Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiency of AlGaN/GaN Truncated Conical Quantum Dot Solar Cell Through Piezophototronic Effect

Improving the efficiency of intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) has remained a critical challenge due to limited carrier generation and transport within quantum-confined structures. To mitigate this dilemma, a theoretical investigation of AlGaN/GaN truncated conical quantum dots (TCQDs) in an IBSC is performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to enhance performance through the piezophototronic effect. The piezophototronic effect tunes interfacial piezoelectric charges to enhance carrier separation. The results show that the short-current density (J_sc) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of AlGaN/GaN TCQ-IBSC have been improved by applying external stress. As stress increases from 0% to 0.06%, the J_sc and PCE increase from 53.011 mA.cm^-2 to 54.361 mA.cm^-2, 39.8% to 41.8%, respectively. Illumination intensity results show a 13-fold increase in the PCE of TCQD-IBSC. The outcomes underscore the significant potential of the piezophototronic effect in advanced future optoelectronics.