Infrared photovoltaic solar cells based on C60 fullerene encapsulated single-walled carbon nanotubes

We have investigated the possibility of using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as the infrared energy conversion material based on the configuration of SWNT/Si heterojunction. The performance of solar cells based on SWNTs has been examined under illumination by the light with different wavelengths. Our experimental results confirm that SWNTs play a critical role in transforming the infrared light (1550 nm) into the electrical energy. The encapsulation of C60 fullerene inside SWNTs is found to significantly enhance the performance of solar cells through adjusting the Fermi level of SWNTs.