Lets say, X nano-particle has an optical peak at 3 eV, Y nano-particle has an optical peak at 4 eV. Now for the applications of solar cell or opto-electronics, which nano-particle is better and why?
X NP absorbs larger solar energy than Y NP, due to Planck-type distribution of spectral intensity coming from the Sun. Conversion efficiency of absorbed power to electricity, however, is also important
There is not a unique answer. For solar cells, I agree with Aleksandr, X NP is closer to the sun spectral peak. Anyway Y NP can be useful for other applications, also for PV technologies.
It is likely that a material based on Y NP has a high transmittance in the visible and infrared range of wavelenghts, given the absorption peak close to about 300 nm.
So, it can be useful as a top encapsulating layer for solar panels.
Same discussion for optoelectronics: depending of the nature of the Y NP, it can be useful as a hosting material for waveguides, as some sol-gels.
Anyway. other properties must be considered but only the energy gap.
I agree with my colleagues totally. In order to correctly judge on the optoelectronic applications including solar cell, it may be better to display for us the absorption curve of the material. The optimum material as a solar cell is that material with an energy gap of about 1.45 eV and that behaves as a low pass filter like GaAs. So, the material closer is that with 3eV. It may act a solar cell active layer but with lower conversion efficiency.
As the you speak about absorption peak, if these peaks has narrow bandwidth, then you can use use your material as UV sensors. This may be a more appropriate application.
wish you success.
Hello Dr. Aleksandr Aleksandrovsky, Professor Dr Abdelhalim Zekry and Dr. Stefano Penna
First of all, thank you very much for your very helpful comments. I am truly grateful for you kind help.
I was actually just trying to understand the trend of the optical applications. The results I got with DFT calculations, are for very small clusters of 13-atoms. So, surely, with different size (lets say in 20-30 nm) this frequency range will undergo a very big red-shift. But these clusters have gave me some pattern and that;s why I was trying to think, whether I should try for the experimental works or not.
Thank you very much for your answers as all of your comments have been tremendously helpful to me.
Best Regards
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