Related papers: Beyond Lambertian light trapping for large-area si…
We propose an efficient plasmonic structure consisting of metal strips and thin-film silicon for solar energy absorption. We numerically demonstrate the absorption enhancement in symmetrical structure based on the mode coupling between the…
Photonic crystals (PCs) are periodic dielectric structures that severed as an excellent platform to manipulate light. A conventional way to guide/trap light via PCs is to introduce a line or point defect by removing or modifying several…
Nano-scaled metallic or dielectric structures may provide various ways to trap light into thin-film solar cells for improving the conversion efficiency. In most schemes, the textured active layers are involved into light trapping structures…
We report on the role of plasmonic resonances in determining the delicate balance between scattering and absorption of light in nanometric particle arrays applied to the front surface of solar cells. Strong parasitic absorption is shown to…
The Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit provides a convenient metric for predicting light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of a solar cell based on the band gap of the light-absorbing layer. In reality, few materials approach this radiative…
Numerical simulation of a solar cell can provide various information that can be useful to maximize its power conversion efficiency (PCE). In that respect we carried out a set of numerical simulation using AFORS-HET simulation program.…
Interferometry can completely redirect light, providing the potential for strong and controllable optical forces. However, small particles do not naturally act like interferometric beamsplitters, and the optical scattering from them is not…
It has gradually been recognized that incoming sunlight can be trapped within a high refractive index semiconductor, n~3.5, owing to the narrow 16degree escape cone. The solar light inside a semiconductor is 4n^2 times brighter than…
Enhancing the absorption and emission of electromagnetic waves over a broad range of wavelengths is a topic of fundamental and applied interest in photonics and energy research. In the context of light trapping in solar cells, for example,…
A tightly focused pulsed laser can locally modify the crystal structure inside the bulk of a scintillator. The result is incorporation of so-called optical barriers with a refractive index (RI) different from that of the crystal bulk, that…
Surface recombination affects both light-to-electricity and electricity-to-light conversion in solar cells (SCs). Therefore, quantitative analysis and reduction of surface recombination is an important direction in SC research. In this…
Porous silicon layers (PS) have been prepared in this work via Photoelectrochemical etching process (PEC) of n type silicon wafer of 0.8 ohm.cm resistivity in hydrofluoric (HF) acid of 24.5 precent concentration at different etching times…
We propose a light-trapping structure offering a significant enhancement of photovoltaic absorption in transparent organic solar cells operating at infrared while the visible light transmission keeps sufficiently high. The main mechanism of…
The optical absorption of nanoscale thickness semiconductor films on top of light-trapping structures based on optical interference effects combined with spectrum-splitting structures is theoretically investigated. Nearly perfect absorption…
We present state-of-the-art first-principle calculations of the electronic and optical properties of silicon allotropes with interesting characteristics for applications in thin-film solar cells. These new phases consist of distorted sp$^3$…
Encapsulation layers are explored for passivating the surfaces of silicon to reduce optical absorption in the 1500-nm wavelength band. Surface-sensitive test structures consisting of microdisk resonators are fabricated for this purpose.…
Upgraded metallurgical grade (UMG) silicon (Si) has raised interest as an alternative material for solar cells due to its low cost, low environmental impact and low CAPEX. Maximum cell efficiencies at the level of those obtained from high…
Light trapping is a constant pursuit in photonics because of its importance in science and technology. Many mechanisms have been explored, including the use of mirrors made of materials or structures that forbid outgoing waves, and bound…
Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have shown an incredible rise in efficiency, reaching as high as 25.7%, which now competes with traditional photovoltaic technologies. Herein, we excluded CsX and RbX, the most commonly used cations to…
We address the question of the optimal broadband absorption of waves in an open, dissipative system. We develop a general framework for absorption induced by multiple overlapping resonances, based on quasi-normal modes and radiative and…