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In0.85Ga0.15As photodetectors grown on GaAs substrates using an interfacial misfit array-based simple buffer are studied. The material quality is assessed with a range of characterization tools showing low surface roughness and low density of threading dislocations. These results indicate a significant improvement on crystal quality compared to structures grown on InP substrates by using metamorphic buffers. Quantum efficiency and responsivity measurements show good performance of the fabricated devices between 1.5 and 2.5 µm, making them highly suitable for short-wavelength infrared applications.

We demonstrate the integration of subwavelength moth-eye and Al2O3 nanoisland structures fabricated on polymer packaging sheets and the surface of conventional Al2O3/TiO2 bilayer antireflection coatings, respectively, with epitaxial lift-off single-junction GaAs solar cells. The mechanically flexible cell structure with the integrated optical nanostructures shows substantially improved photovoltaic performance under various incident angles and bending radii compared to devices without such structures: the increase in short-circuit current density arising from integration of these nanostructures ranges from 9% at normal incidence to 52% at 80° incidence; and the reduction in short-circuit current density under moderate bending decreases from 9.7% to 6.7%.

We report a significant broadband enhancement of the external quantum efficiency of the quantum dot solar cell by coupling with plasmonic nanostars via a simple and scalable “boiling deposition” technique. The multispiked nanostars provide broadband scattering and absorption cross-sections, which can be engineered to dramatically boost the performance of the solar cells. The localized near field modes of nanostars result in an external quantum efficiency enhancement over 400% for short-wavelength light absorbed in the emitter, while plasmon light scattering causes distinct improvement in quantum efficiency (10–50%) in the long-wavelength region up to 1100 nm. Finite difference time domain method is adopted to explain the origin of the optical absorption enhancement in the quantum dot solar cells. The broadband light concentration by plasmonic nanostars can significantly reduce the amount of quantum dot materials required for a solar cell and provide efficient utilization of the full solar spectrum.

We present theoretical and experimental analysis of photocarrier kinetics in quantum dot (QD) solar cells. The measurements of the J–V characteristics reveal strong effects of QD charging by selective doping of the interdot space on the solar cell characteristics. We demonstrate that charging of QDs significantly increases electron coupling to sub-bandgap photons, provides effective harvesting of IR energy, and serve as an effective tool for manipulating the potential profile at the micro- and nanoscale. The potential well for electrons in InAs QDs is substantially deeper than that for holes and, due to major differences between the effective masses of electrons and holes, the electron level spacing is substantially larger than the level spacing for holes. Therefore, QDs act as deep traps for electrons but shallow traps for holes. Filling of QDs under illumination is determined by a condition of equality of electron and hole capture rates which is realized via strong exponential dependence of the capture rates on the potential barrier around a charged dot. Without adequate doping of the QD medium, QDs are filled by electrons from the n-doped junction area and deteriorate the solar cell performance. However, selective n-doping of the QD medium results in micro- and nanoscale potential profiles favorable for photovoltaic conversion. Potential barriers around charged QDs decrease the photoelectron capture processes and suppress recombination processes via QDs. The filling of QDs predominantly from dopants in the QD medium allows one to maintain the microscale potential profile analogous to that in the best conventional single-junction solar cells.