Efficiency limit of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells

Abstract: Ultrathin transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) films show great promise as absorber materials in high-specific-power (i.e., high-power-per-weight) solar cells, due to their high optical absorption, desirable band gaps, and self-passivated surfaces. However, the ultimate performance limits of TMD solar cells remain unknown today. Here, we establish the efficiency limits of multilayer (≥5 nm-thick) MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 solar cells under AM 1.5 G illumination as a function of TMD film thickness and material quality. We use an extended version of the detailed balance method which includes Auger and defect-assisted Shockley-Read-Hall recombination mechanisms in addition to radiative losses, calculated from measured optical absorption spectra. We demonstrate that single-junction solar cells with TMD films as thin as 50 nm could in practice achieve up to 25% power conversion efficiency with the currently available material quality, making them an excellent choice for high-specific-power photovoltaics

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Communications physics. - 6, 1 (2023) , 367, ISSN: 2399-3650

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2024
• Creator: Nassiri Nazif, Koosha ; Nitta, Frederick ; Daus, Alwin ; Saraswat, Krishna C. ; Pop, Eric

Further information

• DOI: 10.1038/s42005-023-01447-y
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2491992
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:49 AM CEST