Two-dimensional disorder for broadband, omnidirectional and polarization-insensitive absorption

Year: 2013

Authors: Pratesi F., Matteo Burresi, Kevin Vynck, Mauro Prasciolu, Massimo Tormen, and Diederik S. Wiersma

Autors Affiliation: Matteo Burresi,1,2,* Filippo Pratesi,1 Kevin Vynck,1,3 Mauro Prasciolu,4 Massimo Tormen,4 and Diederik S. Wiersma1,2

1European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), Via N. Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy

2Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (CNR-INO), Largo Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy

3current address: Institut Langevin, ESPCI ParisTech, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France

4IOM-CNR, Laboratorio TASC, S.S. 14 Km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy

Abstract: The surface of thin-film solar cells can be tailored with photonic nanostructures to allow light trapping in the absorbing medium. This in turn increases the optical thickness of the film and thus enhances their absorption. Such a coherent light trapping is generally accomplished with deterministic photonic architectures. Here, we experimentally explore the use of a different nanostructure, a disordered one, for this purpose. We show that the disorder-induced modes in the film allow improvements in the absorption over a broad range of frequencies and impinging angles.

Journal/Review: OPTICS EXPRESS

Volume: 21      Pages from: A268  to: A275

KeyWords: Effective refractive index
Multiple scattering
Optical depth
Solar radiation
Thin film solar cells
Thin films
DOI: 10.1364/OE.21.00A268

Citations: 50
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