Back Reflector Research Articles

High-Q all-dielectric metasurface perfect absorber powered by quasi-bound states in the continuum

All-dielectric perfect absorbers powered by quasi-bound states in the continuum (-BIC) are of great importance for developing high-performance optoelectronic devices because they provide high Q-factor absorption. However, these structures usually require the addition of metal back reflectors or degenerate critical coupling to achieve high absorption, which often introduces problems such as Joule heat output and sensitivity to geometrical parameters. In this work, we present an all-dielectric high Q-factor metasurface perfect absorber (MPA) with a cell structure consisting of split Si elliptical disks. By adjusting the tilt angle of the gap, the metasurface can excite a single quasi-BIC resonance in a highly reflective background, corresponding to the electric quadrupole (EQ) mode. Due to the asymmetric coupling of the EQ mode, the proposed metasurface easily breaks the 50% absorption limit. At the wavelength of 894.645 nm, the metasurface achieves a perfect absorption of more than 99% and has a Q-factor of up to 1955. In addition, the structure shows excellent tolerance to geometrical parameters while ensuring high absorption performance. By adjusting the polarization angle, we have also achieved an arbitrary tuning of the absorption efficiency without frequency shift. This work provides a viable scheme for the design of tunable, large-tolerance, and high-Q all-dielectric MPAs, which have a broad potential application in the fields of optical filtering, optical switching, and polarization detection.

Simultaneously Enhancing Brightness and Purity of WSe2 Single Photon Emitter Using High-Aspect-Ratio Nanopillar Array on Metal.

A monolayer semiconductor transferred on nanopillar arrays provides site-controlled, on-chip single photon emission, which is a scalable light source platform for quantum technologies. However, the brightness of these emitters reported to date often falls short of the perceived requirement for such applications. Also, the single photon purity usually degrades as the brightness increases. Hence, there is a need for a design methodology to achieve an enhanced emission rate while maintaining high single photon purity. By using WSe2 on high-aspect-ratio (∼3, at least 2-fold higher than previous reports) nanopillar arrays, here we demonstrate >10 MHz single photon emission rate in the 770-800 nm band that is compatible with quantum memory and repeater networks (Rb-87-D1/D2 lines) and satellite quantum communication. The emitters exhibit excellent purity (even at high emission rates) and improved out-coupling due to the use of a gold back reflector that quenches the emission away from the nanopillar.

Improved performance of thermophotovoltaic energy conversion with Tamm plasmon emitters enabled by back gapped reflectors

A thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system that can convert thermal radiation from terrestrial heat sources into electricity, plays an important role in energy utilization, waste heat recovery and so on. In order to enhance the conversion efficiency of a TPV system having a narrow-band thermal emitter, we propose to add a back gapped reflector (BGR) to recover more out-of band (OOB) photons. We first design a Tamm plasmon thermal emitter to yield a narrow-band emission peak matching well with the bandgap of the InGaAs cell. Then, we add a BGR on the PV cell to regulate the absorption spectrum of the cell. Results show that, compared to the back surface reflector (BSR), the TPV system with the Au BGR cell has a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE), because more OOB photons are reflected back to the emitter by the Au BGR cell, so that the absorbed power by the cell decreases while the output power is improved. Due to the contribution of recycled OOB photons, at 1500 K, a 1.7 % OOB reflectance gain of the BGR (h = 0.2 μm, t = 1.2 μm) can actually increase the PCE by about 4 %. In addition, a thin PV cell and an appropriately thick air gap layer of 0.4–0.6 μm are suggested to obtain a high η × Pout. The PCE of the TPV system based on the Tamm plasmon emitter is higher and becomes saturated at a lower temperature than the broad-band SiC emitter. This work may facilitate high-performance TPV energy conversion.

Enhancing efficiency in a-Si:H/μc-Si micromorph tandem solar cells through advanced light-trapping techniques using ARC, TRJ, and DBR

In this study, the performance of a-Si:H/μc-Si:H tandem solar cells was comprehensively assessed through two-dimensional numerical simulations. Our work involved optimizing the layer thicknesses and exploring advanced light-trapping techniques to enhance photogenerated current in both sub-cells. To reduce surface reflections on the top cell, we proposed a two-layer antireflection coating, composed of SiO2/Si3N4. Additionally, we implemented a 1D photonic crystal as a broadband back reflector within the solar cell. In order to balance the current density between the sub-cells and prevent carrier accumulation at the interface, we introduced a tunnel recombination junction (TRJ). This TRJ consisted of n-μc-Si:H/p-μc-Si:H layers with a thickness of 10 nm. Under global AM 1.5G conditions, our proposed cell structure exhibited impressive electrical characteristics, including an open-circuit voltage of 1.38 V, a short-circuit current density of 12.51 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 80.82%. These attributes culminated in a remarkable total area conversion efficiency of 14%.

Influence of silver nanoparticles on enhancing performance of optical absorption property in a perovskite solar cell

This report presents a mostly numerical investigation of solar absorptance enhancement in PSCs through solving partial differential equations. The designed structural device comprised five layers of the transparent conducting contact (ITO), the electron transport layer (TiO2), the active layer (CH3NH3PBI3) embedding with plasmonic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), the hole transporting layer (NiO), and the back reflectors (Ag). The calculation results showed that the device performance was highly dependent on the particle size of AgNP, structural formation and the location of the AgNPs. Overall, the optimum particle radius was r=10nm, located at the middle of the activated layer z=0nm, a 2-dimensional array of 2×2 particles per unit cell and an interparticle distance of 4nm were achieved for the AgNPs in the active layer (AL) of the PSCs with the highest optical enhancement of η=1.24.

Design of near-perfect absorptance in few-layer WSe2 via cooperative enhancement mechanisms

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides are of growing interest for flexible optoelectronics and power applications, due to their tunable optical properties, lightweight nature, and mechanical pliability. However, their thin nature inherently limits their optical absorption and, therefore, efficiency. Here, we propose a few-layer WSe2 optoelectronic device that achieves near perfect absorption through a combination of optical effects. The WSe2 can be scalably grown below an Al2O3 superstrate. Our device includes a corrugated back reflector, modeled as a plasmonic nanowire array. We investigate the entire range of widths of the corrugations in the back reflector, including the edge cases of a simple back mirror (width equal to period) and a Fabry-Perot cavity (zero width). We demonstrate the zero-mode enhancement arising from the back reflector, the weakly coupled enhancement arising from the Fabry-Perot cavity, and the strongly coupled enhancement arising from the localized surface plasmon resonance of the nanowires, explain the physical nature of the spectral peaks, and theoretically model the hybridization of these phenomena using a coupled oscillator model. Our champion device exhibits 82% peak absorptance in the WSe2 alone, 92% in the WSe2 plus nanowires, and 98% total absorptance. Thus, we achieve a near-perfect absorber in which most of the absorption is in the few-layer WSe2, with a desirable device framework for integration with scalable growth of the WSe2, thereby making our designs applicable to a range of practical optoelectronic devices.

Electrostatic charge mitigation by graphene-based thin films for optical solar reflectors in spacecraft

In the field of spacecraft engineering, in particular for geostationary and geosynchronous applications, a significant need exists for a thermal control film to be electrically conductive, to effectively manage the dissipation of accumulated charges. In this study, transparent-electrically conductive reduced graphene oxide is strategically applied to heated rigid (quartz glass) and flexible (Fluorinated Ethylene propylene) optical solar reflector substrates. This innovation harnesses the unique properties of graphene to seamlessly integrate electrical conductivity into space-appropriate substrates with minimum deviation in their optical transparency and thermal properties. The tape peel-off test, conducted in accordance with space materials standards (ASTM D903) using 3 M Scotch tape, reveals the better adhesion of the developed coating. A noteworthy aspect of the present work involves visualizing charge dissipation using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) electron bombardment through obtained images and decreased surface potential measured by Kelvin Probe Force microscopy (KPFM). Furthermore, a basic OSR model is fabricated by depositing a reflective back with Aluminium and graphene thin film protecting from the top to investigate the alteration in reflection by varying incident angles. This research contributes to the advancement of spacecraft materials and coatings aimed at improving spacecraft durability and functionality.

Enhancement of Quantum Efficiency in Perovskite Solar Cells Through Whispering Gallery Modes from Titanium Oxide Micro‐Resonators

With the aid of 3D full‐field finite difference time–domain simulations, model configurations for thin‐film solar cell devices that include periodically arranged microspheres, exhibiting resonating whispering gallery modes (WGMs), are proposed. The microspheres present, either immersed in perovskite or coated with perovskite layer, between the electron‐ and hole‐transport layers show enhanced current‐conversion efficiency. The presence of WGMs lead to enhancement in the absorption of layer. The incoming electromagnetic wave couples with microsphere and forms confined resonating modes. Different designs are examined for deciding the appropriate position of WGM exhibiting spheres with respect to thin‐film perovskite solar cell (PSC) featuring back reflector and optimized antireflectance coating. Since the incoupling element is lossless, energy stored in microspheres is absorbed efficiently by the underlying active material. This directly contributes to the increment in the current density of the solar cell. Thus, the devices show a higher current density of 23.62 mA cm−1, while that in planar solar cell device shows current density of 13.68 mA cm−1, for the same thickness of perovskite layer. This leads to more than 70% enhancement in the short‐circuit current density than the conventional PSCs device of similar size.

A Compact Dual-Polarized Vivaldi Antenna with High Gain for Tree Radar Applications.

A dual-polarized compact Vivaldi antenna with high gain performance is proposed for tree radar applications. The proposed design introduces an array configuration consisting of two pairs of two Vivaldi elements to optimize the operating bandwidth and gain while providing dual-polarization capability. To enhance the gain of the proposed antenna over a certain frequency range of interest, directors and edge slots are incorporated into each Vivaldi element. To further enhance the overall antenna gain, a metal back reflector is used. The measurement results of the fabricated antenna show that the proposed antenna achieves a high gain of 5.5 to 14.8 dBi over broadband from 0.5 GHz to 3 GHz. Moreover, it achieves cross-polarization discrimination larger than 20 dB, ensuring high polarization purity. The fabricated antenna is used to detect and image the defects inside tree trunks. The results show that the proposed antenna yields a better-migrated image with a clear defect region compared to that obtained by a commercial Horn antenna.

Optimizing thin-film silicon solar cells with nanostructured TiO2 and a silver back reflector for enhanced energy conversion efficiency

This paper investigates the improvement of energy conversion efficiency in thin-film silicon solar cells by employing periodic nanostructures of TiO2 on the silicon active layer and a back reflector featuring periodic nanostructures of silver. The objective is to increase the optical path length, enhance absorption probability for longer wavelengths, and subsequently improve solar cell performance. Three silicon-based solar cell configurations are proposed and simulated using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method to assess their performance. Electrical characteristics are obtained through the drift-diffusion method. The resulting short-circuit current density increased from 40.93 to 65.28 to 95.373mA/cm2 for the three cells, leading to significant improvements in conversion efficiency with observed values of 20.39%, 33.26%, and 47.28%, respectively, in the optimized structures. Furthermore, we compare the simulation results of the three structures with those of a reference structure and several structures previously proposed in the literature.

Reliable intracavity reflection for self-injection locking lasers and microcomb generation

Self-injection locking has emerged as a crucial technique for coherent optical sources, spanning from narrow linewidth lasers to the generation of localized microcombs. This technique involves key components, namely a laser diode and a high-quality cavity that induces narrow-band reflection back into the laser diode. However, in prior studies, the reflection mainly relied on the random intracavity Rayleigh backscattering, rendering it unpredictable and unsuitable for large-scale production and wide-band operation. In this work, we present a simple approach to achieve reliable intracavity reflection for self-injection locking to address this challenge by introducing a Sagnac loop into the cavity. This method guarantees robust reflection for every resonance within a wide operational band without compromising the quality factor or adding complexity to the fabrication process. As a proof of concept, we showcase the robust generation of narrow linewidth lasers and localized microcombs locked to different resonances within a normal-dispersion microcavity. Furthermore, the existence and generation of localized patterns in a normal-dispersion cavity with broadband forward–backward field coupling is first proved, as far as we know, both in simulation and in experiment. Our research offers a transformative approach to self-injection locking and holds great potential for large-scale production.

Design of functionally gradient metastructure with ultra-broadband and strong absorption

Rational design principles for ultra-broadband lattice-based metastructure absorbers (MMAs) remain scarcely explored, including elucidation of the governing absorption phenomena. This work presents Octet truss lattices gradient-tailored to achieve highly efficient wide-spectrum electromagnetic (EM) wave mitigation. The optimized 15 mm thick three-dimensional printed architectures comprise three stacked sub-layers with graduated densities spanning a reflective backing. Analysis of unit cell EM responses as a function of geometric parameters facilitates concurrent broadband absorption and minimal mass. Consequently, ultra-wideband absorption below −10 dB persists from 2.84 to 40.0 GHz under normal incidence, with strongly enhanced attenuation below −15 dB between 8.51 and 40.0 GHz. Additionally, consistent absorption capacity endures up to 60° for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations, empowered by the intricate conductive networks established through wave interactions. The unique combination of additive manufacturing, hierarchical metamaterial engineering, and physical insights provides a versatile strategy for customized broadband absorption systems across application domains.

Optical and electrical characterization of solar cell with nanowires mimicking antireflection coating layers considering axial and radial PN junctions

AbstractIt has been well documented that the usage of a textured cover layer reduces reflection from the air‐solar cell interface, which ultimately enhances the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a solar cell. The most commonly used patterns, such as pyramids, micropillars, nanowires (NW), and nanoholes have been widely studied and optimized. Besides using such NWs to enhance light absorption, this work also additionally considers the concept of mimicking the antireflection coating of single or multiple layers in minimizing the reflectance and thus enhancing the total absorptance further. It is shown here that at least one order of magnitude shorter multilayer NW pattern of 268 nm total height can outperform a standard NW of 4270 nm height, which needs less material and can also be fabricated at a reduced cost. Furthermore, the proposed design with reduced height has a significantly lower surface‐to‐volume ratio, which also reduces surface recombination loss than the other textured surface patterns. The results presented in this work have been comprehensively analyzed by initially optimizing optical absorption and then completing the electrical simulations. The optimized design in conjunction with a back reflector offers an efficiency as high as 16.434%.

Sol-Gel Spin Coated Transparent Single-TiO2 and SiO2 Thin Film on Glass for Opto-electronic Applications

Great attention has been given on the sol-gel synthesis and spin-coating deposition techniques for the fabrication of various thin films. Because of its simple technique to fabricate dielectric (metal oxide) films using tetraethyl orthosilicate and titanium isopropoxide precursors. In this work, transparent single layer of SiO2 and TiO2 thin film was deposited on a glass substrate and characterized by FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The single layer thin film was mechanically stable and strong by adhering to glass substrates. The FTIR transmittance spectrum evidenced the existence of Si-O-Si and Ti-O-Ti at ~1100 and 1400 cm-1. The UV-visible absorbance spectra of single layer of SiO2 and TiO2 thin films showed strong absorption at below 00 nm. The excitation wavelength at 380 nm, the fluorescence spectra of both thin films showed the highest emission spectrum in between 733-798 nm. The SEM studies confirmed the smooth surface in both SiO2 and TiO2 layers. Further, it could be useful for various applications such as back reflector in solar cells, anti-reflection coatings, hydrophobic and anti-fogging materials.

Thin silicon heterojunction solar cells in perovskite shadow: Bottom cell prospective

Perovskite/Silicon (Pero-Si) tandem with silicon heterojunction (SHJ) bottom cells is a promising highly efficient concept, which in the case of mass production will likely rely on the same wafer feedstock as the single junction Si solar cells. The thickness of these wafers is constantly decreasing for economic and sustainability reasons. We forecast that Si bottom cells for mass produced Pero-Si tandems will be based on wafers thinner than 100 μm. In our work we study challenges and opportunities related to this likely wafer thinning for the performance of the SHJ bottom cells operating in Perovskite shadow. We study SHJ cells prepared on 80 μm thick wafers in comparison to the reference cells based on 135 μm thick wafers addressing two issues: passivation and light management. Effects of passivating layer thickness, back reflector and antireflection coating are studied under AM1.5G standard test conditions, attenuated AM1.5G irradiance, and under Perovskite-filtered spectrum. We show that major wafer thickness reduction of 40% turns to only approx. 0.35%abs loss in the bottom cell efficiency. This minor loss can be reduced even further using highly technological ITO/MgF2/Ag back reflector and MgF2 anti-reflection coating. Our work shows that significant potential for Pero-Si tandems is waiting to be explored in the perovskite shadow from the SHJ bottom cell perspective.

Development of n-Type, Passivating Nanocrystalline Silicon Oxide Films via Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Nanocrystalline silicon oxide (nc-SiOx:H) is a multipurpose material with varied applications in solar cells as a transparent front contact, intermediate reflector, back reflector layer, and even tunnel layer for passivating contacts, owing to the easy tailoring of its optical properties. In this work, we systematically investigate the influence of the gas mixture (SiH4, CO2, PH3, and H2), RF power, and process pressure on the optical, structural, and passivation properties of thin n-type nc-SiOx:H films prepared in an industrial, high-throughput, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor. We provide a detailed description of the n-type nc-SiOx:H material development using various structural and optical characterization techniques (scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Raman spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry) with a focus on the relationship between the material properties and the passivation they provide to n-type c-Si wafers characterized by their effective carrier lifetime (τeff). Furthermore, we also outline the parameters to be kept in mind while developing different n-type nc-SiOx:H layers for different solar cell applications. We report a tunable optical gap (1.8–2.3 eV) for our n-type nc-SiOx:H films as well as excellent passivation properties with a τeff of up to 4.1 ms (implied open-circuit voltage (iVoc)~715 mV) before annealing. Oxygen content plays an important role in determining the crystallinity and hence passivation quality of the deposited nanocrystalline silicon oxide films.

Large‐area MoOx/c‐Si heterojunction solar cells with a ICO/Ag back reflector

AbstractCompound/silicon heterojunction (SCH) solar cells have been widely studied because of the low parasitic absorption of the window layer, high short‐circuit current, and simple preparation process. So far, most reported SCH solar cells are small‐area devices. By depositing MoOx hole transport layer using hot‐wire oxidation–sublimation deposition technique and employing a front‐contact back‐junction cell architecture, the large‐area SCH solar cells are successfully fabricated on M6 (166 mm) n‐type silicon wafers. Indium cerium oxide (ICO) film with the optimal thickness of about 110 nm is inserted between MoOx and Ag. The ICO/Ag stack functions well as a back reflector and is beneficial for increasing the short‐circuit current density, reducing the contact resistance, and improving the device stability. A power conversion efficiency of 21.59% is achieved on the champion SCH solar cell with the device area of 274.15 cm2.

Metasurface absorber based single junction thin film solar cell exceeding 30% efficiency.

In this article, we report, as per our knowledge, for the first time, a thin film single junction solar cell with a metasurface absorber layer directly incorporated. We have used an interconnected dual inverted split ring resonator pattern in the InAsP absorber layer. The structure eliminated patterns of conventional metals, such as silver, aluminum, and gold, from the active layer, a common drawback in conventional solar absorbers, hindering their direct integration into solar cells. Optical simulation results show a peak ideal short circuit current density of 76.23mA/cm2 for the meta-absorber structure under solar illumination. This current is the highest among previously reported absorbers based on Group IV materials and III-V compounds, overcoming the low solar absorption of such metasurfaces. The final proposed solar cell structure combines this meta-absorber layer with traditional efficiency enhancement methods namely anti-reflecting coating, textured back reflector, and transparent top electrode. This novel single junction structure shows a solar absorption efficiency of 97.86% and a power conversion efficiency of 30.87%, the highest for III-V solar cells. Our device proves the ability of metasurface absorber layers to produce high-efficiency solar cells and is expected to pave the way for integrating novel meta-devices into state-of-the-art photovoltaic devices, aiding the global transition towards clean energy sources.

Nested graphene disks patterned THz wave absorber: Bio sensing vision

A three-layer adjustable THz wave absorber is introduced in this paper. The structure's geometry is heavily based on a combination of periodic graphene disks and their complementary patterns. Also, the middle layer is considered an air gap while the graphene patterns are stacked into TOPAS filler. Additionally, a golden back reflector is placed at the bottom of the absorber to ensure a blocked transmission channel. This configuration is modeled exclusively by passive circuit elements, while full wave simulation is also performed. Also, a simple genetic-based algorithm is exploited to optimize design parameters in numerical values, including geometrical and stimulation values. In addition, a mechanical tuning setup is suggested that can interestingly change absorption peaks. The frequency shift of absorption peaks can be up to 5 THz, which makes the proposed absorber an ideal basic building block for several applications ranging from sensing to indoor communication. Furthermore, the discussion section explains the potential applications of the proposed absorber for bio-sensing by filling the air gap with biological samples.

Spectral regulation in thermophotovoltaic devices

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device converts thermal radiation into electricity output through photovoltaic effect. High-efficiency TPV devices have extensive applications in grid-scale thermal storage, full-spectrum solar utilization, distributed thermal-electricity cogeneration, and waste heat recovery. The key to high-efficiency TPV devices lies in spectral regulation to achieve band-matching between thermal radiation of the emitters and electron transition of the photovoltaic cells. The latest advances in nanophotonics, materials science, and artificial intelligence have made milestone progress in spectral regulation and recording power conversion efficiency of up to 40% of TPV devices. Here we systematically review spectral regulation in TPV devices at the emitter end as well as the photovoltaic cell end. At the emitter end, spectral regulation is realized through thermal metamaterials and rare-earth intrinsic emitters to selectively enhance the in-band radiation and suppress the sub-bandgap radiation. At the photovoltaic cell end, spectral regulation mainly focuses on recycling the sub-bandgap thermal radiation through optical filters and back surface reflectors located at the front and back of the photovoltaic cells, respectively. We emphasize the light-matter interaction mechanisms and material systems of different spectral regulation strategies. We also discuss the spectral regulation strategies in near-field TPV devices. Finally, we look forward to potential development paths and prospects of spectral regulation to achieve scalable deployment of future TPV devices.