Photovoltage memory effect in a portable Faradaic junction solar rechargeable device

Two-electrode solar rechargeable device is one of the promising technologies to address the problem of solar energy storage in large scale. However, the mechanism of dark output voltage remains unclear and the low volumetric energy density also limits its practical applications. Herein, we report that a Si/CoOx/KBi(aq)/MnOx Faradaic junction device exhibits a photovoltage memory effect, that is, the dark output voltage can precisely record the value of the photovoltage in the device. To investigate the mechanism of the effect, we develop an open circuit potential method to real-time monitor the photo charge and dark discharge processes in the Faradaic junction device. This effect leads to minimized interface energy loss in the Faradaic junction device, which achieves much higher performances than the devices without the effect. Moreover, we realize a portable device with a record value of the dark volumetric energy density (∼1.89 mJ cm−3) among all reported two-electrode solar rechargeable devices. These results offer guidance to improve the performance of a solar rechargeable device and design other photoelectric devices for new applications.