S-shaped current-voltage characteristics and thus low efficiency. We present an equivalent circuit that captures the S-shaped current-voltage curves and simultaneously describes our photoluminescence and electric measurements. The equivalent-circuit model indicates that a reverse diode causes inefficient extraction of electrons and thus the S shape. We use a Poisson/drift-diffusion model to demonstrate that the reverse diode can be either explained by the valley-scattering process itself or a heterojunction barrier. The reverse diode must be eliminated before VPV devices can achieve high efficiency.
ER -