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Recent progress in semiconductor materials with minor nonradiative recombination has stimulated investigations of novel photovoltaic (PV) converters with optical control of radiative emission. Angle restricted emission was experimentally demonstrated in PV devices with external photon recycling due to specific photonic crystals or mirrors. In this work we investigate the power beam conversion by the cell with front “greenhouse” filter, which transmits the laser light, but recycles the low energy bandgap quanta emitted by the semiconductor cell. We calculate the limiting characteristics of the greenhouse PV converters and optimize design of the converter taking into account the nonradiative recombination processes. In optimized devices addition of the greenhouse filter can increase power beam conversion efficiency by several percent.

Having been inspired by the tremendous progress in material nanoscience and device nanoengineering, hybrid phototransistors combine solution processed colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) with graphene or two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials. Novel detectors demonstrate ultrahigh photoconductive gain, high and selective photoresponse, low noise, and very high responsivity in visible- and near-infrared ranges. The outstanding performance of phototransistors is primarily due to the strong, selective, and size tunable absorption of QDs and fast charge transfer in 2D high mobility conductors. However, the relatively small mobility of QD nanomaterials was a technological barrier, which limited the operating rate of devices. Very recent innovations in detector design and significant progress in QD ligand engineering provide effective tools for further qualitative improvements. This article reviews the recent progress in material science, nanophysics, and device engineering related to hybrid phototransistors. Detectors based on various QD nanomaterials and several 2D conductors are compared, and advantages and disadvantages of various nanomaterials for applications in hybrid phototransistors are identified. We also benchmark the experimental characteristics with model results that establish interrelations and tradeoffs between detector characteristics, such as responsivity, dark and noise currents, the photocarrier lifetime, response, and noise bandwidths. We have shown that the most recent phototransistors demonstrate performance limited by the fundamental generation recombination noise in high gain devices. Interrelation between the dynamic range of the detector and the detector sensitivity is discussed. The review is concluded with a brief discussion of the remaining challenges and possible significant improvements in the performance of hybrid phototransistors.

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.

Novel approach to optimize quantum dot (QD) materials for specific optoelectronic applications is based on engineering of nanoscale potential profile, which is created by charged QDs. The nanoscale barriers prevent capture of photocarriers and drastically increase the photoelectron lifetime, which in turn strongly improves the photoconductive gain, responsivity, and sensitivity of photodetectors and decreases the nonradiative recombination losses of photovoltaic devices. QD charging may be created by various types of selective doping. To investigate effects of selective doping, we model, fabricated, and characterized AlGaAs/InAs QD structures with n-doping of QD layers, doping of interdot layers, and bipolar doping, which combines p-doping of QD layers with strong n-doping of the interdot space. We have measured spectral characteristics of photoresponse, photocurrent and dark current. The experimental data show that providing the same electron population of QDs, the bipolar doping creates the most contrasting nanoscale profile with the highest barriers around dots.

We demonstrate the integration of subwavelength moth-eye antireflection nanostructures onto a fully packaged commercial eight cell array of dual junction epitaxial lift-off GaAs solar cells. A low cost, scalable, and large area nanosphere lithography patterning process was used to fabricate the nanostructures on a polymer PET packaging layer. The mechanically flexible array shows 29.80% PCE at normal incidence and enhanced J sc at large angles of incidence due to the anti-reflection nanostructures.

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.

Quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) have attracted significant attention due to selective photoresponse, high photoconductive gain, and numerous possibilities for nanoscale engineering of photoelectron processes, which control the detector characteristics. Our approach to improving QDIP performance is based on optimization of three dimensional nanoscale potential profile created by charged quantum dots (QDs). Nanoscale profile around QDs allows us to control photoelectron capture processes, which determines the photoelectron lifetime, detector operating speed, responsivity, the spectral density of noise, noise bandwidth, and the detector dynamic range. The nanoscale potential profile is determined by doping of QDs and inter-dot space. In this work, we study various ways of selective doping and its effects on characteristics of photodetectors. We investigate and compare intra-dot doping, inter-dot doping, and complex bipolar doping. To investigate effects of selective doping, we fabricated AlGaAs/InAs QD structures with n-doping of QD layers, structures with n-doping of barriers, and structures with p-doping of QD layers and n-doping of interdot space. We measured dark current, spectral photoresponse, voltage dependence of responsivity, and noise characteristic. The photoresponse is improved due to photon-electron coupling, which increases with QD filling by electrons. However, the noise current also increases due to increase in QD filling. Therefore, possibilities for improvement of QDIP structures with unipolar doping are very limited. Our results show that spectral photoresponse, responsivity, and detector sensitivity are substantially improved due to bipolar doping, which provides decoupled control of electron filling of QDs and the potential barriers around QDs.

Reduction in surface and interface reflectance via the integration of subwavelength nanostructures in flexible polymer packaging material combined with incorporation of dielectric nanoislands into a conventional two-layer antireflection coating has been demonstrated, analyzed and optimized. Transmittance measurements of moth-eye textured polymer packaging sheets with different tapered pillar heights fabricated by reactive-ion etching and nanosphere lithography provide insights into the choice of the optimum nanostructure dimensions. Detailed computational modeling and simulations elucidate the physical nature of the antireflection performance of dielectric nanoisland structures integrated with a commercial two-layer antireflection coating, and provide guidance for design of the nanoisland structure for optimum antireflection performance. Measurements show that the integration of appropriately designed nanostructures in both polymer packaging material and conventional antireflection layers enables substantial increases in external quantum efficiency (E.Q.E.) and short-circuit current density (Jsc) over a broad range of incident angles, compared to structures with conventional bilayer antireflection coatings and unpatterned polymer packaging sheets. A 1.1× increase in Jsc, derived directly from E.Q.E. measurements, at normal incidence, increasing to 1.67× improvement at 80° angle of incidence, suggests that such an approach is promising for a variety of photovoltaic applications, particularly those where solar tracking is not feasible or practical. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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.

GaAs nano-mounds formed by droplet epitaxy are used as templates for growth of self-assembled InAs quantum dot clusters (QDCs). These QDCs are found to contain an average of thirteen dots per cluster, of which there are two families of different sized quantum dots. Excitation intensity-dependent photoluminescence (PL) demonstrates that there is no lateral coupling between the two different size quantum dots. Lateral transfer of carriers is observed between different size quantum dots due to thermal activation as seen in their different temperature-dependent optical behaviors.

We demonstrate the formation of hybrid molecules composed of a pair of a metal particle and a semiconductor quantum ring (QR) by using molecular beam epitaxy on a GaAs (100) surface. To form three-dimensional semiconductor InGaAs QRs with a hole in the center of the structure, a thin layer (10 monolayer) of GaAs was applied on InAs quantum dots, which transformed the distribution of surface free energy. These InGaAs QRs were then used as a template for the localization of Ga metal particles; there was one metal particle on a QR. By choosing the optimal surface temperature (most favorable thermal energy), the surface diffusion of Ga adatoms was effectively enhanced. This, in turn, allowed the localization of Ga metal particles on InGaAs QRs, consequently forming hybrid molecules. This study helps understand the formation of various types of hybrid molecules that will be used in applications in optoelectronics.

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion enables millimeter scale power generation required for portable microelectronics, robotics, etc. In a TPV system, a heat source heats a selective emitter to incandescence, the radiation from which is incident on a low bandgap TPV cell. The selective emitter tailors the photonic density of states to produce spectrally confined selective emission of light matching the bandgap of the photovoltaic cell, enabling high heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency. The selective emitter requires: thermal stability at high-temperatures for long operational lifetimes, simple and relatively low-cost fabrication, as well as spectrally selective emission over a large uniform area. Generally, the selective emission can either originate from the natural material properties, such as in ytterbia or erbia emitters, or can be engineered through microstructuring. Our approach, the 2D photonic crystal fabricated in refractory metals, offers high spectral selectivity and high-temperature stability while being fabricated by standard semiconductor processes. In this work, we present a brief comparison of TPV system efficiencies using these different emitter technologies. We then focus on the design, fabrication, and characterization of our current 2D photonic crystal, which is a square lattice of cylindrical holes fabricated in a refractory metal substrate. The spectral performance and thermal stability of the fabricated photonic crystal thermal emitters are demonstrated and the efficiency gain of our model TPV system is characterized.Copyright © 2016 by ASME

We designed, fabricated, and characterized multi-color IR photodetectors with asymmetrical doping of GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum wells (DQW). We measured and analyzed spectral and noise characteristics to evaluate feasibility of these photodetectors for remote temperature sensing at liquid nitrogen temperatures. The bias voltage controls the charge distribution between the two wells in a DQW unit and provides effective tuning of IR induced electron transitions. We have found that the responsivity of our devices is symmetrical and weakly dependent on the bias voltage because the doping asymmetry compensates the effect of dopant migration in the growth direction. At the same time, the asymmetrical doping strongly enhances the selectivity and tunability of spectral characteristics by bias voltage. Multicolor detection of our QWIP is realized by varying the bias voltage. Maximum detection wavelength moves from 7.5 μm to 11.1 μm by switching applied bias from -5 V to 4 V. Modeling shows significant dependence of the photocurrent ratio on the object temperature regardless of its emissivity and geometrical factors. We also experimentally investigated the feasibility of our devices for remote temperature sensing by measuring the photocurrent as a response to blackbody radiation with the temperature from 300°C to 1000°C in the range of bias voltages from -5 V to 5 V. The agreement between modelling and experimental results demonstrates that our QWIP based on asymmetrically doped GaAs/AlGaAs DQW nanomaterial is capable of remote temperature sensing. By optimizing the physical design and varying the doping level of quantum wells, we can generalize this approach to higher temperature measurements. In addition, continuous variation of bias voltage provides fast collection of large amounts of photocurrent data at various biases and improves the accuracy of remote temperature measurements via appropriate algorithm of signal processing.

Structures containing multiple layers of self-assembled InAs quantum dot clusters within a GaAs matrix are investigated on GaAs (1 0 0) by atomic force microscopy. Droplet homoepitaxy (GaAs nanostructures on planar GaAs) is used to create tiny GaAs nano-mound templates elongated along [0 1 −1]. Due to a high density of monolayer steps on the edge of nano-mounds, deposited InAs prefer to form in clusters around the nano-mound templates. By varying the subsequent InAs monolayer coverages and growth temperatures, two distinctive sizes of quantum dots (QDs) are formed around the nano-mounds for the layer stacking. With a fixed GaAs barrier thickness (10 nm) in between the layers, the resulting QDs from the stacked layers show significant improvement in their size uniformity.

New morphologies of InAs quantum dot (QD) ensembles forming on self-assembled GaAs nano-holed island templates are demonstrated. Droplet homoepitaxy (GaAs/GaAs) is used to generate holed nanoscale-sized mounds that appear to elongate along . Depending on the InAs monolayer (ML) coverages, subsequent InAs deposition forms different sizes and shapes of QD ensembles. While we initially observe the formation of the QDs at the hole sites when less InAs is deposited, QDs form around the edges of the mounds with greater InAs deposition. By varying the InAs depositions and growth temperatures, we demonstrate an ability to control the size and density of QDs. The observed decrease in the necessary critical thickness required for the InAs 2D–3D transition may be due to the higher density of monolayer steps on the sidewalls of the holes and on the edges of the mounds. This hybrid growth approach overcomes some limitations of typical QD growth on planar GaAs surfaces and may find applications in optoelectronics.

Nanoscale engineering of band profile and potential profile provide effective tools for the management of photoelectron processes in quantum dot (QD) photovoltaic devices. We investigate the QD devices with various 1-μm InAs /GaAs QD media placed in a 3-μm base GaAs p-n junction. We found that n-charging of quantum dots (QDs) create potential barriers around QDs. QD growth between ultrathin AlGaAs layers leads to the formation of AlGaAs “fence” barriers, and reduces the wetting layers (WLs). The barriers around QDs and reduction of the wetting layer substantially suppress recombination processes via QDs. The n-doping of interdot space in QD media enhances electron extraction from QDs. All of our QD devices show short-circuit current, J SC , higher than that of the reference cell, but smaller open-circuit voltage, V OC .. In the QD devices, the short circuit currents increase by ~0.1 mA/cm 2 per dot layer. J SC reaches 28.4 mA/cm 2 in the device with QD media that combines dot charging, fence barriers, and WL reduction.

Efficient photovoltaic energy harvesting requires device structures capable of absorbing a wide spectrum of incident radiation and extracting the photogenerated carriers at high voltages. In this paper, we review the impact of active layer thickness on the voltage performance of GaAs-based photovoltaic device structures. We observe that thin absorber structures can be leveraged to increase the operating voltage of energy harvesting devices. Thin absorbers in combination with advanced light trapping structures provide an exciting pathway for enhancing the performance of flexible, lightweight photovoltaic modules suitable for mobile and portable power applications.

The use of subwavelength-scale dielectric nanostructures for both reduced surface and interface reflectance and long-wavelength light trapping in III/V thin-film solar cells is demonstrated and characterized. Antireflection coatings incorporating submicron pyramidal “nanoislands” are fabricated on GaAs thin-film solar cells using a low-cost nanosphere lithography (NSL) process, and shown to improve external quantum efficiency (E.Q.E.) compared to that achieved using a thin-film planar Al 2 O 3 /TiO 2 antireflection coating, with the largest improvements occurring for large angles of incidence. Such structures are also shown to enable, simultaneously, reduced surface reflectance and long-wavelength light trapping, as demonstrated in GaAs/InGaAs quantum well solar cells. Finally, the simultaneous use of subwavelength “moth-eye” structures fabricated in polymer packaging material using NSL and solar cell antireflection structures incorporating dielectric “nanoislands” is demonstrated and analyzed, enabling increases in short-circuit current density of ∼1.1× to 1.67×, depending on angle of incidence, compared to structures using conventional two-layer thin-film antireflection coatings and unpatterned polymer packaging.

Optoelectronic materials for advanced IR sensing should combine wide strong electron coupling to the IR radiation, spectral tunability, adjustable dynamic range, manageable trade-off parameters, such as the noise characteristics and the operating time. Modern nanomaterials based on quantum dots and quantum wells provide wide possibilities to manage photoelectron processes via tuning the charge of quantum dots and quantum wells by the electric field and/or optical pumping. Variations in charge built in dots and wells change spectral characteristics, photocarrier lifetimes, and noise processes. These effects are especially strong in nanomaterials with strong selective doping of dots and wells. Manageable built-in charge provides wide possibilities to control the spectra, detector responsivity, and recombination processes.

Most of investigations of quantum dot photovoltaic devices are aimed at the development of the intermediate band solar cell. To form the intermediate band by quantum dot electron levels, the dots should be placed close to one to another. This leads to strain accumulation and defects, which increase the photocarrier recombination, and recombination losses. To avoid the nanostructuring-induced recombination, we proposed and studied an alternative approach, which is based on the separation of quantum dots (QDs) or QD clusters from the conducting channels by potential barriers created by quantum dots with built-in charge (Q-BIC). Charging of QDs improves the performance of QD solar cells due to the following factors: Negative dot charging increases electron coupling to sub-bandgap photons and provides effective harvesting of IR energy. Because of the strong difference in effective masses of electrons and holes, an electron level spacing in QDs substantially exceeds a level spacing for holes. Therefore, QDs act as deep traps for electrons, but they are shallow traps for holes. Thus, the holes trapped in QDs may be excited by thermal phonons, while excitation of localized QDs electrons requires IR radiation or the interaction with hot electrons. Therefore, n-doping of QD structures is strongly preferable for photovoltaic applications. Charging of QDs is also an effective tool for managing the potential profile at micro- and nanoscales. Filling QDs predominantly from dopants in the QD medium allows one to maintain the macroscale profile analogous to that in the best conventional single-junction solar cells.

Novel approach to control of photoelectron processes is based on nanoscale engineering of 3D potential profile employing quantum dots with built-in charge (Q-BIC). Charging of quantum dots creates local potential barriers around single dots, if dots are arbitrary distributed in the medium, and collective barriers around dot clusters, rows etc, if quantum dots form specific structures. Manipulations with potential barriers provide an effective tool for suppression of fast capture processes of photocarriers by quantum dots. This allows one to increase the photocarrier lifetime and to reduce the recombination losses. The charging of dots also enhances the electron coupling to infrared radiation and multi-step absorption of sub-gap photons. Q-BIC nanomaterials have a number of attractive features to be used in photovoltaic and sensing applications.

Thermoelectric and solar power generation are two promising alternative energy solutions for the military. Power generation devices based on these two technologies aid the military by lightening Soldiers? loads and allowing them to carry fewer batteries and more equipment. Since these technologies use renewable energy sources, Soldiers are also spared the nuisance of having to constantly resupply. Thermoelectric power generates electricity from any adventitious source of heat, while solar cells employ sunlight to do the same. Both technologies are currently subject to extensive research to improve efficiency, utility, and cost. Although they both operate on renewable energy sources, each technology functions at a different temperature range. Thermoelectric devices run on low temperatures, generally below 1000 K, while solar cells require temperatures equivalent to those of the sun. Thermoelectric and solar power generators complement each other since they are capable of producing electricity from disparate sources. Solar produces highly efficient power during daytime but fails in darkness. Thermoelectrics can produce electricity with lower efficiency but dramatically more sources of heat are available for thermoelectric power generation, enabling full diurnal operation. This report discusses measurements of the properties and efficiency of a thermoelectric device and a solar cell.

We present theoretical and experimental results of electron kinetics and transport in quantum dot structures with potential barriers created around dots via intentional or unintentional doping. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that photoelectron capture is substantially enhanced in strong fields and electron kinetics can be controlled by potential barriers. Therefore, by creating potential barriers around dots, we found that our novel quantum dots with built-in charge (Q-BIC) solar cells and infrared (IR) photodectors enhance electron intersubband transitions and suppress fast electron capture processes. These factors lead to a 60% increase in the photocurrent of the Q-BIC solar cells (without degradation of the open circuit voltage) and ~25 times increase in the photoresponse of the Q-BIC photodetectors.

We investigated the effects of doping on the photovoltaic efficiency in a GaAs reference cell, and in undoped, n-doped, and p-doped InAs/GaAs quantum-dot (QD) solar cells. We found that the photovoltaic efficiency of the undoped QD solar cell is almost the same as that of the reference cell. However, the efficiency improves monotonically with increasing inter-dot ndoping, while p-doping deteriorates the photovoltaic conversion. We observed a 50 % increase in photovoltaic efficiency in the device n-doped to provide approximately six electrons per dot as compared with the undoped QD cell. In this QD solar cell, the short circuit current density increases to 24.30 mA/cm 2 compared with 15.07 mA/cm 2 in the undoped QD solar cell without deterioration of the open circuit voltage. To identify the physical mechanisms that provide this improvement, we investigated the spectral characteristics of the photovoltaic response and photoluminescence of our QD solar cells. We found that the electron capture into QDs is substantially faster than the hole capture, which leads to an accumulation of electrons in QDs. The electrons trapped in dots enhance IR transitions. The built-in-dot electron charge together with charged dopants outside the dots creates potential barriers, which suppress the fast electron capture processes and at the larger scale form a potential profile which precludes degradation of the open circuit voltage. All of these factors lead to the enhanced harvesting of IR energy and a radical improvement of the QD solar cell efficiency. Higher efficiencies are anticipated with further increase of doping level and at higher radiation intensity. This makes the QD solar cells promising candidates for use with concentrators of solar radiation.

We present a comparative study for the evolution of utilizing indium gallium (InGa) and aluminum gallium (AlGa) alloys fabricated on GaAs(100) by means of simultaneous and sequential droplet formation. The composite alloys reported using the sequential approach lack the ability to precisely determine the final alloy composition as well as consistency in the density of the droplets. Further, the composition of the InGa alloy is not uniform, as seen by the size distribution using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Although this approach may be acceptable for materials with similar surface kinetics, as in the case of AlGa, it is not acceptable for InGa. This investigation reveals that the simultaneous approach for fabricating composite alloys is the optimum approach for producing InGa alloys with better control on composition for plasmonic applications such as plasmonic waveguides.

We report a 50% increase in power efficiency for our novel InAs/GaAs quantum dot with built-in charge (Q-BIC) solar cells. We found that n-doping the inter-dot space of a quantum dot solar cell (QDoSC) increases the short circuit current density from 15.07 mA/cm2 in undoped QDoSC to 24.30 mA/cm2 in the device doped to provide approximately six electrons per dot. To identify the physical mechanisms that provide this significant improvement, we investigate the photovoltaic response and its spectral characteristics in GaAs reference cell, undoped, n-doped, and p-doped QDoSCs. We found that the photovoltaic efficiency of the undoped QDoSC is almost the same as that of the reference cell. The efficiency monotonically improves with increasing n-doping, while the p-doping deteriorates the photovoltaic conversion. Studies of the photoluminescence of p- and n-doping show that the photoelectron capture into QDs is substantially faster than the hole capture, which leads to an accumulation of electrons in QDs. The built-in-dot electron charge enhances electron inter-subband QD transitions, suppresses the fast electron capture processes, and together with charged donors, forms the potential profile which precludes degradation of the open circuit voltage. All of these factors lead to the enhanced harvesting of IR energy and to a radical improvement of the QDoSC efficiency. Even higher efficiencies are anticipated for higher n-doping levels.

Nanohole formation on an AlAs/GaAs superlattice gives insight to both the “drilling” effect of Ga droplets on AlAs as compared to GaAs and the hole-filling process. The shape and depth of the nanoholes formed on GaAs (100) substrates has been studied by the cross-section transmission electron microscopy. The Ga droplets “drill” through the AlAs layer at a much slower rate than through GaAs due to differences in activation energy. Refill of the nanohole results in elongated GaAs mounds along the [01−1] direction. As a result of capillarity-induced diffusion, GaAs favors growth inside the nanoholes, which provides the possibility to fabricate GaAs and AlAs nanostructures.

Recently, droplet heteroepitaxy of GaAs/AlGaAs has attracted much attention due to its demonstrated capability of producing nanostructures with interesting geometrical shapes such as quantum single and double ringlike structures. In the droplet-heteroepitaxy approach, Ga is deposited on an AlGaAs surface to create liquid Ga droplets, and these droplets are exposed to an As flux that transforms the droplets into GaAs nanocrystals. In principle, this same approach can be modified into a similar process of GaAs homoACHTUNGTRENNUNGepitaxy, which also allows one to structure GaAs surfaces at the nanometer scale. In this droplet-homoepitaxy approach, the nanostructures formed by the droplets can then be used to encourage the growth of subsequent heteronanostructures such as self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs). In this self-assembly process, the lattice mismatch between InAs and GaAs encourages the spontaneous formation of QDs once InAs deposition reaches a critical thickness. These self-assembled InAs QDs have been extensively investigated for the past decade because of their applications in advanced devices such as lasers, infrared detectors, and quantum computers. However, the stochastic nature of self-assembly only permits a random distribution of InAs QDs on GaAs surfaces, which presents a major obstacle for applications such as quantum computing. Recently, much effort has been put forth to localize QDs on designed regions of substrates. By combining the self-assembly approach with certain lithography techniques, InAs QDs can be restricted to growth in specific substrate regions due to GaAs surface height modulations induced by the lithography. In this paper, however, we propose and demonstrate an approach using only self-organizing techACHTUNGTRENNUNGniques to localize the QDs, a hybrid process of GaAs droplet epitaxy and strain-driven self-assembly of InAs QDs. By using droplet epitaxy, GaAs ACHTUNGTRENNUNG(100) surfaces are structured with nanoscale mounds elongated along the [011] direction. The GaAs mounds then induce localized formations of InAs QDs, and these quantum-dot clusters (QDCs) are observed around the GaAs mounds. The density of QDCs and the number of QDs in the clusters can be adjusted by controlling the growth conditions of the Ga droplets. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements reveal atypically good optical properties of these QDCs. The samples were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) on epitaxy-ready GaAsACHTUNGTRENNUNG(100) substrates. All growth began with a 300-nm GaAs buffer layer, which was followed by 10 monolayers (ML) of Ga deposition to form the liquid droplets. Subsequently, the Ga droplets were exposed to an As molecular flux and annealed for 2 min at the substrate temperature of 530 8C to fully crystallize the droplets into GaAs surface nanostructures. At the same substrate temperature of 530 8C, InAs was then deposited until the QDs formed after reaching a critical coverage of 1.7 ML. The resulting surface morphologies were imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM) under ambient conditions. For PL meaACHTUNGTRENNUNGsurements, the resulting InAs QDs were capped with 100 nm of GaAs. Each PL measurement was performed at a temperature of 10 K by using 532-nm laser excitation. While Ga deposition with a concurrent As molecular flux encourages two-dimensional homoepitaxial growth on GaAs surfaces, Ga deposition without the concurrent As flux results in the formation of liquid droplets, as schematically represented in Figure 1a. After these droplets subsequently react with the As, they are transformed into GaAs nanostructures, normally taking an anisotropic shape due to the dropletsA orientation-dependent surface diffusion on the GaAs crystal surfaces. Figure 1b shows a schematic repre

Effects of concentrated solar radiation on photovoltaic performance are investigated in well-developed GaAs quantum dot (QD) solar cells with 1-Sun efficiencies of 18%–19%. In these devices, the conversion processes are enhanced by nanoscale potential barriers and/or AlGaAs atomically thin barriers around QDs, which prevent photoelectron capture to QDs. Under concentrated radiation, the short circuit current increases proportionally to the concentration and the open circuit voltage shows the logarithmic increase. In the range up to hundred Suns, the contributions of QDs to the photocurrent are proportional to the light concentration. The ideality factors of 1.1–1.3 found from the VOC-Sun characteristics demonstrate effective suppression of recombination processes in barrier-separated QDs. The conversion efficiency shows the wide maximum in the range of 40–90 Suns and reaches 21.6%. Detailed analysis of I-V-Sun characteristics shows that at low intensities, the series resistance decreases inversely proport...

Incorporation of quantum dots into the p-n junction of the photovoltaic device provides numerous possibilities for nanoscale control of photoelectron processes via engineering the band structure and nanoscale potential profile. The band structure is determined by the size and shape of quantum dots and width of the wetting layer. The potential profile is formed by selective doping, which leads to the built-in dot charge. To study the effects of the band structure and nanoscale potential barriers on the photovoltaic performance we fabricated and investigated 3-μm base GaAs devices with various InAs quantum dot media and selective doping. All quantum dot devices show significant improvement in conversion efficiency in comparison with the reference cell. The data obtained have been analyzed in frame of the diode model. It was found that the two-diode model with the ideality factors of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] well describes the scope of data. The essential [Formula: see text] component evidences that the Shockley-Read-Hall recombination plays a substantial role in recombination losses. Further optimization of solar cells should be aimed at the formation of potential profile with large barriers that separate quantum dot areas from high mobility conducting channels.

Self-assembled InAs quantum dot clusters (QDCs) and InGaAs QD molecules (QDMs) have been demonstrated through a growth technique called “droplet epitaxy” by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). For QDCs, the size and density of QDs can be controlled with variation of InAs monolayer coverages. For QDMs, Ga contribution from GaAs mound with the interaction of InAs deposition resulted in various number of InGaAs QDs per GaAs mound, ranging from 2 to 6 (bi-QDMs to hexa-QDMs) depending on the specific InAs monolayer deposition. High step density on sidewall of GaAs mound and anisotropy of surface diffusion gave a rise to preferential formation of InAs and InGaAs QDs around GaAs mounds. This hybrid growth approach combining droplet epitaxy and typical QD growth is relatively simple and flexible and doesn't require further ex-situ surface preparation. This approach of QD arrangement can find applications in optoelectronics as well as physical study of QD interaction.

Quantum dots (QDs) provide photovoltaic conversion of below-bandgap photons due to multistep electron transitions. QDs also increase conversion efficiency of the above-bandgap photons due to extraction of electrons from QDs via Coulomb interaction with hot electrons excited by high-energy photons. Nanoscale potential profile (potential barriers) and nanoscale band engineering (AlGaAs atomically thin barriers) allow for suppression of photoelectron capture to QDs. To study these kinetic effects and to distinguish them from the absorption enhancement due to light scattering on QDs, we investigate long, 3-μm base GaAs devices with various InAs QD media with 20 and 40 QD layers. Quantum efficiency measurements show that, at least at low doping, the multistep processes in QD media are strongly affected by the wetting layer (WL). The QD media with WLs provide substantial conversion of below-bandgap photons and for devices with 40 QD layers the short circuit current reaches 29.2 mA/cm2. The QD media with band-engineered AlGaAs barriers and reduced wetting layers (RWL) enhance conversion of high-energy photons and decrease the relaxation (thermal) losses.

Single molecule labeling, cancer treatment, enhancement of non-linear optical effects, or light guiding have demanded much attention from the scientific community, and as a possible solution, plasmon resonances of noble metal nanoparticles are explored. A major advancement in single molecule optics has been the polarization analysis of light from single fluorescent emitters. This analytical method has been utilized to study the conformational dynamics of biomolecules and their spatial arrangement. At different wavelengths of the excitation light, different oscillation modes are excited making it important to know the polarization pattern as a function of wavelength. “Knowing the polarization pattern of plasmonic nanostructures is therefore not only important to understand the fundamental physics of light interaction with these structures, but also allows to discriminate different oscillation modes within one particle and to distinguish differently shaped particles within one sample. Several techniques have been used to extract optical spectra of single plasmonic nanoparticles, most efficiently using dark-field microscopy, but little is known about the polarization state. So far, the very few reported plasmon polarization studies were obtained by rotating a polarizer by hand or on ensembles and not combined with spectroscopic information,” Prof. Carsten Sonnichsen explains to Nano Spotlight. “We have developed a new microscope setup (RotPOL), which allows obtaining polarization-dependent scattering spectra in a fast and easy way,” Olaf Schubert continues explaining to Nano Spotlight. “RotPOL uses a wedge shaped quickly rotating polarizer which splits the light of a point source into a ring in the image plane, encoding the polarization information in a spatial image.” (Scheme ​(Scheme11) Scheme 1 (a) Schematics of the RotPOL setup. One wavelength is selected by a linear variable interference filter (varIF), and then the light is dispersed into different polarization directions by a wedge-shaped rotating polarizer (PL), resulting in ring-shaped intensity profiles of a point-like light source on the digital camera (b). In order to get the polarization profile shown in (c) (intensityI(q) as a function of polarization angle q), we integrate the image between an inner and an outer ring diameter (dashed lines in (b)). The center of the rings is chosen to minimize asymmetry between opposite sides. Repeating this procedure for each wavelength produces intensity values as a function of wavelength and polarization angleI(l,q), which we show color-coded in (d). The same analysis is possible for all particles within the field of view in parallel. (e) Real-color image of an inhomogeneous silver sample containing spheres, rods, and triangles as seen through the RotPol-microscope. Two colors in one ring correspond to two different plasmon modes at the respective wavelengths. Scalebar is 25 μm Prof. Sonnichsen’s team reveals that the polarization intensity in a given direction is simply taken from the corresponding position on the ring recorded with an exposure time larger than the rotation time. A dipole, for example, will show two loops at opposite sides, and with this in mind, the team can combine this rotating polarizer with a variable wavelength interference filter, which transmits light only in a narrow wavelength window. If mounted in front of the digital camera, the filter allows them to record simultaneously the spectral and polarization information for up to 50 particles in parallel. “With the RotPOL setup, we study plasmon modes of a large variety of plasmonic structures—from rod-shaped particles to triangles, cubes, and pairs of spheres,” said Olaf Schubert. “Each plasmonic particle has a characteristic ‘footprint’, which allows deducing the approximate particle shape from the polarization-dependent single-particle scattering spectra. This is important for the optimization of particle synthesis, because it makes a quick and efficient estimation of the quality and mono-dispersal of a sample possible, without complex and expensive tools like electron microscopy.” “For rod-shaped and even just slightly elongated particles, we found that the scattered light is highly polarized. Our simulations show that this high polarization anisotropy is not only due to the particle symmetry, but a plasmonic effect. This could be exploited for the design of miniature rotation sensors,” Prof. Sonnichsen explained enthusiastically. In addition to yielding orientation information, plasmonic particles can be used to measure absolute distances on a nanometer scale. “Such a ‘plasmonic ruler’ makes use of the coupling of two spherical particles: If they are close to each other, the inter-particle plasmon resonance shifts from green to red. We measured the full polarization-dependent spectrum of such pairs of two spheres and found nice agreement with simulations.” This investigation has demonstrated that the polarization-dependent spectrum contains information about both the distances of the two spheres and the orientation and environment of the particles. In addition, such “multi-sensors” could possibly find a place in biological applications that require high time resolution. “As an example of a time-resolved measurement, we have monitored the changes of plasmon modes in single gold nanoparticles during a growth process, in situ,” explains Olaf Schubert to Nano Spotlight. The researchers highlight that their RotPOL method is a versatile tool that can be used to study polarization anisotropy of the light emission pattern from nanoparticles, particularly for plasmonic structures, but can possibly be extended to fluorescent quantum structures. This method provides a wide range for optimization for applications such as light guiding and allows detailed theoretical modeling of plasmon modes due to the wide variety of plasmon emission patterns observed for the simple particle morphologies that have been investigated (spheres, rods, triangles, cubes, and particle pairs). The researchers have recently published their results in Nano Lett, 2008. Their work reveals that the high polarization anisotropy found for even moderately elongated spheres “highlights” the strong influence of polarization even for nominally round particles. The possibility to record dynamic changes of the polarization emission pattern of single particles allows studying particle growth modes in situ and improving schemes for single nanoparticle binding and distancing assays.

Quantum dots acquire built-in charge due to selective n-doping of the interdot space. The quantum dots with built-in charge (Q-BIC) increase electron coupling to IR radiation and suppress photoelectron capture, which in turn decrease the recombination via quantum dots. To investigate effects of the built-in-dot charge on recombination processes and device performance, the light and dark I–V characteristics and their temperature dependences of Q-BIC solar cells are measured. Employing the diode model, the data are analyzed in terms of the ideality factor, shunt resistance, and reverse saturation current. The authors compare the n-doped Q-BIC solar cells with the GaAs p-i-n reference cell, undoped, and p-doped devices. The analysis provides a qualitative description of the effect of doping on carrier kinetics and transport. The authors show that n-doping substantially reduces the recombination via quantum dots.

We have studied the effects of AlGaAs energy barriers surrounding self-assembled InAs quantum dots in a GaAs matrix on the properties of solar cells made with multiple quantum dot layers in the active region of a photodiode. We have compared the fenced dot samples with conventional InAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells and with GaAs reference cells. We have found that, contrary to theoretical predictions, the AlGaAs fence layers do not enhance the transport properties of photogenerated carriers but instead suppress the extraction of the carriers excited in the dots by light with wavelengths longer than the cutoff wavelength of the GaAs matrix material. Both the standard quantum dots and the fenced dots were found to give solar cell performance comparable to the GaAs reference cells for certain active region thicknesses but neither showed enhancement due to the longer wavelength absorption or improved carrier transport.

A growth technique combining droplet epitaxy and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is developed to obtain a low density of InAs quantum dots (QDs) on GaAs nanoholes. This growth technique is simple, flexible, and does not require additional substrate processing. It makes possible separate control of the QD density via droplet epitaxy and the QD quality via MBE growth. In this letter the authors report the use of this technique to produce InAs QDs with a low density of 2.7×108cm−2 as well as good photoluminescence properties. The resulting samples are suitable for single QD device fabrication and applications.