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Different roles of quantum interference in a quantum dot photocell with two intermediate bands

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Abstract

It is generally believed that quantum interference can improve the transport of photo-generated carriers in a photocell, thereby improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency. In this work, we explicitly explore different roles of quantum interferences in the photoelectric conversion efficiency in a quantum dot (QD) photocell with two intermediate bands. The increasing transition rates from different charge transport channels bring out first increasing, then decreasing, and then monotonically decreasing photoelectric conversion efficiencies. And the photoelectric conversions increase with quantum coherence generated by the upper transition rates owing to their robust quantum interference. However, the conversion efficiency decreases with the quantum interference induced by two lower-transition rates due to the shortened population lifetime in the intermediate bands. These results provide insight into different roles of quantum interferences in photoelectric conversion efficiency, and may provide some artificial strategies to achieve efficient photoelectric conversion via the adjusted quantum interferences in a QD photocell with multi-intermediate bands.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 62065009 and 61565008), and Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects, China (Grant No. 2016FB009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, People’s Republic of China

    Shun-Cai Zhao, Jing-Yi Chen & Xin Li

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  1. Shun-Cai Zhao
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  2. Jing-Yi Chen
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  3. Xin Li
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Correspondence to Shun-Cai Zhao.

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Zhao, SC., Chen, JY. & Li, X. Different roles of quantum interference in a quantum dot photocell with two intermediate bands. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 135, 892 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-020-00913-8

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