All-oxide nanowire plasmonic solar cells

The proposal aims at investigating a new class of solar cells based on vertical arrays of all-oxide nanowires. A core-shell p-n junction withradial structure is the basic unit forming the solar cell, grown in form of disordered arrays. The advantage of a nanowire geometry relies onincreased charge collection and strongly inhibited charge recombination, resulting in strong boost of photoconversion efficiency. Electronicband structure of the solar cells will be tuned by proper choice of the oxides composing the core and the shell and by possible addition ofcontrolled tunneling barriers as dielectric buffer layer between the core and the shell. Further increase in photoconversion efficiency is plannedthrough the use of plasmonic particles, which can be integrated at different positions in the solar cell scheme. Full understanding of chargedynamics will be pursued throught ultrafast spectroscopies.

The project is timely and scientifically sound, proposing creation of highly efficient solar cells by using cheap and environmentally friendlymaterials, as opposed to the nanowire solar cells mainly based on III-V materials, which cannot be scaled up due to the costs of materials andproduction processes.