Rational strategy for power doubling of monolithic multijunction III-V photovoltaics by accommodating attachable scattering waveguides

Abstract While waveguide-based light concentrators offer significant advantages, their application has not been considered an interesting option for assisting multijunction or other two-terminal tandem solar cells. In this study, we present a simple yet effective approach to enhancing the output power of transfer-printed multijunction InGaP/GaAs solar cells. By utilizing a simply combinable waveguide concentrator featuring a coplanar waveguide with BaSO4 Mie scattering elements, we enable the simultaneous absorption of directly illuminated solar flux and indirectly waveguided flux. The deployment of cells is optimized for front-surface photon collection in monofacial cells. Through systematic comparisons across various waveguide parameters, supported by both experimental and theoretical quantifications, we demonstrate a remarkable improvement in the maximum output power of a 26%-efficient cell, achieving an enhancement of ~93% with the integration of the optimal scattering waveguide. Additionally, a series of supplementary tests are conducted to explore the effective waveguide size, validate enhancements in arrayed cell module performance, and assess the drawbacks associated with rear illumination. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of our proposed approach towards advancing multi-junction photovoltaics.