Different roles of quantum interference in a quantum dot photocell with two intermediate bands

It is generally believed that quantum interference can improve the transport of photo-generated carriers in a photocell, thereby improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency. In this work, we explicitly explore different roles of quantum interferences in the photoelectric conversion efficiency in a quantum dot (QD) photocell with two intermediate bands. The increasing transition rates from different charge transport channels bring out first increasing, then decreasing, and then monotonically decreasing photoelectric conversion efficiencies. And the photoelectric conversions increase with quantum coherence generated by the upper transition rates owing to their robust quantum interference. However, the conversion efficiency decreases with the quantum interference induced by two lower-transition rates due to the shortened population lifetime in the intermediate bands. These results provide insight into different roles of quantum interferences in photoelectric conversion efficiency, and may provide some artificial strategies to achieve efficient photoelectric conversion via the adjusted quantum interferences in a QD photocell with multi-intermediate bands.