Simulation of Thermal Photocarrier Escape in Quantum Well Solar Cells: Electron-Electron vs. Electron-Phonon Interaction

Hot carrier photocurrent flow from a selectively contacted semiconductor quantum well illuminated with a high-intensity monochromatic photon flux is simulated using a quantum transport approach that considers on equal footing the effects of electron-photon, electron-phonon, and electron-electron interactions. While the inclusion of carrier-carrier scattering conserves the density of states, it modifies the spectral current flow strongly by increasing the non-equilibrium occupation at energies above the quantum well, inducing a pronounced hot carrier escape current. The elevated carrier temperature in the presence of carrier-carrier scattering is confirmed by the slope of the high-energy tail in the simulated photoluminescence spectra.