Simulation of the characteristics of InGaAs/InP-based photovoltaic laser-power converters

• Published in: Semiconductors (Woodbury, N.Y.) Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 132 - 137
• Main Authors: Emelyanov, V. M., Sorokina, S. V., Khvostikov, V. P., Shvarts, M. Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 2016; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Comparative analysis; Computer simulation; Efficiency; Electric converters; Electric current converters; Energy conversion efficiency; Gallium arsenide; Heterostructures; Lasers; Luminous intensity; Magnetic Materials; Magnetism; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Physics of Semiconductor Devices; Power converters; Solar energy industry; Substrates
• ISSN: 1063-7826; 1090-6479
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063782616010097

A method for mathematical simulation is used to analyze the efficiencies attainable in photovoltaic laser-power conversion at wavelengths of 1.3 and 1.55 μm in In
0.53
Ga
0.47
As/InP heterostructures with light input on the side of the
n
-InP substrate. The influence exerted on the efficiency by the parameters of the In
0.53
Ga
0.47
As/InP heterostructure and by the design of the photovoltaic laser-power converter is examined. The simulated characteristics of In
0.53
Ga
0.47
As/InP photovoltaic converters are compared with those of GaAs-based photovoltaic converters for a wavelength of 809 nm. It is shown that efficiencies of 40% at a wavelength of 1.3 μm and nearly 50% at 1.55 μm can be attained at a laser power of about 2–6 W, but the efficiency noticeably decreases at higher laser-light intensities. It is found that the main factor that hinders the achievement of a high efficiency in the conversion of high-intensity laser light is loss in the
n
-InP substrate. The optimal doping level of
n
-InP substrates to be used in the photovoltaic converters intended for varied laser-light intensities is estimated.