Photovoltaic laser-power converter based on AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures

Photovoltaic laser-power converters for a wavelength of $\lambda$ = 809 nm are developed and fabricated on the basis of single-junction AlGaAs/GaAs structures grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. The parameters of the photovoltaic structure constituted by an optical “window” and a cladding layer are optimized by mathematical simulation. Photovoltaic converters with areas of $S$ = 10.2 and 12.2 mm$^2$ and 4 cm$^2$ are fabricated and studied. For photocells with $S$ = 10.2 mm$^2$, the monochromatic efficiency $(\eta)$ was 60% at a current density of 5.9 A/cm$^2$. A photovoltaic module with a working voltage of 4 V ($\eta$ = 56.3% at 0.34 A/cm$^2$) is assembled.