Theory of Nonlinear Coupling in a Novel Ferroelectric Device
A novel dielectric modulator consisting of two pairs of mutually orthogonal plates on a block of ferroelectric material is described. Interaction between the orthogonal fields due to the nonlinear pro...
A novel dielectric modulator consisting of two pairs of mutually orthogonal plates on a block of ferroelectric material is described. Interaction between the orthogonal fields due to the nonlinear pro...
Molecular Ringing
Semiclassical radiation theory is used to describe the response of an assemblage of two-state molecules driven by an electromagnetic field. When the field is suddenly removed, the assemblage does not ...
Semiclassical radiation theory is used to describe the response of an assemblage of two-state molecules driven by an electromagnetic field. When the field is suddenly removed, the assemblage does not ...
Theoretical Considerations Governing the Choice of the Optimum Semiconductor for Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion
J. Appl. Phys. 27, 777 (1956); doi:10.1063/1.1722483
Issue Date: July 1956
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The theory of the photovoltaic effect is used to predict the characteristics of a semiconductor which would operate with an optimum efficiency as a photovoltaic solar energy converter. The existence of such an optimum material results from the interaction between the optical properties of the semiconductor which determine what fraction of the solar spectrum is utilized and its electrical properties which determine the maximum efficiency of conversion into electricity. Considerable attention is devoted to the effect of the forbidden energy gap (EG) of the semiconductor. It is shown that atmospheric absorption causes a shift in the solar spectrum which changes the value of the optimum forbidden energy gap between the limits 1.2 ev<EG <1.6 ev. Furthermore, plausible departures of the diode reverse saturation current (I0) from the parametric dependence predicted by Shockley are considered, and it is shown that such departures reduce the advantage of the optimum material over others in the range 1.1 ev<EG<2.0 ev. The relation between EG and the load impedance for maximum power transfer from the solar converter is discussed. Finally, I0 is computed from the published values of the semiconductor parameters of three intermetallic compounds, i.e., InP, GaAs, and CdTe, and it is shown that the efficiencies predicted for these materials are greater than those predicted for other materials which have been proposed, i.e., Si, CdS, Se, and AlSb.
Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics.
| History: | Received January 7, 1956 |
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http://link.aip.org/link/?JAPIAU/27/777/1 |
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REFERENCES (23)
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