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arXiv · 1411.0713

Delocalized Quantum States Enhance Photocell Efficiency

Yiteng Zhang·Sangchul Oh·Fahhad H. Alharbi·Greg Engel·Sabre Kais
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Abstract

The high quantum efficiency of photosynthetic complexes has inspired researchers to explore new routes to utilize this process for photovoltaic devices. Quantum coherence has been demonstrated to play a crucial role within this process. Herein, we propose a three-dipole system as a model of a new photocell type which exploits the coherence among its three dipoles. We have proved that the efficiency of such a photocell is greatly enhanced by quantum coherence. We have also predicted that the photocurrents can be enhanced by about 49.5 % in such a coherent coupled dipole system compared with the uncoupled dipoles. These results suggest a promising novel design aspect of photosynthesis-mimicking photovoltaic devices.

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Yiteng Zhang, Sangchul Oh, Fahhad H. Alharbi, Greg Engel, Sabre Kais. 2014-10-31. Delocalized Quantum States Enhance Photocell Efficiency. https://doi.org/10.1039/c4cp05310a

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