Limits to the Superposition Principle and Importance of Photoshunt in Organic Solar Cells
Eunchi Kim a, Thomas Kirchartz a
a Forschungszentrum Jülich, IEK-5 Photovoltaik, Jülich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Oral, Eunchi Kim, presentation 049
Publication date: 6th February 2024

Solar cell analysis often relies on the assumption that the superposition principle[1,2] holds true, implying that the illuminated current-voltage curve can be obtained by subtracting the short-circuit current density from the dark current-voltage curve. However, in reality, this principle doesn't apply to any type of solar cell, including crystalline Si[1,2]. Instead, the illuminated current-voltage curve exhibits a distinct photoshunt, differing from the dark shunt resistance.[3,4] This apparent photoshunt is introduced due to the increase of charge carrier density under illumination, reflecting transport limitations in the absorber or transport layer of solar cells.[4,5] In this discussion, we focus on how understanding the photoshunt can enhance our comprehension of charge extraction and recombination in organic solar cells with the help of analytical expression for the photoshunt. Additionally, we explore the connection between the photoshunt and other measures of transport losses, such as fill-factor losses or recombination losses at short circuit.

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