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ABSTRACT: Some compound semiconductors such as GaAs and InGaAsP exhibit a high absorption coefficient in the photon energy of interest for solar energy conversion. As such, they are the materials of choice for solar cells of highest efficiencies in single and tandem devices [1]. Their commercial potential in terrestrial applications is reduced due to the scarcity (and thus high cost) of group III elements such as In and Ga. In this talk we present two approaches to render the use this kind of materials sustainable: a strong reduction in material use through nanostructures and the replacement of group III by group II such as zinc. We find nanostructures also provide a path to increase light collection [1]. We show how II-V compounds such as Zn3P2 exhibit one magnitude higher absorption coefficient than GaAs [2]. We explain how these materials can be fabricated with high crystal quality, opening the path for the creation of alternative and sustainable compound semiconductor solar cells [3,4]. 

References:
[1] B. Ehrler et al ACS Energy Lett. 5, 3029 (2020)
[2] P. Krogstrup et al Nature Photon 7, 306 (2013)
[3] M.Y. Swinkels et al Phys. Rev. Appl. 14, 024045 (2020)
[4] S. Escobar Steinvall et al Nanoscale Horizons 5, 274-282 (2020)
[5] R. Paul et al, Crys. Growth. Des. 20, 3816–3825 (2020)


BIOGRAPHY: Prof. Anna Fontcuberta i Morral PhD, Full Professor in Materials Science and Engineering and in Physics, associate Vicepresident for Centers and Platforms at EPFL. She is member of the EPFL-WISH foundation and former president, foundation whose goal is to support female students on accomplishing their professional dreams.

Prof. Anna Fontcuberta i Morral studied physics at the University of Barcelona till 1997. She then moved to Paris where in 2001 she obtained a PhD in Materials Science from Ecole Polytehcnique (France). She performed a postdoc at CalTech with Prof. Harry Atwater, with whom she also co-founded the start-up company Aonex Technologies. After a brief period as CNRS researcher at Ecole Polytechnique, she moved to TU Munich as a group leader. She has been professor at EPFL since 2008. Among the awards she has received are the Marie Curie Excellence Grant, ERC Starting Grant, the SNSF-backup schemes Consolidator Grant and the EPS Emy Noether prize.

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