1
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Weight BM, Li X, Zhang Y. Theory and modeling of light-matter interactions in chemistry: current and future. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:31554-31577. [PMID: 37842818 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp01415k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Light-matter interaction not only plays an instrumental role in characterizing materials' properties via various spectroscopic techniques but also provides a general strategy to manipulate material properties via the design of novel nanostructures. This perspective summarizes recent theoretical advances in modeling light-matter interactions in chemistry, mainly focusing on plasmon and polariton chemistry. The former utilizes the highly localized photon, plasmonic hot electrons, and local heat to drive chemical reactions. In contrast, polariton chemistry modifies the potential energy curvatures of bare electronic systems, and hence their chemistry, via forming light-matter hybrid states, so-called polaritons. The perspective starts with the basic background of light-matter interactions, molecular quantum electrodynamics theory, and the challenges of modeling light-matter interactions in chemistry. Then, the recent advances in modeling plasmon and polariton chemistry are described, and future directions toward multiscale simulations of light-matter interaction-mediated chemistry are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braden M Weight
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Xinyang Li
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
| | - Yu Zhang
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
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2
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Wu X, Wang R, Zou H, Song B, Wen S, Frauenheim T, Yam C. First-Principles Nonequilibrium Green's Function Approach to Energy Conversion in Nanoscale Optoelectronics. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:5502-5512. [PMID: 36005397 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding photon-electron conversion on the nanoscale is essential for future innovations in nano-optoelectronics. In this article, based on nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism, we develop a quantum-mechanical method for modeling energy conversion in nanoscale optoelectronic devices. The method allows us to study photoinduced charge transport and electroluminescence processes in realistic devices. First, we investigate the electroluminescence properties of a two-level model with two different treatments of inelastic scatterings. We show the regime where self-consistency between electron and photon is important for correct description of the inelastic scatterings. The method is then applied to model single-molecule junctions based on the density-functional tight-binding approach. The predicted emission spectra are found to be in very good agreement with experimental measurements. For nanostructured materials, the method is further applied to study the photoresponse of a two-dimensional graphene/graphite-C3N4 heterojunction photovoltaic device. The simulations demonstrate clearly the impact of atomistic details on the optoelectronic properties of nanodevices. This work provides a practical theoretical framework that can be applied to model and design realistic nanodevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wu
- Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Longhua District, Shenzhen 518110, China
| | - Rulin Wang
- College of Physics, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Hao Zou
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Bowen Song
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shizheng Wen
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Measurement Technology and Intelligent Systems, School of Physics and Electrical Engineering, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Longhua District, Shenzhen 518110, China
| | - ChiYung Yam
- Shenzhen Institute for Advanced Study, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen 518000, China.,Hong Kong Quantum AI Lab Limited, Unit 909-915 of 17W Building, Science Park, NT, Hong Kong, China
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3
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Tabatabaei F, Merabia S, Gotsmann B, Prunnila M, Niehaus TA. Molecular electronic refrigeration against parallel phonon heat leakage channels. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:11003-11011. [PMID: 35861384 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr00529h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Due to their structured density of states, molecular junctions provide rich resources to filter and control the flow of electrons and phonons. Here we compute the out of equilibrium current-voltage characteristics and dissipated heat of some recently synthesized oligophenylenes (OPE3) using the Density Functional based Tight-Binding (DFTB) method within Non-Equilibrium Green's Function Theory (NEGF). We analyze the Peltier cooling power for these molecular junctions as function of a bias voltage and investigate the parameters that lead to optimal cooling performance. In order to quantify the attainable temperature reduction, an electro-thermal circuit model is presented, in which the key electronic and thermal transport parameters enter. Overall, our results demonstrate that the studied OPE3 devices are compatible with temperature reductions of several K. Based on the results, some strategies to enable high performance devices for cooling applications are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Tabatabaei
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Samy Merabia
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, Villeurbanne, France.
| | | | - Mika Prunnila
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Tietotie 3, FI-02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Thomas A Niehaus
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, Villeurbanne, France.
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4
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Zou H, Wen S, Wu X, Wong KW, Yam C. DNA sequencing based on electronic tunneling in a gold nanogap: a first-principles study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:5748-5754. [PMID: 35191434 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp04910k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing has found wide applications in medicine including treatment of diseases, diagnosis and genetics studies. Rapid and cost-effective DNA sequencing has been achieved by measuring the transverse electronic conductance as a single-stranded DNA is driven through a nanojunction. With the aim of improving the accuracy and sensitivity of DNA sequencing, we investigate the electron transport properties of DNA nucleobases within gold nanogaps based on first-principles quantum transport simulations. Considering the fact that the DNA bases can rotate within the nanogap during measurements, different nucleobase orientations and their corresponding residence time within the nanogap are explicitly taken into account based on their energetics. This allows us to obtain an average current that can be compared directly to experimental measurements. Our results indicate that bare gold electrodes show low distinguishability among the four DNA nucleobases while the distinguishability can be substantially enhanced with sulfur atom decorated electrodes. We further optimized the size of the nanogap by maximizing the residence time of the desired orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zou
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Shizheng Wen
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China. .,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Measurement Technology and Intelligent Systems, School of Physics and Electronic Electrical Engineering, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Shenzhen 518109, China
| | - Ka-Wai Wong
- Genvida Technology Company Limited, Hong Kong, China.
| | - ChiYung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China. .,Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Shenzhen 518109, China
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5
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Abstract
Hot-carrier (HC) generation from (localized) surface plasmon decay has recently attracted much attention due to its promising applications in physical, chemical, materials, and energy science. However, the detailed mechanisms of plasmonic HC generation, relaxation, and trapping are less studied. In this work, we developed and applied a quantum-mechanical model and coupled master equation method to study the generation of HCs from plasmon decay and their following relaxation processes with different mechanisms treated on equal footing. First, a quantum-mechanical model for HC generation is developed. Its connection to existing semiclassical models and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is discussed. Second, the relaxation and lifetimes of HCs are investigated in the presence of electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions. A GW-like approximation is introduced to account for the electron-electron scattering. The numerical simulations on the Jellium nanoparticles with a size up to 1.6 nm demonstrate the electron-electron scattering and electron-phonon scattering dominate different time scale in the relaxation dynamics. We also generalize the model to study the extraction of HCs to attached molecules. The quantum yield of extracting HCs for other applications is found to be size-dependent. In general, the smaller size of NP improves the quantum yield, which is in agreement with recent experimental measurements. Even though we demonstrate this newly developed theoretical formalism with Jellium model, the theory applies to any other atomistic models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
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6
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He C, Liu G, Zhao H, Zhao K, Ma Z, An X. Inorganic photovoltaic cells based on BiFeO 3: spontaneous polarization, lattice matching, light polarization and their relationship with photovoltaic performance. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:8658-8666. [PMID: 32270851 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp01176b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Inorganic ferroelectric perovskite oxides are more stable than hybrid perovskites. However, their solar energy harvesting efficiency is not so good. Here, by constructing a series of BiFeO3-based devices (solar cells), we investigated three factors that influence the photovoltaic performance, namely, spontaneous polarization, terminated ion species in the interface between BiFeO3 and the electrode, and polarized light irradiation. This work was carried out under the framework of the density functional theory combined with the non-equilibrium Green's function theory under a built-in electric field or finite bias. The results showed that (1) the photocurrent is larger only under a suitable electronic band gap rather than larger spontaneous polarization; (2) the photocurrent reaches the largest value in the Bi3+ ion-terminated interface than in the case of Fe3+ or O2- with the SrTiO3 electrode; (3) the photocurrent can be largely enhanced if the polarized direction of the monochromatic light is perpendicular to the spontaneous polarization direction. These results would deepen the understanding of some experimental results of BiFeO3-based solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao He
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China.
| | - Guocai Liu
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China.
| | - Huiyan Zhao
- Department of Physics and Hebei Advanced Thin Film Laboratory, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, Hebei, China
| | - Kun Zhao
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China.
| | - Zuju Ma
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan 243002, Anhui, China.
| | - Xingtao An
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, 050018, Hebei, China.
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7
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Wu X, Wang R, Liu N, Zou H, Shao B, Shao L, Yam C. Controlling the emission frequency of graphene nanoribbon emitters based on spatially excited topological boundary states. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:8277-8283. [PMID: 32182306 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp06732a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with atomically precise heterojunction interfaces are exploited as nanoscale light emitting devices with modulable emission frequencies. By connecting GNRs with different widths and lengths, topological boundary states can be formed and manipulated. Using first-principles-based atomistic simulations, we studied the luminescence properties of a STM GNR junction and explored the applications of these topological states as nanoscale light sources. Taking advantage of the ultrahigh resolution of the STM tip, direct injection of high energy carriers at selected boundary states can be achieved. In this way, the emission color can be controlled by precisely changing the tip position. The GNR heterojunction can therefore represent a robust and controllable light-emitting device that takes a step forward towards the fabrication of nanoscale graphene-based optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wu
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, ZPark II, Beijing 100193, China.
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8
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Bi F, Yam C, Zhao C, Liu L, Zhao M, Zheng X, Jiu T. Enhanced photocurrent in heterostructures formed between CH 3NH 3PbI 3 perovskite films and graphdiyne. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:6239-6246. [PMID: 32129431 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp00170h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Extending photoabsorption to the near-infrared region (NIR) of the spectrum remains a major challenge for the enhancement of the photoelectric performance of perovskites. In this work, we propose a model of van der Waals heterostructures formed by CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films and graphdiyne (GDY) to improve the photocurrent in the NIR. To obtain better insights into the properties of GDY/perovskite heterostructures, we first determine its electronic properties using the first principles calculations. The charge transfer between GDY and perovskites leads to a built-in electrical field that facilitates the separation and the transport of the photogenerated carriers. Then, the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) is used to calculate the photocurrents of perovskite slabs with and without GDY. The photocurrents of GDY/perovskite heterostructures are nearly an order of magnitude larger than that of pristine perovskites in NIR due to the synergistic effect between GDY and perovskites. Furthermore, a polarization-sensitive photocurrent is obtained for a GDY/PbI2 heterostructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuzhen Bi
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China. and Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - ChiYung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Chengjie Zhao
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.
| | - Le Liu
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.
| | - Min Zhao
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Tonggang Jiu
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China. and Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China and Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong Province, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
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9
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Wang R, Bi F, Lu W, Yam C. Tunable Photoresponse by Gate Modulation in Bilayer Graphene Nanoribbon Devices. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:7719-7724. [PMID: 31777243 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b03077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Control of absorption and photocurrent conversion is of practical importance for the design of photoelectric devices. In this paper, using simulations, we demonstrate that the photoresponse of a bilayer graphene nanoribbon (GNR) device can be controlled by gate voltage modulation. A vertical gate field shifts the potential on the top and bottom layers in opposite directions, resulting in a continuous change of band gap with applied gate voltage. This field simultaneously facilitates separation of photoexcited electron-hole pairs and gives rise to a photocurrent in a selected photon energy range. The photoresponse of a bilayer GNR device can thus be tuned by adjusting the applied gate voltage. In addition, the light frequency range can be changed by using nanoribbons of different widths. These findings provide a basis for the design of adjustable optoelectronic devices using two-dimensional materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rulin Wang
- College of Physics , Qingdao University , No. 308 Ningxia Road , Qingdao 266071 , China
| | - Fuzhen Bi
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao 266101 , China
| | - Wencai Lu
- College of Physics , Qingdao University , No. 308 Ningxia Road , Qingdao 266071 , China
| | - ChiYung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Haidian District , Beijing 100193 , China
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10
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Xu Z, Zhou Y, Groß L, De Sio A, Yam CY, Lienau C, Frauenheim T, Chen G. Coherent Real-Space Charge Transport Across a Donor-Acceptor Interface Mediated by Vibronic Couplings. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:8630-8637. [PMID: 31698905 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b03194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
There is growing experimental and theoretical evidence that vibronic couplings, couplings between electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom, play a fundamental role in ultrafast excited-state dynamics in organic donor-acceptor hybrids. Whereas vibronic coupling has been shown to support charge separation at donor-acceptor interfaces, so far, little is known about its role in the real-space transport of charges in such systems. Here we theoretically study charge transport in thiophene:fullerene stacks using time-dependent density functional tight-binding theory combined with Ehrenfest molecular dynamics for open systems. Our results reveal coherent oscillations of the charge density between neighboring donor sites, persisting for ∼200 fs and promoting charge transport within the polymer stacks. At the donor-acceptor interface, vibronic wave packets are launched, propagating coherently over distances of more than 3 nm into the acceptor region. This supports previous experimental observations of long-range ballistic charge-carrier motion in organic photovoltaic systems and highlights the importance of vibronic coupling engineering as a concept for tailoring the functionality of hybrid organic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyao Xu
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , China
| | - Lynn Groß
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science , University of Bremen , Am Fallturm 1 , 28359 Bremen , Germany
| | - Antonietta De Sio
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , Oldenburg 26129 , Germany
| | - Chi Yung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Beijing 100084 , China
| | - Christoph Lienau
- Institut für Physik and Center of Interface Science , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , Oldenburg 26129 , Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science , Carl von Ossietzky Universität , Oldenburg 26111 , Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science , University of Bremen , Am Fallturm 1 , 28359 Bremen , Germany
| | - GuanHua Chen
- Department of Chemistry , University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , China
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11
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Meng L, Zhang Y, Yam C. Multiscale Study of Plasmonic Scattering and Light Trapping Effect in Silicon Nanowire Array Solar Cells. J Phys Chem Lett 2017; 8:571-575. [PMID: 28076951 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b02836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Nanometallic structures that support surface plasmons provide new ways to confine light at deep-subwavelength scales. The effect of light scattering in nanowire array solar cells is studied by a multiscale approach combining classical electromagnetic (EM) and quantum mechanical simulations. A photovoltaic device is constructed by integrating a silicon nanowire array with a plasmonic silver nanosphere. The light scatterings by plasmonic element and nanowire array are obtained via classical EM simulations, while current-voltage characteristics and optical properties of the nanowire cells are evaluated quantum mechanically. We found that the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of photovoltaic device is substantially improved due to the local field enhancement of the plasmonic effect and light trapping by the nanowire array. In addition, we showed that there exists an optimal nanowire number density in terms of optical confinement and solar cell PCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyi Meng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - ChiYung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Beijing 100193, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
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12
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Wang R, Zhang Y, Bi F, Frauenheim T, Chen G, Yam C. Quantum mechanical modeling the emission pattern and polarization of nanoscale light emitting diodes. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:13168-13173. [PMID: 27249329 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02356h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding of the electroluminescence (EL) mechanism in optoelectronic devices is imperative for further optimization of their efficiency and effectiveness. Here, a quantum mechanical approach is formulated for modeling the EL processes in nanoscale light emitting diodes (LED). Based on non-equilibrium Green's function quantum transport equations, interactions with the electromagnetic vacuum environment are included to describe electrically driven light emission in the devices. The presented framework is illustrated by numerical simulations of a silicon nanowire LED device. EL spectra of the nanowire device under different bias voltages are obtained and, more importantly, the radiation pattern and polarization of optical emission can be determined using the current approach. This work is an important step forward towards atomistic quantum mechanical modeling of the electrically induced optical response in nanoscale systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rulin Wang
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China.
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13
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Zhang Y, Yam C, Schatz GC. Fundamental Limitations to Plasmonic Hot-Carrier Solar Cells. J Phys Chem Lett 2016; 7:1852-1858. [PMID: 27136049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Detailed balance between photon-absorption and energy loss constrains the efficiency of conventional solar cells to the Shockley-Queisser limit. However, if solar illumination can be absorbed over a wide spectrum by plasmonic structures, and the generated hot-carriers can be collected before relaxation, the efficiency of solar cells may be greatly improved. In this work, we explore the opportunities and limitations for making plasmonic solar cells, here considering a design for hot-carrier solar cells in which a conventional semiconductor heterojunction is attached to a plasmonic medium such as arrays of gold nanoparticles. The underlying mechanisms and fundamental limitations of this cell are studied using a nonequilibrium Green's function method, and the numerical results indicate that this cell can significantly improve the absorption of solar radiation without reducing open-circuit voltage, as photons can be absorbed to produce mobile carriers in the semiconductor as long as they have energy larger than the Schottky barrier rather than above the bandgap. However, a significant fraction of the hot-carriers have energies below the Schottky barrier, which makes the cell suffer low internal quantum efficiency. Moreover, quantum efficiency is also limited by hot-carrier relaxation and metal-semiconductor coupling. The connection of these results to recent experiments is described, showing why plasmonic solar cells can have less than 1% efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - ChiYung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - George C Schatz
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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14
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Meng L, Yam C, Zhang Y, Wang R, Chen G. Multiscale Modeling of Plasmon-Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiency in Nanostructured Solar Cells. J Phys Chem Lett 2015; 6:4410-4416. [PMID: 26722976 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b01913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The unique optical properties of nanometallic structures can be exploited to confine light at subwavelength scales. This excellent light trapping is critical to improve light absorption efficiency in nanoscale photovoltaic devices. Here, we apply a multiscale quantum mechanics/electromagnetics (QM/EM) method to model the current-voltage characteristics and optical properties of plasmonic nanowire-based solar cells. The QM/EM method features a combination of first-principles quantum mechanical treatment of the photoactive component and classical description of electromagnetic environment. The coupled optical-electrical QM/EM simulations demonstrate a dramatic enhancement for power conversion efficiency of nanowire solar cells due to the surface plasmon effect of nanometallic structures. The improvement is attributed to the enhanced scattering of light into the photoactive layer. We further investigate the optimal configuration of the nanostructured solar cell. Our QM/EM simulation result demonstrates that a further increase of internal quantum efficiency can be achieved by scattering light into the n-doped region of the device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyi Meng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - ChiYung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Beijing 100094, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
- Center for Bio-inspired Energy Science, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Rulin Wang
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Beijing 100094, P. R. China
| | - GuanHua Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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15
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Zhang Y, Yam C, Chen G. A variational approach for dissipative quantum transport in a wide parameter space. J Chem Phys 2015; 143:104112. [PMID: 26619516 DOI: 10.1063/1.4930847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent development of theoretical method for dissipative quantum transport has achieved notable progresses in the weak or strong electron-phonon coupling regime. However, a generalized theory for dissipative quantum transport in a wide parameter space had not been established. In this work, a variational polaron theory for dissipative quantum transport in a wide range of electron-phonon coupling is developed. The optimal polaron transformation is determined by the optimization of the Feynman-Bogoliubov upper bound of free energy. The free energy minimization ends up with an optimal mean-field Hamiltonian and a minimal interaction Hamiltonian. Hence, second-order perturbation can be applied to the transformed system, resulting in an accurate and efficient method for the treatment of dissipative quantum transport with different electron-phonon coupling strength. Numerical benchmark calculation on a single site model coupled to one phonon mode is presented.
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16
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Yam C, Meng L, Zhang Y, Chen G. A multiscale quantum mechanics/electromagnetics method for device simulations. Chem Soc Rev 2015; 44:1763-76. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cs00348a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This review highlights a newly developed multiscale method, incorporating quantum mechanics into device modeling with an environment included through classical electrodynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- ChiYung Yam
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center
- Beijing 100084
- China
- Department of Chemistry
- The University of Hong Kong
| | - Lingyi Meng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen
- China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry
- The University of Hong Kong
- China
| | - GuanHua Chen
- Department of Chemistry
- The University of Hong Kong
- China
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Wang L, Prezhdo OV. Accurate and Efficient Quantum Chemistry by Locality of Chemical Interactions. J Phys Chem Lett 2014; 5:4317-4318. [PMID: 26273980 DOI: 10.1021/jz5024256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Linjun Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Oleg V Prezhdo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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