Abstract
The method for efficient separation of photoexcited carriers, based on the resonant tunneling phenomenon in the quantum well structure placed into the i-region of the p-i-n photovoltaic element, is proposed. The parameters of quantum well structures based on the GaAs/Ga1−x In x As system, implementing the mode of sequential resonant tunneling in the electric field of the GaAs p-i-n junction, is calculated. A microscopic model of resonant-tunneling transport in such structures is constructed, and the kinetic tunneling times are calculated depending on well and barrier parameters. The possibility of achieving sufficiently short (<∼10 ps) tunneling times and, hence, quite efficient removal of photoelectrons and photoholes from quantum wells at a proper choice of barrier powers is shown.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
K.W. J. Barnham et al., Physica E 14, 27 (2002).
M. A. Green, Physica E 14, 65 (2002).
M. Mazer, K.W. J. Barnham, et al., Thin Solid Films 511-512, 76 (2006).
S. M. Ramey and R. Khoie, IEEE Trans. Electron. Devices 50(5), 1179 (2003).
Zh. I. Alferov, V.M. Andreev, and V. D. Rumyantsev, Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 38, 937 (2004) [Semiconductors 38, 899 (2004)].
G. F. Brown and J. Wu, Laser Photon. Rev. 3, 394 (2009).
S. L. Wolf, Principles of Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy (Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1983).
G. D. Mahan, Many-Particle Physics (Plenum, New York, 1990).
A. Wacker and A.-P. Jauho, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 369 (1998).
A. Wacker, in Theory of Transport Properties of Semiconductor Nanostructures, Ed. by E. Schöll (Chapman and Hall, London, 1998).
M. P. Telenkov and Yu. A. Mityagin, Resonant-Tunneling Transport in Superlattices (LAP Lambert Academic Publishing GmbH&Co KG, Saarbrucken, 2011).
T. Ando, A. B. Fowler, and F. Stern, Rev. Mod. Phys. 54, 437 (1982).
E. Runge, Solid State Phys. 57, 149 (2002).
R. Ferreira and G. Bastard, Phys. Rev. 40, 1074 (1989).
S. Gupta, P. K. Bhattacharya, J. Pamulapati, and G. Mourou, J. Appl. Phys. 69, 3219 (1991).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © M.P. Telenkov, Yu.A. Mityagin, 2013, published in Kratkie Soobshcheniya po Fizike, 2013, Vol. 40, No. 12, pp. 32–42.
About this article
Cite this article
Telenkov, M.P., Mityagin, Y.A. Resonant-tunneling structure of quantum wells in the p-i-n photovoltaic element. Bull. Lebedev Phys. Inst. 40, 346–353 (2013). https://doi.org/10.3103/S106833561312004X
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S106833561312004X