Abstract
Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are propagating waves generated at the interface of a metal (metamaterial) and a dielectric. The intensity of SPPs often exponentially decays away from the surface, while their wavelengths can be tuned by the confinement effect. We present here a computational method based on quantum-mechanical theory to fully describe the interaction between confined SPPs and adsorbed molecules at the interface. Special attention has been paid to the roles of the confinement factor. Taking a prototype dye sensitized solar cell as an example, calculated results reveal that with the increase in the confinement factor in metal/dielectric interfaces, the breakdown of the conventional dipole approximation emerges, which allows efficient harvesting of SPPs with low excitation energies and, thus, increases the efficiency of the solar energy conversion by dye molecules. Furthermore, at the metamaterial/dielectric interface, SPPs with large confinement factors could directly excite the dye molecule from its ground singlet state to the triplet state, opening an entirely new channel with long-living carriers for the photovoltaic conversion. Our results not only provide a rigorous theory for the SPP-molecule interaction but also highlight the important role played by the momentum of the light in plasmon related studies.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.