Magnetostriction-strain-induced enhancement and modulation of photovoltaic performance in Si-p-n/ Tb x Dy1− x Fe2 composite.

High photovoltaic efficiency is a key index in the application of silicon (Si) solar cells. In this study, a composite of a photovoltaic Si p-n junction solar cell and a magnetostrictive Tb _xDy_{1− x}Fe₂ alloy was fabricated. By utilizing the magnetostrictive strain to modulate the energy bandgap of Si, the open-circuit voltage and the maximum photovoltaic output power of the Si p-n junction solar cell could be enhanced by ∼12% and 9.1% under a dc magnetic field of ∼250 mT, respectively. The significantly enhanced photovoltaic performance and the simple fabrication process make the Si-p-n/Tb _xDy_{1− x}Fe₂ composite a promising material for high-efficiency solar cell devices. The structure of the proposed Si-p-n/Tb _xDy_{1− x}Fe₂ laminated composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]