High efficiency monochromatic GaAs solar cells

Efforts to develop GaAs solar cells for coupling to laser beams in the wavelength range of 800 to 840 nm are described. The work has been motivated primarily by interest in space-to-space power beaming applications. Modeling calculations of GaAs cell performance have been carried out using PC-1D to determine an appropriate design for p/n and n/p cell structures. Epitaxial layers were grown by MOCVD and cells were fabricated. Measurements under laser beam and simulated conditions yield an efficiency of 52.1% for a cell coupled to 806 nm light at 100 mW/cm ²