Recent progress in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) research is reviewed, focusing on atomic-scale investigations of the interface electronic structures and dynamical processes, including the structure of dye adsorption onto TiO2, ultrafast electron injection, hot-electron injection, multiple-exciton generation, and electron–hole recombination. Advanced experimental techniques and theoretical a...

Ultrafast fluorescence spectroscopy was used to investigate the hole injection in CdxSeyZn1-xS1-y gradient core-shell quantum dot (CSQD) sensitized p-type NiO photocathodes. A series of CSQDs with a wide range of shell thicknesses was studied. Complementary photoelectrochemical cell measurements were carried out to confirm that the hole injection from the active core through the gradient shell ...

It has been a concern that the cobalt redox cannot give a good performance for the dye-sensitized solar cells when it is used with ruthenium dyes. The electron dynamics measurements clarified the electron loss processes, and clarified the cause. The result indicated the direct interaction between the ruthenium dyes with the cobalt redox, and it reduced the charge injection from the triplet stat...

A two terminal spin-injection device is fabricated using a nanostencil process with a Co–Cu–Co stack. The stack can be deposited both by sputtering and by electron-beam evaporation. A better edge definition is observed in evaporation-deposited films under cross section transmission electron microscopy. Both methods succeeded in producing junctions with sub-100 nm lateral dimensions and show spi...

Theoretical analysis of the 2,1,3-Benzoxadiazole-5-carboxylic acid dye molecule and new designed dyes were performed using Density Functional Theory. The ground state and excited state oxidation potential as well as electron injection from dyes to TiO2 are reported. Improved light harvesting efficiency and free energy change of electron injection of new designed sensitizers reveal that these ma...

A new zwitterionic conjugated polyelectrolyte without free counterions has been used as an electron injection material in polymer light-emitting diodes. Both the efficiency and maximum brightness were considerably improved in comparison with standard Ca cathode devices. The devices showed very fast response times, indicating that the improved performance is, in addition to hole blocking, due to...

A proposed laser-plasma based electron source [1] using laser triggered injection of electrons is examined. The source generates ultrashort electron bunches by dephasing background plasma electrons undergoing fluid oscillations in a plasma wake. The plasma electrons are dephased by colliding two counter-propagating laser pulses. Laser intensity thresholds for trapping and optimal wake phase for...

The Au/n-Si(100) contact has been studied using reverse ballistic electron emission microscopy and spectroscopy. Two types of localised collector currents have been observed; one, positive corresponding to electron injection into Si, and the other, negative, associated with hole injection into the semiconductor. The comparative trial of BEEM and reverse BEEM images from the same area shows this...