Angle Of Incident Light Research Articles

Ultra-broadband absorber and perfect thermal emitter for high-efficiency solar energy absorption and conversion

This study proposes a pyramid-shaped solar absorber designed with multi-layered Ti-SiO2 ring stacked. The structure achieves an average absorption efficiency of 98.03 % over the range of 280–4000 nm, and under AM1.5 spectral conditions, the weighted average absorption efficiency reaches 97.66 %, the bandwidth with an absorption efficiency greater than 90 % reaches 3750 nm. To explore the reason for achieving ultra-broadband absorption with this structure, the electromagnetic field distribution at three absorption peaks was calculated. The results revealed that the resonance between the polarization direction of the three-layer circular ring stacked structure and the plasmon resonance at the junction of Ti and SiO2 contribute to the model's capability for ultra-broadband high-efficiency absorption. At the same time, the thermal emissivity of the structure was calculated at high temperatures of 1000 K and 2000 K, both exceeding 97 %. Furthermore, due to the fully symmetrical design, the absorber is polarization-independent. It was found through calculations that whether in TM mode or TE mode, as the incident angle varies from 0° to 60°, the average absorption efficiency of the absorber changes only by 11.16 %, thereby verifying the structure's excellent insensitivity to incident light angles. In summary, all these characteristics indicate that the model has excellent application prospects in fields such as solar energy collection and photothermal conversion.

Ultra-wideband terahertz absorber with switchable multiple modes based on graphene and vanadium dioxide metamaterials

This article proposes a dynamic switchable broadband absorber based on graphene and vanadium dioxide (VO2). The temperature could adjust the conductivity of VO2, and external voltage could alter the conductivity of graphene. Therefore, they can be used for broadband absorption that can be switched between low and high frequencies and for achieving coupled ultra-wideband absorption. When the Fermi level of graphene is 0.9eV and VO2 is in a non-metallic state, the absorber can achieve absorption of over 90% in the range of 2.55THz-4.86THz. When the Fermi level of graphene is 0.1eV and VO2 is in a metallic state, the absorber can achieve absorption of over 90% in the range of 4.30THz-9.40THz. When the Fermi level of graphene is 0.6eV and VO2 is in a metallic state, the absorber can achieve absorption of over 90% in the range of 2.32THz-9.80THz. The absorber only partially depends on the incident angle of the incident light, simulation results show that when the incident angle is below 50 degrees, more than 90% of the absorption bandwidth changes less. The absorber has no relation to the polarization angle of the incident light, and can keep its original property at any polarization angle. This structure has potential applications in electromagnetic wave stealth devices, optical switches and filters.

Review of Angular-Selective Windows with Guest–Host Liquid Crystals for Static Window Applications

This review focuses on the development and advancements in angular-selective smart windows, with particular emphasis on static windows utilizing guest–host liquid crystal (GHLC) systems. Angular-selective windows are designed to adjust their transmittance based on the angle of incident light, offering enhanced energy efficiency and visual comfort in both architectural and automotive applications. By leveraging the anisotropic absorption properties of dichroic dyes, GHLC-based windows can selectively block oblique sunlight while preserving clear visibility from normal viewing angles. Various liquid crystal (LC) alignment configurations, including vertically aligned, homogeneously aligned, hybrid aligned, uniformly lying helix, and twisted aligned LC cells, have been investigated to optimize light control for different installation angles, such as for automotive windshields and building windows. These advancements have demonstrated significant improvements in energy conservation and occupant comfort by reducing cooling demands and regulating sunlight penetration. This review summarizes key findings from recent studies, addresses the limitations of current technologies, and outlines potential future directions for further advancements in smart window technology.

Nanostructures/TiN layer/Al2O3 layer/TiN substrate configuration-based high-performance refractory metasurface solar absorber

Metasurface solar absorber serves as a kind of important component for green energy devices to convert solar electromagnetic waves into thermal energy. In this work, we design a new solar light absorber configuration that incorporates the titanium nitride substrate, aluminum oxide layer, titanium nitride layer, and the topmost refractory nanostructures. The metasurface absorber based on this configuration can achieve an average spectral absorption of over 91% and a total solar radiation absorption of 91.5% at ultra-wide wavelengths of 300–2500 nm. It is discovered that the excellent performance of the proposed metasurface absorber is attributed to the synergistic effects of surface plasmonic effect and Fabry–Pérot (FP) cavity resonance by comprehensive analysis of the simulated field distributions. Furthermore, the effect of geometrical parameter of the proposed configuration on absorber performance is studied, indicating the proposed configuration possesses a large fabrication tolerance. Moreover, the proposed configuration is not sensitive to the polarization direction and the angle of incident light. It is also found that the use of other refractory metal materials and other shapes as the topmost absorbent nanostructures also have good results with this configuration. This work can offer a universal platform for constructing and guiding the design of refractory metasurface solar absorbers.

High Q transparency, strong third harmonic generation, and giant nonlinear chirality driven by toroidal dipole-quasi-BIC

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), nonlinearity, and optical chirality hold significant applications in many areas such as optical switches, slow-light devices, chiral harmonic conversion, and optical storage. In this work, we theoretically propose an asymmetric all-dielectric metasurface supporting toroidal dipole-quasi-bound states in the continuum (TD-q-BICs). High quality (Q) EIT, strong third harmonic generation (THG), and giant nonlinear chirality are achieved via the extremely enhanced electric field energy localized in the Si plate by the TD-q-BIC. A huge transition from high Q EIT with transmission of ∼0.99 to strong chirality with circular dichroism (CD) of ∼0.9 is realized by tuning the angle and polarization state of incident light. Strong THG with efficiency of 4.5 × 10−3 under linear polarization light is due to the highly localized electric field supported by the TD-q-BIC and perfect nonlinear CD chirality with theoretically value of ∼1 originates from the large discrepancy in electric field distributions under different circularly polarized light. Our work provides an innovative paradigm to construct TD-q-BICs-governed EIT analogs, THG, and nonlinear chirality for the development of multifunction nanophotonic meta-devices.

Photonic-Enhanced Perovskite Solar Cells: Tailoring Color and Light Capture.

The current exponential growth of solar electricity technologies toward consumer-oriented applications, as in building- or vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (B/VIPV), is calling for improved solar cells, not only in cost-effectiveness, but also with better adaptability and aesthetics. Here, using perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as test bed, we demonstrate an unprecedented photonic method to generate any color on a cell layout, while also increasing PV efficiency. To this end, photonic surface features were designed for PSCs, which filled the dual purpose of light-trapping (LT) and modulation of reflected light interference. A variety of geometries, from simple gratings to complex semispheroids, were optically optimized for two of the most challenging colors, magenta and green, while assuring the generation of their maximum feasible photocurrent. The best results corresponded to a current density of 22.07 mA/cm2, obtained for the magenta solar cell with top domes, exhibiting an increase of 6.68%, relative to an optimized planar reference cell. In turn, the same type of geometry was able to generate the leading green cell, with up to 21.40 mA/cm2 (a relative increase of 3.44%). Additionally, the uniformity of the optical output of the optimal solar cells was tested under a range of incident light angles, between 0◦ and 60◦, where the current density suffered relative losses only down to 6.65%.

Bending deformation effects on the optoelectronic performance of flexible GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs triple junction solar cells

To achieve genuine carbon neutrality, PV-powered vehicles show promise for future automotive development. However, the impact of curved surfaces on flexible solar cell module performance remains uncertain. This study specifically focuses on newly-designed flexible GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs triple junction solar cells, which have the highest potential output efficiency. A computational model was developed to analyze the electrical performance of curved solar cells, and variations in short-circuit current (Isc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) with bending angles were determined to closely match experimental data. The effects of incident light intensity, angle, and bending strain on solar cell performance were analyzed to explain the observed Isc and Voc trends. This method can be applied to other III-V group solar cells, providing theoretical support for accurately calculating the performance of curved solar cell modules.

Particle swarm optimization for performance enhancement of cadmium telluride thin film solar cells by embedded nano-grating structures with a plasmonic metal coating layer

As the demand for energy in world is increasing rapidly and there is pursuit for renewable energy sources which is cheap, easy to generate and requires low maintenance, solar energy is a top contender. The world is in dire need of photovoltaic solar cells that can aid in keeping up with the hiking energy demands. However, thin film solar cells (TFSCs) which are developed for cost effectivity, suffer in performance due to reduced thickness. Therefore, this computational study uses Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) and delves into the scope of using a 1-D nano-grating structure embedded into absorbing layer of cadmium telluride TFSC to enhance the optoelectronic performance. A unique nano-grating structure with SiO2 at its core and aluminium coating aims to enhance the performance of CdTe TFSC with cost effectivity and ease of fabricability as the main motifs. Additionally, an evolutionary computational technique, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), was used to determine the optimal parameters of nano-gratings on CdTe TFSCs, i.e., nano-grating height, angle, duty cycle, aluminium coating thickness and grating substrate thickness. The PSO algorithm resulted in a nano-grating structure that yielded an efficiency increase of 52.86% and increase in short-circuit current density of 25.45% with respect to bare CdTe TFSCs. Subsequently, the performance of the optimal nano-grating structure was also observed to be insensitive to variation of wide range of incidence angle of light, a key feature preferred for versatile application of TFSCs.

Comparative Analysis of Two Different MIM Configurations of a Plasmonic Nanoantenna

AbstractTwo plasmonic nanoantenna configurations—nanodisk and nanostrip arrays—in a metal–insulator-metal (MIM) setup were proposed, optimized, and compared by simulating their optical properties in three-dimensional models using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The optical responses, including electric field enhancement, absorption, reflection, and transmission spectra, were systematically investigated. Optimized geometrical parameters led to a significant enhancement of the electric field within the gap layers and almost perfect light absorptance for both structures. The results showed that the enhancement of the electric field depends on the polarization of the incident light. For both polarizations, the periodic circular nanodisk array showed a stronger field enhancement with an electric field enhancement factor of 6.6 × 106 and TE polarization, and a larger absorptance of 98% at its dipole resonance wavelength, indicating the fundamental plasmonic mode. In addition, weaker resonant modes were observed in the absorptance and reflectance spectra of both nanostructures, with the nanostrips exhibiting sharper and stronger higher-order modes, making them suitable for applications requiring precise wavelength selectivity and narrow-band responses. Despite their different geometric shapes, both structures exhibited similar optimized metal film thickness and nanoparticle height, comparable modes in number and position, and identical optimized light incidence angles. Furthermore, increasing the dielectric gap layer thickness and optimizing it to a specific value revealed its ability to measure the refractive index, making it a promising candidate for sensing applications.

Configurable lateral optical forces from twisted mixed-dimensional MoO3 homostructures

Abstract In recent years, the concept of hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPPs) has revolutionized the field of nanophotonic, enabling unprecedented control over light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. Here, we theoretically propose and study the lateral optical forces in twisted mixed-dimensional MoO3 homostructures. Assisted with the low-symmetry HPPs, we realize a lateral optical force exerted on the Au nanoparticles near the surface of mixed-dimensional MoO3 homostructures with a linear polarized incident light. By controlling the polarization state, incident angle of light and the twisted angle of MoO3, the amplitude and direction of the lateral optical forces can be tailored in the mid-infrared range. Our findings provide a new platform for engineering lateral optical forces to manipulate diverse objects in a flexible and efficient manner.

One dimensional multilayer structure for kerosene adulteration detection in petrol and diesel

Abstract We aim to design a multilayer periodic structure to detect the kerosene adulteration in the petrol and diesel fuels on a single processing setup. We built the structure by arranging TiO2 and SiO2 layers periodically in alternate manner with empty space at the middle. The optical response of the designed structure is then theoretically studied using transfer matrix method. Empty space of the design is filled with different kerosene adulterated petrol and diesel samples for inspecting structure response to incident electromagnetic waves. Theoretical calculations affirm that the proposed structure is capable to detect the fuel adulteration efficiently. Critical performance parameters like sensitivity, quality factor, figure of merit and limit of detection are calculated to check the effectiveness of the sensor. We also optimized the sensitivity of sensors design through modifying the defect thickness as well as angle of incidence of electromagnetic waves, and provides poly fit formula. It is observed that the sensitivity of sensor to detect kerosene adulteration in fuels highly depends on defect thickness and light incidence angle. An efficient sensor possessing high quality factor and figure of merit is realized from the designed structure that is capable of detecting 10 − 5 RIU.

Strong coupling of double excitons with guided mode resonances and quasi-bound states in the continuum in heterogeneous metamaterials.

Heterogeneous metamaterials containing excitonic materials provide an ideal platform for strong exciton-photon coupling. In this Letter, we theoretically demonstrate four strong couplings in a heterogeneous metamaterial consisting of a TiO2 grating standing on a perovskite-WS2-perovskite waveguide layer by tuning the structural sizes. The quasi-bound state in the continuum (qBIC) and the guided mode resonance (GMR) both strongly coupled with the excitons of both perovskite and WS2 under oblique incident illumination, resulting in four large Rabi splittings of 177.32, 187.53, 406.25, and 435.09 meV via a reasonable combination of oscillator strengths of perovskite and WS2. Double strong coupling behaviors are also achieved when the grating period equals 222 nm with an incident light angle of 19.3°. Moreover, double ultrastrong coupling can even be realized by the GMR and qBIC respectively interacting with the exciton of WS2 when its oscillator strength reaches a certain value. Our work paves an effective avenue to realizing strong coupling and even ultrastrong coupling between multiple excitons and multiple optical modes.

Development of single-sided structure collimation film for direct-lit collimated backlight module

In this paper, we proposed an optical structure to enhance the collimation and uniformity of 405 nm LED backlight modules. The structure is called a single-sided structure collimation film (SSSCF), which consists of a lenticular lens array, slit apertures, and a highly reflective coating surface. A lenticular lens array with slit apertures converts the angle of diffusive incident light into collimated light. The high-reflective coating of the collimation film can reflect back the light that does not enter the slit aperture to the backlight module for energy recycling. Finally, we have developed a direct-lit backlight module with optimized collimation properties (FWHM = ±3.4°, gain = 2.3%, NSR = 0) and great uniformity (uniformity > 83.5%). We also demonstrated good consistency between our simulation results with optical measurement. The collimated backlight module developed in this study has great potential for future applications, including high-precision 3D printing objects, liquid crystal displays with high contrast ratio or narrow viewing angles, and telecentric illumination devices used in precision machine vision systems.

Kretschmann configuration as a method to enhance optical absorption in two-dimensional graphene-like semiconductors

Objectives. The optical properties of two-dimensional semiconductor materials, specifically monolayered transition metal dichalcogenides, present new horizons in the field of nano- and optoelectronics. However, their practical application is hindered by the issue of low light absorption. When working with such thin structures, it is essential to consider numerous complex factors, such as resonance and plasmonic effects which can influence absorption efficiency. The aim of this study is the optimization of light absorption in a two-dimensional semiconductor in the Kretschmann configuration for future use in optoelectronic devices, considering the aforementioned phenomena. Methods. A numerical modeling method was applied using the finite element method for solving Maxwell’s equations. A parametric analysis was conducted focusing on three parameters: angle of light incidence, metallic layer thickness, and semiconductor layer thickness.Results. Parameters were identified at which the maximum area of absorption peak was observed, including the metallic layer thickness and angle of light incidence. Based on the resulting graphs, optimal parameters were determined, in order to achieve the highest absorption percentages in the two-dimensional semiconductor film.Conclusions. Based on numerical studies, it can be asserted that the optimal parameters for maximum absorption in the monolayer film are: Ag thickness <20 nm and angle of light incidence between 55° and 85°. The maximum absorption in the two-dimensional film was found only to account for a portion of the total absorption of the entire structure. Thus, a customized approach to parameter selection is necessary, in order to achieve maximum efficiency in certain optoelectronic applications.

Long‐Infrared Broadband Polarization‐Sensitive Absorber with Metasurface Based on Ladder Network

AbstractPlasmonic resonant and metamaterial structures allow for manipulating the polarization properties of electromagnetic waves to achieve polarization beam splitting. Broadband polarization‐sensitive metamaterial absorbers based on surface plasmon polaritons have the advantages of high‐energy utilization and excellent stability, which may replace traditional polarizing devices. Here, an absorber based on a ladder network construction is designed theoretically and investigated experimentally. The absorber can possess almost 92% average absorptivity for TM polarization light in 8–12 µm range (experimental result: 83% from 7 to 11 µm). It is especially sensitive to the polarization angle of incident light, and with the increase of polarization angle, the broadband absorption response can present analogously monotonous reduction. The theoretical and experimental results for TE polarization light are 12% and 25%, respectively. The broadband absorption response performs angle insensitive property under oblique incidence. The proposed metamaterial absorber opens a path to realize broadband polarization‐sensitive absorption based on simple nanostructure. It will possess great potential applications in high‐performance polarimetric photodetectors and imaging fields.

Tailored nano-pillar structures on surfaces: facile formation and multifunctional properties

Nano-pillar structured surfaces have prized for exceptional optoelectronic properties and biocompatibility but commonly complex, expensive, and inflexible in production. A systematic investigation of the formation, mechanisms, and properties of nanostructures induced by nano-capillaries remains unexplored. Through this study, the facile formation of nano-pillared surfaces induced by designable nano-capillaries on AAO template demonstrated significant improvements in antibacterial effect, spectral structural color and anti-reflection characteristics. Reverse molding of nano-pillar arrays with aspect ratios of up to 1.2 on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films yielded a super-hydrophobic surface of 150° contact angle (CA). Through the utilization of computational fluid mechanics model, a direct correlation was demonstrated between the aspect ratio of nano-pillars and the viscosity of PDMS. The nano-pillared surfaces had remarkable antibacterial rates of 91% for Escherichia coli and 89% for Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the structured surfaces exhibited color spanning from light blue to light red by tuning nano-pillars dimensions, incident light angle, and/or adding reflective metallic coating, which offered unique visualization effects for anti-counterfeiting. Moreover, the superior light-trapping and anti-reflection of the nano-pillared surface significantly increased the power conversion efficiency (PCE) 19% from the base performance of the polysilicon solar cells.

Reflectivity measurement of a silicon carbide mirror sample for ITER divertor vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer.

The first mirror is the front-end optic component that reflects light emitted from the plasma to the diagnostic system in fusion plasmas. Silicon carbide (SiC), known for its relatively high mechanical strength and radiation tolerance, has been selected as the substrate material for the first mirror in the ITER divertor vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometer. To measure the reflectivity of the ellipse cylindrical SiC mirror to be manufactured, a device for reflectivity measurement in the VUV wavelength range was developed. First, the reflectivity of a sample SiC mirror (15mm diameter × 10mm thick) was measured across the ITER-required incidence angles, and the results are reported in this study. A hollow cathode lamp with helium gas was used as the VUV light source in the wavelength range of 23-60nm, and a dedicated VUV spectrometer to select specific wavelengths was developed. The spectrometer utilized laminar-type replica diffraction gratings (Shimadzu 30-006) and two back-illuminated charge-coupled devices (BI-CCD, Andor DO 940P-BEN) for the grating and detector, respectively. A cropping technique with aperture was employed to precisely localize the VUV light's reflection onto the SiC mirror surface. The experimentally measured reflectivity values of SiC at the required incidence angles of VUV light were compared with theoretically calculated reflectivity curves. The oxidation layer (SiO2) formed on the SiC surface and the incidence angle of VUV light to the BI-CCD chip (E2V) would be the factors affecting the accuracy of the reflectivity.

A compact matchbox-sized dust detector for lunar surface applications

In this work, a matchbox-sized dust detector with a wide measurement range was developed for the lunar surface applications. The characteristics of the detector response to lunar dust simulant deposition mass, particle size, light incidence angle, and temperature are investigated experimentally. It is found that in current study the short-circuit current of the dust detector decreases with the increase in dust deposition mass overall. However, the pattern of current reduction is closely dependent on the size of the dust particles. Specifically, for the dust particle in the range of 75–100 μm, the short-circuit current of the detector tends to decrease slowly and approximately linearly as the dust deposition mass increases, irrespective of light incidence angle. However, for the particle in the size range of 0–25 μm, the decrease of short-circuit current with dust deposition mass can be well described by an exponential function. In addition, the occlusion coefficients for different particle size distributions at different light incidence angles, ranging from −0.88 to −0.08, are also obtained, which is important for determining the mass range of dust deposited on lunar surface-mounted detector at the corresponding conditions. The present research can provide guidance for lunar dust detection with solar cell-based detector.

Enhanced Photoemission Performance of InGaN Inclined Nanowire Array.

We propose to improve the solar energy utilization by using InGaN inclined nanowire array photocathodes. We first study vertical nanowire array. On the basis of vertical nanowire array, we study inclined nanowires by changing the inclination angle of nanowires. The inclined nanowires exhibit higher quantum efficiency at larger period and larger inclination angle. However, the infinite expansion of period will cause its performance to degrade. The quantum efficiency of inclined nanowires with a period of 175 nm and an inclination angle of 5.35° is as high as 80.2% when the incident light angle is irradiated at 5°. In addition, applying an electric field can improve the collection efficiency of inclined nanowires and help them maintain a high collection efficiency over a longer wavelength range. The design principles proposed in this work will provide a theoretical reference for the performance improvement of InGaN photocathodes.

Active Full‐Color Generation Based on a Liquid Crystal‐Integrated Plasmonic Metasurface

Structural colors based on metasurfaces outperform traditional pigments and dyes in terms of nonfading, high spatial resolution, and high stability, usually incorporating active materials for tunability. Liquid crystals (LCs) are suitable for tunable structural color design due to their large birefringence and fast modulation by external stimuli. However, most LC‐integrated structural colors focus on tailoring the polarization angle of incident light to generate two colors and their mixing. Herein, a scheme of full‐color generation based on a plasmonic metasurface integrated with LCs utilizing the combination of the polarization angle rotation effect of the twisted‐nematic LCs and the refractive index modulation through the realignment of the LCs near the metasurface is demonstrated. Based on the proposed structural color method, full‐color generation of a record color gamut of 60.7% standard Red Green Blue region, equivalent to 43% National Television Standards Committee area, in the LC‐integrated metasurface, has been numerically realized by tuning the bias voltage of the LCs in reflection. The achieved color gamut is nearly 4 times wider than the previously reported result. The proposed active full‐color generation metasurface shows great potential in applications for low‐power reflective color display, anticounterfeiting, and optical encoding.