Induced photopleochroism of ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells

Detailed photoelectrical measurements are carried out on ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 thin solar cells prepared by multisource physical vapor deposition. These devices exhibit a conversion efficiency of more than 15% in the spectral region from 1.2 to 2.3 eV at T=300 K. Oscillations due to interference of natural and linearly polarized light (LPL) in the ZnO film are observed in the photocurrent and the induced photopleochroism of high efficiency thin solar cells at the first time. A polarization photosensitivity was observed for oblique incidence of LPL on the ZnO surface. The induced photopleochroism of these devices depends on the angle incidence Theta, varying roughly as similar to Theta(2), and reaches the maximum value of 17-20% at Theta = 70 degrees and energy photon congruent to 1.3 eV. The results indicated that thin solar cells can serve as broad-band analyzers of linearly polarized light.