Substitution of Li for Cu in Cu2ZnSnS4: Toward Wide Band Gap Absorbers with Low Cation Disorder for Thin Film Solar Cells.

The substitution of lithium for copper in Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) has been experimentally and theoretically investigated. Formally, the (Cu1-xLix)ZnSnS4 system exhibits two well-defined solid solutions. Indeed, single crystal structural analyses demonstrate that the low (x < 0.4) and high (x > 0.6) lithium-content compounds adopt the kesterite structure and the wurtz-kesterite structure, respectively. For x between 0.4 and 0.6, the two aforementioned structure types coexist. Moreover, 119Sn NMR analyses carried out on a (Cu0.7Li0.3)2ZnSnS4 sample clearly indicate that lithium replaces copper preferentially on two of the three available 2-fold crystallographic sites commonly occupied by Cu and Zn in disordered kesterite. Furthermore, the observed individual lines in the NMR spectrum suggest that the propensity of Cu and Zn atoms to be randomly distributed over the 2c and 2d crystallographic sites is lowered when lithium is partially substituted for copper. Additionally, the first-principles calculations provide insights into the arrangement of Li atoms as a function of the Cu/Zn disorder and its effect on the structural (lattice parameters) and optical properties of CZTS (band gap evolution). Those calculations agree with the experimental observations and account for the evolutions of the unit cell parameters as well as for the increase of band gap when the Li-content increases. The calculation of the formation enthalpy of point defect unambiguously indicates that Li modifies the Cu/Zn disorder in a manner similar to the change of Cu/Zn disorder induced by Ag alloying. Overall, it was found that Li alloying is a versatile way of tuning the optoelectronic properties of CZTS making it a good candidate as wide band gap materials for the top cells of tandem solar cells.

Singlet ground state of the quantum antiferromagnet Ba(3)CuSb(2)O(9).

We present local probe results on the honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet Ba(3)CuSb(2)O(9). Muon spin relaxation measurements in a zero field down to 20 mK show unequivocally that there is a total absence of spin freezing in the ground state. Sb NMR measurements allow us to track the intrinsic susceptibility of the lattice, which shows a maximum at around 55 K and drops to zero in the low-temperature limit. The spin-lattice relaxation rate shows two characteristic energy scales, including a field-dependent crossover to exponential low-temperature behavior, implying gapped magnetic excitations.

Structure flexibility of the Cu2ZnSnS4 absorber in low-cost photovoltaic cells: from the stoichiometric to the copper-poor compounds.

Here we present for the very first time a single-crystal investigation of the Cu-poor Zn-rich derivative of Cu(2)ZnSnS(4). Nowadays, this composition is considered as the one that delivers the best photovoltaic performances in the specific domain of Cu(2)ZnSnS(4)-based thin-film solar cells. The existence of this nonstoichiometric phase is definitely demonstrated here in an explicit and unequivocal manner on the basis of powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses coupled with electron microprobe analyses. Crystals are tetragonal, space group I ̅4, Z = 2, with a = 5.43440(15) Šand c = 10.8382(6) Šfor Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) and a = 5.43006(5) Šand c = 10.8222(2) Šfor Cu(1.71)Zn(1.18)Sn(0.99)S(4).

Syntheses and X-ray diffraction, photochemical, and optical characterization of Cu2SixSn1-xS3 (0.4 < or = x < or = 0.6) for photovoltaic applications.

The study of the pseudobinary system Cu(2)SnS(3-)Cu(2)SiS(3) shows that a solid solution (Cu(2)Si(x)Sn(1-x)S(3)) exists in the range 0.4 < or = Si/(Sn+Si) < or = 0.6. Based on diffuse reflectance and photoelectrochemical measurements these compounds show potential as absorber materials for photovoltaic devices. The compounds were prepared at 850 degrees C from copper sulfide, silicon, tin, and sulfur and were analyzed with single-crystal (for x approximately 0.40) and powder diffraction techniques. Optical band gaps of 1.25, 1.35, and 1.45 eV were observed for the three compositions x = 0.39, 0.48, and 0.61; cathodic photocurrent occurring is significant.