Enhanced P3HT/ZnO Nanowire Array Solar Cells by Pyro-phototronic Effect

The pyro-phototronic effect is based on the coupling among photoexcitation, pyroelectricity, and semiconductor charge transport in pyroelectric materials, which can be utilized to modulate photoexcited carriers to enhance the output performance of solar cells. Herein, we have demonstrated the largely enhanced output performance of a P3HT/ZnO nanowire array photovoltaic cell (PVC) by using the pyro-phototronic effect under weak light illuminations. By applying an external cooling temperature variation, the output current and voltage of the PVC can be dramatically enhanced by 18% and 152% under indoor light illumination, respectively. This study realizes the performance enhancement of pyroelectric semiconductor materials-based solar cells via a temperature-variation-induced pyro-phototronic effect, which may have potential applications in solar energy scavenging and self-powered sensor systems.