Antireflection Research Articles

Minimizing annual reflection loss in fixed-tilt photovoltaic modules using graded refractive index (GRIN) anti-reflective glass

This study evaluates the performance of graded refractive index (GRIN) anti-reflective (AR) structures on photovoltaic (PV) modules across twenty global locations and compares them with conventional thin film AR coatings and bare glass. Optimized glass nanocones were chosen to represent the GRIN structures. Electrodynamic simulations were conducted to assess reflection properties at multiple angles of incidence. GRIN AR structures dramatically reduce total solar-integrated reflection to 0.2% at normal incidence, compared to 3.8% for bare glass and 0.8% for optimized thin film AR coatings, and maintained low reflection across a range of incident angles, demonstrating only 0.7% reflection at 60 degrees compared to significantly higher values for other surfaces. Detailed hourly simulations for twenty global locations revealed that GRIN AR coatings substantially reduce annual reflection loss to just 0.86±0.19% and increase expected annual energy output by up to 11.15±1.00% compared to bare glass at optimal tilt angles. The benefits of GRIN AR coatings are more substantial at sub-optimal panel orientations such as horizontal or vertical due to its broad angle AR properties. These findings highlight the potential of GRIN AR technology to approach the theoretical limit where front surface reflection loss is completely eliminated and enhance solar power conversion efficiencies. Additionally, a generalized model to approximate annual reflection loss for various materials is presented. This research encourages further exploration into GRIN AR coatings to optimize power conversion efficiencies and reduce reflection in PV modules.

First-principles study of structural, electronic, mechanical, optical, thermodynamic and thermoelectric properties of ternary ZnSnN2 and ZnMoN2 nitrides

This paper mainly reports structural, electronic, mechanical, optical, thermodynamic and thermoelectric properties of ternary ZnSnN2 and ZnMoN2 nitrides. Calculations are carried-out (using Wien2k software) to examine the properties of ZnSnN2 and ZnMoN2 nitrides. Both nitrides have negative formation energies confirming their structural and thermodynamic stability. Electronic band structure and DOS plots show semiconducting nature of ZnSnN2 (with a direct band gap = 0.23 eV), while semi-metallic behavior of ZnMoN2. Mechanical properties indicate the brittle behavior of both (ZnSnN2 and ZnMoN2) nitrides. Calculated mechanical properties show anisotropic behavior of ZnSnN2 and ZnMoN2 nitrides. Both nitrides show an average reflectivity of about 20–35% (in the visible region) which show their suitability to enhance light absorption in solar panels and also their use for anti-reflective coatings in optical devices. For ZnSnN2 and ZnMoN2 nitrides, thermodynamic properties are also calculated at different pressures (0–100 GPa) and at different temperatures (0–2000 K). Thermoelectric properties are calculated using Boltztrap2 code. High figure-of-merit (ZT = 2.38 of ZnSnN2 at room temperature) reflects its suitability to use in thermoelectric systems. Combination of electronic optical and thermoelectric properties indicate that the ZnSnN2 and ZnMoN2 nitrides have great potential for use in electronic, optical and thermoelectric devices.

Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes

In nature, leafhoppers cover their body surfaces with brochosomes as a protective coating. These leafhopper-produced brochosomes are hollow, buckyball-shaped, nanoscopic spheroids with through-holes distributed across their surfaces, representing a class of deployable optical materials that are rare in nature. Despite their discovery in the 1950s, it remains unknown why the sizes of brochosomes and their through-holes consistently fall within the range of hundreds of nanometers across different leafhopper species. Here, we demonstrate that the hierarchical geometries of brochosomes are engineered within a narrow size range with through-hole architecture to significantly reduce light reflection. By utilizing two-photon polymerization three-dimensional printing to fabricate high-fidelity synthetic brochosomes, we investigated the optical form-to-function relationship of brochosomes. Our results show that the diameters of brochosomes are engineered within a specific size range to maximize broadband light scattering, while the secondary through-holes are designed to function as short-wavelength, low-pass filters, further reducing light reflection. These synergistic effects enable brochosomes to achieve a substantial reduction in specular reflection, by up to approximately 80 to 94%, across a broadband wavelength range. Importantly, brochosomes represent a biological example demonstrating short-wavelength, low-pass filter functionality. Furthermore, our results indicate that the geometries of natural brochosomes may have evolved to effectively reduce reflection from ultraviolet to visible light, thereby enabling leafhoppers to evade predators whose vision spectrum encompasses both ultraviolet and visible light. Our findings offer key design insights into a class of deployable bioinspired optical materials with potential applications in omnidirectional antireflection coatings, optical encryption, and multispectral camouflage.

Thermal radiation transferred to the guided modes of optical interference coatings.

An electromagnetic model is developed to predict the thermal radiation which is trapped in a multilayer structure and transferred to its guided modes. The theory is based on the electromagnetic power supplied by the thermal currents given by the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. The source of the radiation is the ambient temperature or that caused by the optical absorption of the component subjected to spatio-temporal illumination. A numerical example is given for a multi-dielectric mirror at thermodynamic equilibrium. It is shown that the thermal radiation transferred to the guided modes of the multilayer can be much larger or lower than the radiation emerging in free space outside the component.

Influence of functional group and their number of atoms on structural, electronic and optical properties of Sc2C MXenes: A DFT study

Two-dimensional (2D) materials MXenes have gained huge consideration due to their unique electronic, optical and mechanical properties for opto-electronics and other devices. In this work, structural, electronic and optical behavior of Sc2C MXenes by attaching different functional groups i.e. O, OH and F with different configurations (i.e varying number of atoms of functional group) is investigated using density functional theory (DFT). After determining the structural stability of all configurations further calculations are carried out. The calculations of band structures and density of states (DOS) show that the following configurations Sc2C, Sc2CO-G1, Sc2CO-G2, Sc2COH-G1, Sc2COH-G2, Sc2CF-G1, Sc2CF-G2, Sc2CF-G3 have metallic character and Sc2CO-G3, Sc2CO-G4, Sc2COH-G3, Sc2COH-G4, Sc2CF-G4 have band gap. It is observed that all the calculated properties are strongly dependent on both the functional group and their attached numbers. Furthermore, optical characteristics like absorption, dielectric function, refractive index, reflectivity, energy loss and conductivity are calculated and discussed. The calculated optical parameters revealed that the studied materials may be useful in anti-reflecting coatings.

New Coating Paradigm to Boost Performance and Durability of Solar Receivers

The development of renewable energy sources is nowadays of enormous importance, not only for the climate change fight but also for the security of the energy supply. The latest geopolitical unfortunate events in Europe have highlighted our energy dependency on foreign fossil fuels. In this context, solar technologies are already playing an essential role in shifting towards neutral carbon economies, ensuring a reliable energy supply. In this regard, dispatchability provided by CSP plants is key to pave the way towards energy transition. It is worth noting that the long-term durability and performance of solar components in arid regions are crucial to increase the reliability and performance of CSP plants while reducing O&M costs. In this work, an innovative approach based on nano-structuring the solar receiver tube glass is presented, which provides improved anti-reflective (AR) and anti-soiling (AS) properties, also showing good durability with respect to abrasion. Spectral transmittance improvement, soiling rate decrease, and durability measurements are presented for nano-structured glasses, comparing with current state of the art glass performance. The achieved experimental results suggest that the new structured glasses would be good candidates for CSP applications

Оптимизация оптического поглощения в спинтронных терагерцовых излучателях с использованием брэгговских отражателей

An optimized design of a spintronic terahertz emitter has been developed, based on a bilayer Co/Pt structure with an integrated distributed Bragg reflector. The incorporation of the Bragg mirror between the Co/Pt structure and the silicon substrate enhances optical absorption in the ferromagnetic layer, thereby amplifying spin current generation and, consequently, THz signal. A model was developed for calculating the optical absorption in the ferromagnetic layer of the spintronic emitter, taking into account the parameters of the Bragg mirror (layer thicknesses, period) based on the superlattice structure [TiO2/SiO2]N. This model is grounded on the solution of Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic waves using the COMSOL Multiphysics software. The effect of anti-reflective dielectric coatings on the level of optical absorption in the ferromagnetic layer was also analyzed. The study confirmed that using the optimized Bragg mirror is sufficient for achieving optimal absorption.

Effect of annealing in air on the properties of carbon-rich amorphous silicon carbide films

Thermal stability of thin carbon-rich Si carbide films was studied. Air anneals at the temperatures up to 700 °C were used to model the operation thermal conditions of the films in photoelectronic devices such as solar cells covered by Si carbide antireflection coatings. Si carbide films with different carbon-to-silicon ratios were studied. Annealing in air was shown to lead to consecutive film oxidation and transformation from Si carbides to oxidized Si carbide composites. The oxidized composites demonstrated the changes in thickness, element composition and optical properties as compared to the non-annealed films. At this, the films with higher Si content showed better stability of the optical properties at increased temperatures. During annealing, the increase of the film thickness by Si oxide formation competed with the thickness decrease by formation and evaporation of carbon oxide.

The Effect of the Solution Flow and Electrical Field on the Homogeneity of Large-Scale Electrodeposited ZnO Nanorods.

In this paper, we demonstrate the significant impact of the solution flow and electrical field on the homogeneity of large-scale ZnO nanorod electrodeposition from an aqueous solution containing zinc nitrate and ammonium nitrate, primarily based on the X-ray fluorescence results. The homogeneity can be enhanced by adjusting the counter electrode size and solution flow rate. We have successfully produced relatively uniform nanorod arrays on an 8 × 10 cm2 i-ZnO-coated fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using a compact counter electrode and a vertical stirring setup. The as-grown nanorods exhibit similar surface morphologies and dominant, intense, almost uniform near-band-edge emissions in different regions of the sample. Additionally, the surface reflectance is significantly reduced after depositing the ZnO nanorods, achieving a moth-eye effect through subwavelength structuring. This effect of the nanorod array structure indicates that it can improve the utilization efficiency of light reception or emission in various optoelectronic devices and products. The large-scale preparation of ZnO nanorods is more practical to apply and has an extremely broad application value. Based on the research results, it is feasible to prepare large-scale ZnO nanorods suitable for antireflective coatings and commercial applications by optimizing the electrodeposition conditions.

Systematic Investigation of the Optical Characteristics of GaAs Solar Cells with Antireflection Coatings and Metallic Nanoparticles Using Finite Element Analysis

Systematic Investigation of the Optical Characteristics of GaAs Solar Cells with Antireflection Coatings and Metallic Nanoparticles Using Finite Element Analysis

Low-temperature preparation of nanostructured porous sol-gel anti-reflective coating for near-infrared wavelengths

Anti-reflective coatings are crucial in minimizing reflection between different optical media at the interfaces. This study aims to develop an anti-reflective layer for the near-infrared region using a sol-gel coating method combined with a low-temperature plasma-jet-assisted surfactant extraction. For the deposition of the sol-gel layer on glass and polycarbonate substrates, dip-coating and spray-coating techniques were used. Surfactant removal was carried out using a plasma-jet and solvent exchange. Some of the samples were also annealed at 450 °C. The samples were characterized through light transmission measurements, haze percentage determination, 3D laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, profilometry, Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy. The results showed that the anti-reflective coating layer treated with a plasma-jet and solvent exchange at room temperature demonstrated broadband anti-reflective properties with high transmission in near-infrared regions (up to 7.6% relative improvements in transmission for two sides). Annealing, performed only on the glass substrate, also showed the maximum relative improvement in transmission up to 8% for two sides. Moreover, in the case of polymer-based substrates, a low-temperature process is essential, which is implemented successfully by a plasma-jet method. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the proposed method for fabricating anti-reflective layers on both glass and polycarbonate substrates, offering potential applications in various industries, e.g. where either low-temperature fabrication or cost-cutting, quick and “simple” production methods play a major role for the feasibility of products as in mass markets.

Optimization design of surface optical characteristics of space solar cells based on transfer matrix method

The antireflection coating (ARC) can improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) cells. In this paper, the influence of film thickness and refractive index of single-layer and double-layer ARC on solar light absorption under different spectral conditions is simulated by the transfer matrix method. The optimum values of ARC film thickness and refractive index are obtained. To optimize it at AM 0 (air mass 0) solar irradiance, a 66 nm thick SiN x ARC with a refractive index of 2.0 was used. The PV cell’s maximum power density is 89.87. The maximum power density of the PV cell with double-layer SiN x as ARC is 90.94. This work provides a theoretical basis for the application of ARC in ground PV power generation systems and space solar power systems.

Practical Jsc Limits for SHJ Devices: Insights From Modelling

Modern industrial silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells are increasingly limited by the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and there is a strong interest in understanding how much novel approaches such as window layers, novel transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) and anti-reflection coatings (ARCs) could improve the Jsc of SHJ solar cells. In this work, the practical Jsc limits of SHJ solar cells are determined using a carefully calibrated ray-tracing model, validated using empirical data from in-house solar cells as well as recently published high-efficiency front-and-back contacted (FAB) SHJ solar cells. The model is then further refined to obtain a detailed Jsc loss breakdown of the latest record efficiency FAB SHJ solar cells, for which there are no published Jsc loss breakdowns. Notable advances made in these advanced solar cells with regards to window layers, TCOs and ARCs at the cell level are analysed. Based on the magnitude of impact on the solar cell Jsc, the most critical factors for achieving high-Jsc SHJ solar cells are identified and ranked. Allowing for additional improvements and combining the best approaches identified, an estimate of the practical upper limit of Jsc for FAB SHJ solar cells is determined to be 41.81 mA/cm2. This work serves as a useful reference for the current state of play for Jsc improvements in SHJ solar cells, and highlights practical pathways and issues for improving commercial SHJ solar cells.

First-principles study on electronic, mechanical, and optical properties of pressure-induced vanadium-based perovskite KVO3

Vanadium-based compounds exhibit a variety of excellent characteristics due to their variable oxidation states. In this study, Density Functional Theory (DFT) is performed to investigate the structural, electronic, mechanical, and optical properties of KVO3 under high pressure. The thermodynamical and mechanical stabilities under high pressure are probed by the negative value of formation enthalpy and Born-mechanical stability criteria, respectively. KVO3 displays a nearly metallic nature in both pressurized and unpressurized systems owing to its remarkably narrow band gap. Furthermore, a positive pressure coefficient of the band gap is revealed from electronic properties. A lower effective mass value for charge carriers indicates KVO3's suitability for optoelectronic applications. The mechanical properties indicate that increasing pressure results in a slight increase in elastic constants, elastic moduli, hardness, and machinability index. Additionally, it has been disclosed that it is capable of enduring localized plastic deformation and fracturing under intense pressure in a prospective application. The calculations of the complex dielectric function, absorption, reflectivity, conductivity, refractive index, and loss function for KVO3 with and without pressure reveal a substantial behavior change. The absorption edge exhibits a significant blue shift with the applied pressure. The high peaks in the UV region suggest that it can be used in UV detectors and anti-reflection coatings. The refractive index shows promising application in waveguides.

Flexible Antireflection Coatings with Enhanced Durability and Antifogging Properties.

Antireflection coatings (ARCs) enhance optical clarity and improve light transmission by reducing glare and reflections. The application of conventional ARCs in flexible devices, however, is impeded by their lack of durability, particularly under bending deformation. We develop ARCs that withstand delamination and fracture, remaining intact even after 1000 bending cycles with a 5 cm bending radius. We fabricate integrated ARCs (iARCs) on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate by inducing free polymers to infiltrate the interstices of a disordered assembly of hollow silica nanochains and nanospheres. The polydispersity of PMMA creates a refractive index gradient, yielding a broadband antireflection capability. The nanochain-based iARCs are superior to the nanosphere-based coatings in both antireflection properties and mechanical durability, owing to the lower packing density and mechanical interlocking of the nanochains, respectively. Additionally, these nanochain iARCs display antifogging properties stemming from their superhydrophilicity. While our demonstrations are based on PMMA as a model substrate, this methodology is potentially extendable to other polymers, enhancing the iARC's applicability across various practical applications, including flexible and wearable devices.

Organosilicon elastomers of MWCNTs and nano-sized metals for heating purposes

Silicone elastomers are continuously gaining importance in a variety of industrial applications, including strain gauges, electrical heaters, electromagnetic interference, and electrostatic discharge protection coatings. But these materials have certain drawbacks such as high cost, poor resistance to solvents, low tear strength, limited high-temperature resistance, difficulty in bonding and limited abrasion resistance. Therefore, unique nanocomposites of organosilicon elastomers with metals have been prepared using MWCNTs. The prepared nanocomposites demonstrated nano-diameter structures (15–60 nm) with micron-sized fibrous structures (12–60 μm). Aluminum elongated inclusions (60 µm in size) and bronze spherical inclusions (12–30 µm) were observed in the nanocomposites. The composites containing MWCNTs, Co-Mo/Al2O3-MgO catalyst and bronze (3 wt. %) had the maximum thermal and electrical conductivity. The prepared nanocomposites were used to make the heaters. The heating of the heaters was carried out by applying a voltage of 12–24 V. The Highest temperature achieved was more than 50 °C in all the heaters. By supplying 12–24 V electricity to the heaters in the ventilation and heat recirculation system, the interior of a minibus or living space can be heated. The developed electric heater has another important economic application in temperature-controlled materials.

A-Si/SiO2 nanolaminates for tuning the complex refractive index and band gap in optical interference coatings.

A-S i/S i O 2 nanolaminates are deposited by magnetron sputtering and show a decreasing absorption when the a-Si single-layer thickness is reduced from 2.4n m to 0.7n m. Moreover, an increase of the Tauc band gap by 0.18e V is measured. Experimental Tauc band gaps are compared to calculated effective band gaps, utilizing a numerical Schrödinger solver. Further, it is demonstrated that the refractive index can be controlled by adjusting the a-Si and S i O 2 single-layer thicknesses in the nanolaminates. The nanolaminates are optically characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry, transmittance, and reflectance measurements. Additionally, TEM images reveal uniform, well-separated layers, and EDX measurements show the silicon and oxygen distribution in the nanolaminates.

Anti-reflection coating with mullite and Duroid for large-diameter cryogenic sapphire and alumina optics.

We developed a broadband two-layer anti-reflection (AR) coating for use on a sapphire half-wave plate (HWP) and an alumina infrared (IR) filter for the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarimetry. Measuring the faint CMB B-mode signals requires maximizing the number of photons reaching the detectors and minimizing spurious polarization due to reflection with an off-axis incident angle. Sapphire and alumina have high refractive indices of 3.1 and are highly reflective without an AR coating. This paper presents the design, fabrication, quality control, and measured performance of an AR coating using thermally sprayed mullite and Duroid 5880LZ. This technology enables large optical elements with diameters of 600mm. We also present a thermography-based nondestructive quality control technique, which is key to assuring good adhesion and preventing delamination when thermal cycling. We demonstrate the average reflectance of about 2.6% (0.9%) for two observing bands centered at 90/150 (220/280) GHz. At room temperature, the average transmittance of a 105mm square test sample at 220/280GHz is 83%, and it will increase to 90% at 100K, attributed to reduced absorption losses. Therefore, our developed layering technique has proved effective for 220/280GHz applications, particularly in addressing dielectric loss concerns. This AR coating technology has been deployed in the cryogenic HWP and IR filters of the Simons Array and the Simons observatory experiments and applies to future experiments such as CMB-S4.

Optimizing broadband antireflection with Au micropatterns: a combined FDTD simulation andtwo-beam LIL approach.

Broadband antireflection (AR) is highly significant in a wide range of optical applications, and using a gold (Au) micropattern presents a viable method for controlling the behavior of light propagation. This study investigates a novel, to the best of our knowledge, methodology to achieve broadband AR properties in Au micropatterns. It employed the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to simulate and optimize the design of micropatterns. In contrast, the fabrication of Au micropatterns was carried out using two-beam laser interference lithography (LIL). The fabricated Au micropatterns were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and spectroscope to validate their antireflection and transmission properties and evaluate their performance at various wavelengths. The optimized Au micropatterns had a high transmittance rating of 96.2%. In addition, the device exhibits a broad-spectrum antireflective property, covering wavelengths ranging from 400 to 1100nm. The simulation data and experimentally derived results show comparable patterns. These structures can potentially be employed in many optical devices, such as solar cells and photodetectors, whereby achieving optimal device performance reduced reflection and enhanced light absorption.

Optical Management of Perovskite Solar Cells by Biomimetic‐Structured Polydimethylsiloxane Films

The application of antireflective (AR) films is a promising optical management strategy to improve the light utilization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Plumeria petals of different colors are employed as the master mold for the first time to prepare biomimetic AR films. Hierarchical morphologies replicated from the petals have a primary characteristic size in tens of micrometer scale. A strong scattering effect happens when the incident light hits the AR films, leading to a remarkably reduced reflectance with broadband enhancement of the transmission over the entire visible range. With the incorporation of the biomimetic AR film, the highest power conversion efficiency for PSCs reaches 23.56% with a large short‐circuit density (Jsc) of 26.54 mA cm−2, corresponding to an average enhancement of 6.17%. The enhancement effect is verified under 1.5G AM radiation with different tilted angles and warm white LED light source with different light intensities. Furthermore, optical simulations are performed to illustrate the structure–effective relationship. This work offers an interesting experience by learning from nature and provides valuable references for further refining the design of the AR films in micrometer scale.