U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Solar Energy Technologies Program

Quantum Efficiency Measurements

Quantum efficiency (QE) is the ratio of the number of charge carriers collected by the solar cell to the number of photons — or packets of light — of a given energy shining on the solar cell. QE therefore relates to the response of a solar cell to the various wavelengths in the spectrum of light shining on the cell. The QE is given as a function of either wavelength or energy. If all the photons of a certain wavelength are absorbed and we collect the resulting minority carriers (for example, electrons in a p-type material), then the QE at that particular wavelength has a value of one. The QE for photons with energy below the bandgap is zero.

The quantum efficiency ideally has a square shape, where the QE value is fairly constant across the entire spectrum of wavelengths measured. However, the QE for most solar cells is reduced because of the effects of recombination, where charge carriers are not able to move into an external circuit. The same mechanisms that affect the collection probability also affect the QE. For example, modifying the front surface can affect carriers generated near the surface. And because high-energy (blue) light is absorbed very close to the surface, considerable recombination at the front surface will affect the "blue" portion of the QE. Similarly, lower energy (green) light is absorbed in the bulk of a solar cell, and a low diffusion length will affect the collection probability from the solar cell bulk, reducing the QE in the green portion of the spectrum. In somewhat technical terms, the quantum efficiency can be viewed as the collection probability due to the generation profile of a single wavelength, integrated over the device thickness and normalized to the number of incident photons.

Two types of quantum efficiency (QE) of a solar cell are often considered:

  • "External" QE includes the effect of optical losses such as transmission through the cell and reflection of light away for the cell. However, it is often useful to look at the QE of the light that remains after the reflected and transmitted light has been lost.

  • "Internal" QE refers to the efficiency with which light not transmitted through or reflected away from the cell can generate charge carriers—specifically electrons and holes—that can generate current. By measuring the transmission and reflection of a solar device, the external QE curve can be corrected to obtain the internal QE curve.

To learn more about PV physics, see: