Calculation of intrinsic loss components in the InGaAs quantum wire solar cells using analytical modeling and numerical simulation

In this paper, the formalism of intrinsic losses, i.e. the below-band gap, thermalisation, Boltzmann, Carnot, and emission losses, is presented for the quantum wire intermediate band solar cells (QWr-IBSCs). For this purpose, a theoretical framework based on the principle of detailed balance approach with the help of physical origins of losses discussed in terms of photon absorption and emission in the presence of IB, is employed. Then, the intrinsic losses for a reported structure of QWr-IBSC where the intermediate band (IB) is introduced by embedding a stack of InxGa1-xAs QWr in the intrinsic layer of p-i-n GaAs solar cell, is calculated by presented formalism in this paper. Regarding that the calculation of position of IB, which is equivalent to the first eigen-energy of QWr, and the width of IB needed to obtain the intrinsic loss components, they are calculated by a finite element method in the context of Schrödinger equation and the tight binding method, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of indium molar fraction on the intrinsic loss components of GaAs/InxGa1-xAs QWr-IBSC is investigated.