Ferroelectric photovoltaic solar cells

What is a ferroelectric photovoltaic?

Ferroelectric photovoltaics have attracted attention for their unusual photovoltaic effect and controllability. The photogenerated voltage that is independent of bandgap along the polarization direction can be generated in ferroelectric materials, undoubtedly making up for the lack of solar cells.

What makes ferroelectric photovoltaics different from p-n based solar cells?

Another unique feature of ferroelectric photovoltaics is that, unlike p-n based solar cells, the photovoltage of FePvs is not limited by the material’s bandgap (E g ); open circuit voltages ( VOC) as large as 1600 V have been measured in LiNbO 3.

When was photovoltaic effect discovered in ferroelectric materials?

The discovery of photovoltaic effect in ferroelectric materials can be traced back to more than 50 years ago (1 – 3). In contrast to classical semiconductor solar cells, photoexcited carriers in ferroelectric materials are spontaneously separated due to the inversion symmetry breaking.

Can ferroelectric materials be integrated with photovoltaic devices?

The integration of ferroelectric materials with photovoltaic devices, where the ferroelectric materials are used as a component in the active layer or as an interfacial layer in conjunction with the perovskite layer, has also been explored to generate a stable and controllable polarized electric field for charge separation and charge collection.

Can ferroelectric energy conversion improve the performance of perovskite solar cells?

As a result, the integration of the ferroelectric process with the photon-to-electron energy conversion process becomes feasible to generate interesting photo-physical properties and further boost the device performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which have started to attract more and more attention in recent years.

Can ferroelectric semiconductors be used in ultrathin-film solar cells?

Our study also demonstrates the great potential of ferroelectrics for use in ultrathin-film PV devices, which may benefit the development of high-efficiency, low-cost, and low-weight solar cells. Lopez-Varo, P. et al. Physical aspects of ferroelectric semiconductors for photovoltaic solar energy conversion.