Enhancing the bulk photovoltaic effect by tuning domain walls in epitaxial BiFeO3 films

In this letter, the role of domain wall (DW) on bulk photovoltaic effect (BPV) effect in BiFeO3 (BFO) films was studied by x-ray reciprocal space mapping and conductive atomic force microscope. It was found that the domain structure and DW can be tuned by controlling the epitaxial orientation of BFO film. Remarkably, under 1 sun AM 1.5 G illumination, the 109 degrees DW enhances the transport of photogenerated carriers and simultaneously improves the conductivity and power conversion efficiency (PCE). The short-circuit current density and PCE can reach 171.15 mu A cm(-2) and 0.1127%, respectively. Therefore, our study reveals the correlation between the DW and the BPV effect in BFO film and provides a new pathway to improve the PCE of BFO-based photovoltaic device.

Automated summary

The study investigated the role of domain walls (DW) on the bulk photovoltaic effect (BPV) in BiFeO3 (BFO) films by controlling the epitaxial orientation of the film. It was found that the DW enhanced the transport of photogenerated carriers, improving conductivity and power conversion efficiency (PCE). This correlation between DW and BPV effect in BFO film provides a new pathway to enhance the performance of BFO-based photovoltaic devices.