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IPCE

IPCE Main

In the IPCE routine, monochromatic light is sequentially applied to the device while the generated photocurrent is measured at each wavelength. Using the calibrated lamp power and device current, the Incident Photon-to-Current Efficiency (IPCE), also referred to as External Quantum Efficiency (EQE), is calculated for every wavelength step.

The routine allows precise control over wavelength range, acquisition timing, bias conditions, and hardware configuration. During the scan, the IPCE curve is displayed in real time together with device current and integrated current.

The IPCE routine follows the following order of operations:

  1. Start
  2. Open shutter
  3. Move monochromator to start wavelength
  4. Stabilize signal
  5. Measure device current
  6. Calculate IPCE
  7. Move to next wavelength

Lamp Calibration

Every time the lamp is turned on, and after each 2 hours, it is recommended to calibrate the lamp power. See Lamp Calibration.


Settings

The following settings are available for the IPCE routine

Manual Monochromator Control

Control the monochromator with these controls independent of the measurement. These controls are disabled during a measurement.

Parameter Description Value Unit
Set Shutter Open or close optical shutter Open
Set Wavelength Manual wavelength positioning 550 nm

Wavelength Range

Parameter Description Value Unit
Start Start wavelength of the scan 300 nm
Step Step size between wavelengths 10 nm
End End wavelength of the scan 900 nm

Acquisition Settings

Parameter Description Value Unit
Acquisition time Integration time per wavelength 1 s
Averaging Number of averaged measurements 1
Step Delay Delay between wavelength steps 0 s
Bias Voltage Applied voltage during IPCE measurement 0 V
Bias Light Configure bias illumination

Hardware Settings

Parameter Description Value
Autorange Automatically select current range true
Current Limit Maximum allowed measurement current 1 mA

Lamp Calibration

Every time the lamp is turned on, and after each 2 hours, it is recommended to calibrate the lamp power. To calibrate the lamp, check the "Calibrate" checkbox and start the measurement as normal. You are then asked to provide the photodiode calibration file. A default file is selected automatically.

Data Display

During the measurement, the interface provides:

  • Real-time IPCE curve
  • Device current versus wavelength
  • Integrated current
  • Lamp power monitoring
  • Time-domain chopped signal visualization

The lower panel displays the raw chopped photocurrent signal used for lock-in style reconstruction of the IPCE value.