Sm3+/Yb3+ co-doped GeO2-PbO glass for efficiency enhancement of silicon solar cells

Abstract Luminescent properties and energy transfer processes in GeO2-PbO glasses co-doped with Sm3+/Yb3+ were investigated. The concentration of Sm3+ was 1 mol% while the concentration of Yb3+ was 0.2 and 0.5 mol%. Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters Ω λ ( λ = 2,4,6 ) were calculated from absorption spectra of the co-doped glass samples, together with transitions probabilities A j j ′ and radiative lifetimes τ R . Visible and NIR emission spectra were obtained under excitation of wavelengths corresponding to the 6H5/2 →(6P7/2,6P3/2,4I11/2) transitions of Sm3+ resulting in different emission channels from 4G5/2 level energy to lower energy levels. The set of co-doped and undoped glasses were placed on the top of a conventional silicon solar cell and the relative efficiency was studied. Cooperative energy transfer between the Sm3+ ion and Yb3+ ion would probably be responsible for observed enhancement in the energy efficiency of about 10%.