Experimental enhancement of the photocurrent in a solar cell using upconversion process in fluoroindate glasses exciting at 1480 nm

Abstract In this work, the generation of photocurrent in a commercial solar cell has been achieved under excitation at 1480 nm in fluoroindate glass samples codoped with Yb 3+ and Er 3+ ions. These samples were placed over a solar cell and under excitation at 1.48 µm, upconversion emissions coming from the Yb 3+ and Er 3+ ions were obtained. In the upconversion emission spectra, several emission bands at 545 nm, 660 nm and 975 nm have been detected for all the analyzed samples (doped with different Yb 3+ and Er 3+ concentrations). The dependence of the external quantum efficiency to produce photocurrent with the Er 3+ and Yb 3+ concentration and with the pump power excitation at 1480 nm has been analyzed. As conclusion, the maximum generation of photocurrent was obtained with the highest and lowest concentrations of Er 3+ and Yb 3+ , respectively.