Enhanced solar photocurrent using a quantum dot molecule

Abstract

In this paper we make a detailed study of the role of coherent tunneling, on the photocurrent and power delivered by a quantum dot molecule (QDM) in the presence of solar light. We focus our analysis on the coherence driven by tunneling and its impact on the photovoltaic properties of the QDM. The coherence developed by the system raises as a resource from the interplay between the strength of the tunneling coupling, the QDM band alignment, and the coupling rates with the reservoirs of thermal phonons. Our results show that a QDM can deliver up to 30% more power than a single quantum dot, and our calculations of efficiency show coherence effects, which are consistent with the Second Law of Thermodynamics.