ELECTRIC-FIELD-INDUCED EXCITON-LINEWIDTH BROADENING IN SHORT-PERIOD GAAS/GAXAL1-XAS SUPERLATTICES

We have investigated the Wannier-Stark effect in GaAs/GaAl1-xAs superlattices under electric fields by photocurrent spectroscopy measurements in the range of temperatures 10-300 K. The linewidth of the Oh Stark-ladder exciton was found to increase significantly along with an increase in peak intensity when the electric field increases. We present a mechanism based on an enhanced interface roughness scattering of electronic states due to Wannier-Stark localization in order to explain this increased broadening with electric field. This electric-field-related scattering mechanism will weaken the negative differential conductance effects in superlattices predicted by Esaki and Tsu.

High-field nonlinear perpendicular transport in a GaAs/Al_(0.3)Ga_(0.7) As short-period superlattice

于2010-11-23批量导入

Broadband short-range surface plasmon structures for absorption enhancement in organic photovoltaics

We theoretically demonstrate a polarization-independent nanopatterned ultra-thin metallic structure supporting short-range surface plasmon polariton (SRSPP) modes to improve the performance of organic solar cells. The physical mechanism and the mode distribution of the SRSPP excited in the cell device were analyzed, and reveal that the SRSPP-assisted broadband absorption enhancement peak could be tuned by tailoring the parameters of the nanopatterned metallic structure. Three-dimensional finite-difference time domain calculations show that this plasmonic structure can enhance the optical absorption of polymer-based photovoltaics by 39% to 112%, depending on the nature of the active layer (corresponding to an enhancement in short-circuit current density by 47% to 130%). These results are promising for the design of organic photovoltaics with enhanced performance.

Experimental Investigation of Performance of a Miniature Direct Methanol Fuel Cell in Short-Term Microgravity

Experimental study of a liquid fed direct methanol fuel cell has been conducted in different gravity environments. A small single cell with 5 cm x 5 cm active area has single serpentine channel on the graphite cathode polar plate and 11 parallel straight channels on the graphite anode flow bed. Cell voltage and current have been measured and two-phase flow in anode channels has been in situ visually observed. The experimental results indicate that the effect of gravity on power performance of the direct methanol fuel cell is large when the concentration polarization governs fuel cells operation. Gravitational effect becomes larger at higher current density. Increasing methanol feeding molarity is conducive to weaken the influence of gravity on performance of liquid fed direct methanol fuel cells. Increasing feeding flow rate of methanol solution from 6 to 15 ml/min could reduce the size of carbon dioxide bubbles, while the influence of gravity still exist. Transport phenomena inside direct methanol fuel cells in microgravity is also analyzed and discussed.