Computational mining of GeH-based Janus III-VI van der Waals heterostructures for solar cell applications.

The asymmetrical group III-VI monolayer Janus M 2 XY (M = Al, Ga, In; X ≠ Y = S, Se, Te) have attracted widespread attention due to their significant optical absorption properties, which are the potential building blocks for van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure solar cells. In this study, we unraveled an In 2 STe/GeH vdW heterostructure as a candidate for solar cells by screening the Janus M 2 XY and GeH monolayers on lattice mismatches and electronic band structures based on first-principles calculations. The results highlight that the In 2 STe/GeH vdW heterostructure exhibits a type-II band gap of 1.25 eV. The optical absorption curve of the In 2 STe/GeH vdW heterostructure indicates that it possesses significant optical absorption properties in the visible and ultraviolet light areas. In addition, we demonstrate that the In 2 STe/GeH vdW heterostructure shows high and directionally anisotropic carrier mobility and good stability. Furthermore, strain engineering improves the theoretical power conversion efficiency of the In 2 STe/GeH vdW heterostructure up to 19.71%. Our present study will provide an idea for designing Janus M 2 XY and GeH monolayer-based vdW heterostructures for solar cell applications.