The carrier collection efficiency (ηc) and energy conversion efficiency (ηe) of polymer photovoltaic cells were improved by blending of the semiconducting polymer with C60 or its functionalized derivatives. Composite films of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and fullerenes exhibit ηc of about 29 percent of electrons per photon and ηe of about 2.9 percent, efficiencies that are better by more than two orders of magnitude than those that have been achieved with devices made with pure MEH-PPV. The efficient charge separation results from photoinduced electron transfer from the MEH-PPV (as donor) to C60 (as acceptor); the high collection efficiency results from a bicontinuous network of internal donor-acceptor heterojunctions.

/pdf/polymer-photovoltaic-cells-enhanced-efficiencies-via-a-2lwj3yarfe.pdf

Polymer photovoltaic cells : enhanced efficiencies via a network of internal donor-acceptor heterojunctions

Energy harvested directly from sunlight offers a desirable approach toward fulfilling, with minimal environmental impact, the need for clean energy. Solar energy is a decentralized and inexhaustible natural resource, with the magnitude of the available solar power striking the earth’s surface at any one instant equal to 130 million 500 MW power plants.1 However, several important goals need to be met to fully utilize solar energy for the global energy demand. First, the means for solar energy conversion, storage, and distribution should be environmentally benign, i.e. protecting ecosystems instead of steadily weakening them. The next important goal is to provide a stable, constant energy flux. Due to the daily and seasonal variability in renewable energy sources such as sunlight, energy harvested from the sun needs to be efficiently converted into chemical fuel that can be stored, transported, and used upon demand. The biggest challenge is whether or not these goals can be met in a costeffective way on the terawatt scale.2

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/cr1002326

Solar Water Splitting Cells

Evidence for photoinduced electron transfer from the excited state of a conducting polymer onto buckminsterfullerene, C(60), is reported. After photo-excitation of the conjugated polymer with light of energy greater than the pi-pi* gap, an electron transfer to the C(60) molecule is initiated. Photoinduced optical absorption studies demonstrate a different excitation spectrum for the composite as compared to the separate components, consistent with photo-excited charge transfer. A photoinduced electron spin resonance signal exhibits signatures of both the conducting polymer cation and the C(60) anion. Because the photoluminescence in the conducting polymer is quenched by interaction with C(60), the data imply that charge transfer from the excited state occurs on a picosecond time scale. The charge-separated state in composite films is metastable at low temperatures.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/258/5087/1474.full.pdf

Photoinduced electron transfer from a conducting polymer to buckminsterfullerene.

The interest in heterogeneous photocatalysis is intense and increasing, as shown by the number of publications on this theme which regularly appear in this journal, and the fact that over 2000 papers have been published on this topic since 1981. This article is an overview of the field of semiconductor photocatalysis : a brief examination of its roots, achievements and possible future. The semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) features predominantly in past and present work on semiconductor photocatalysis; as a result, in the most of the examples selected in this overview to illustrate various points the semiconductor is TiO 2 .

An overview of semiconductor photocatalysis

Preface Acknowledgements Notation Part I. Overview and Background Topics: 1. Introduction 2. Overview 3. Theoretical background 4. Periodic solids and electron bands 5. Uniform electron gas and simple metals Part II. Density Functional Theory: 6. Density functional theory: foundations 7. The Kohn-Sham ansatz 8. Functionals for exchange and correlation 9. Solving the Kohn-Sham equations Part III. Important Preliminaries on Atoms: 10. Electronic structure of atoms 11. Pseudopotentials Part IV. Determination of Electronic Structure, The Three Basic Methods: 12. Plane waves and grids: basics 13. Plane waves and grids: full calculations 14. Localized orbitals: tight binding 15. Localized orbitals: full calculations 16. Augmented functions: APW, KKR, MTO 17. Augmented functions: linear methods Part V. Predicting Properties of Matter from Electronic Structure - Recent Developments: 18. Quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) 19. Response functions: photons, magnons ... 20. Excitation spectra and optical properties 21. Wannier functions 22. Polarization, localization and Berry's phases 23. Locality and linear scaling O (N) methods 24. Where to find more Appendixes References Index.

Electronic Structure: Basic Theory and Practical Methods

We discuss wavelength tuning and its corresponding quantum efficiency modulated by the standing wave effects in a resonant-cavity enhanced (RCE) photodetector. Specific design conditions are made for a thin In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As (900 /spl Aring/) photodetector wafer-fused to a GaAs-AlAs quarter wavelength stacks (QWS). Analytic expressions for the calculation of resonant wavelength and standing wave effects are derived, using a hard mirror concept of fixed phase upon reflection, and are found to agree reasonably well with the exact numerical approach, using a transmission matrix method. We then experimentally demonstrate that wavelength tuning as large as 140 nm and its corresponding quantum efficiency modulated by the standing wave effects are clearly observed in our wafer-fused photodetectors, consistent with the predictions. The external quantum efficiency at 1.3 /spl mu/m wavelength and absorption bandwidth for the wafer-fused RCE photodiodes integrated with an amorphous Si-SiO/sub 2/ dielectric mirror are measured to be 94% and 14 nm, respectively. This technique allows the formation of multichannel photodetectors with high quantum efficiency and small crosstalk, suitable for application to wavelength demultiplexing and high-speed, high-sensitivity optical communication systems. >

Modeling and performance of wafer-fused resonant-cavity enhanced photodetectors

We demonstrate a polarization‐insensitive optical bandpass filter in indium phosphide (InP) with a 3 dB bandwidth of 1.5 nm at a center wavelength of 1.498 μm. The 5‐mm‐long filter is based on a grating‐assisted vertical directional coupler and features a novel double‐periodic coupling grating.

Polarization‐independent wavelength filter using a grating‐assisted vertical directional coupler in InP

We demonstrate that phosphorous ion implantation in InGaAs/InP quantum wells can be used to produce large (from 1550 to 1200 nm) blueshifts of the band edge. This reproducible technique of lateral band‐gap control can be used in quantum‐well photonic integrated circuits to produce regions of low‐loss waveguide, e.g., for interconnects or large passive cavities. Phosphorous implants with subsequent p‐type InP regrowth produces blueshifted quantum‐well diodes with good reverse‐bias characteristics and low‐loss p‐i(multiple quantum well)‐n waveguides.

Large blueshifting of InGaAs/InP quantum‐well band gaps by ion implantation

Experimental and analytical results show single longitudinal mode operation of groove-coupled two-section GaInAsP/InP lasers during the initial turn-on transient. Optical outputs remain single mode (spurious down ≥10 dB) for temperature ranges \sim \pm3\deg C. Laser thresholds and internal current densities are comparable to conventional devices without grooves. Analytical results characterizing the grooves, the below threshold coupled-resonator mode selection, and the complete dynamical buildup of laser energy are summarized. Waveguide scattering theory forms the basis for much of the analysis.

Single longitudinal mode operation of two-section GaInAsP/InP lasers under pulsed excitation

A tensile-strained InGaAsP/InP multi-quantum-well optical amplifier is constructed which has >or=92 nm bandwidth at 16-dB gain for 50-mA drive current. The wide gain bandwidth is a result of both n=1 and n=2 contributions from the e to 1h transition. These results suggest wide tunability for lasers made from this material. >

Barry Miller

Papers

Modeling and performance of wafer-fused resonant-cavity enhanced photodetectors

Polarization‐independent wavelength filter using a grating‐assisted vertical directional coupler in InP

Large blueshifting of InGaAs/InP quantum‐well band gaps by ion implantation

Single longitudinal mode operation of two-section GaInAsP/InP lasers under pulsed excitation

Tensile-strained InGaAs/InGaAsP quantum-well optical amplifiers with a wide spectral gain region at 1.55 mu m