Numerical modeling of photon recycling in solar cells

The incorporation of a detailed model for the photon recycling effect into an exact numerical solar cell simulation code is described. The commonly encountered radiative lifetime multiplication factor is shown to have both a spatial and bias point dependence. Example simulations show that photon recycling can significantly reduce the effective recombination current and thereby have a large effect on the open circuit voltage of a solar cell. Possible ways to capitalize upon this effect are discussed.<
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