Photovoltaic laser-power converter based on AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures

Photovoltaic laser-power converters for a wavelength of lambda = 809 nm are developed and fabricated on the basis of single-junction AlGaAs/GaAs structures grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. The parameters of the photovoltaic structure constituted by an optical window and a cladding layer are optimized by mathematical simulation. Photovoltaic converters with areas of S = 10.2 and 12.2 mm(2) and 4 cm(2) are fabricated and studied. For photocells with S = 10.2 mm(2), the monochromatic efficiency (eta) was 60% at a current density of 5.9 A/cm(2). A photovoltaic module with a working voltage of 4 V (eta = 56.3% at 0.34 A/cm(2)) is assembled.