Plasmonics for improved photovoltaic devices

Periodic anti-ring back reflectors for hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells

Large and periodic anti-ring arrays are fabricated by using a monolayer of polymer/nanosphere hybrid technique and applied as back reflectors in substrate-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film solar cells. The structure of each anti-ring comprises a nanodome centered inside a nanohole. The excitation of Bloch wave surface plasmon polaritons is observed in the Ag-coated anti-ring arrays. The nanodomes of the anti-ring arrays turn out to enhance large-angle light scattering and increase the effective optical path in the solar cell. The resulting efficiency of an ultrathin a-Si:H (thickness: 150 nm) solar cell is enhanced by 39% compared to that with a flat back reflector and by 13% compared to that with a nanohole back reflector.

Plasmonic enhancement of the optical absorption and catalytic efficiency of BiVO₄ photoanodes decorated with Ag@SiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles

Recent progress in the development of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) photoanodes has firmly established it as a promising material for solar water splitting applications. Performance limitations due to intrinsically poor catalytic activity and slow electron transport have been successfully addressed through the application of water oxidation co-catalysts and novel doping strategies. The next bottleneck to tackle is the modest optical absorption in BiVO4, particularly close to its absorption edge of 2.4 eV. Here, we explore the modification of the BiVO4 surface with Ag@SiO2 core-shell plasmonic nanoparticles. A photocurrent enhancement by a factor of ~2.5 is found under 1 sun illumination (AM1.5). We show that this enhancement consists of two contributions: optical absorption and catalysis. The optical absorption enhancement is induced by the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances in the Ag nanoparticles, and agrees well with our full-field electromagnetic simulations. Far-field effects (scattering) are found to be dominant, with a smaller contribution from near-field plasmonic enhancement. In addition, a significant catalytic enhancement is observed, which is tentatively attributed to the electrocatalytic activity of the Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles.

Using nanoscale and mesoscale anisotropy to engineer the optical response of three-dimensional plasmonic metamaterials

The a priori ability to design electromagnetic wave propagation is crucial for the development of novel metamaterials. Incorporating plasmonic building blocks is of particular interest due to their ability to confine visible light. Here we explore the use of anisotropy in nanoscale and mesoscale plasmonic array architectures to produce noble metal-based metamaterials with unusual optical properties. We find that the combination of nanoscale and mesoscale anisotropy leads to rich opportunities for metamaterials throughout the visible and near-infrared. The low volume fraction (<5%) plasmonic metamaterials explored herein exhibit birefringence, a skin depth approaching that of pure metals for selected wavelengths, and directionally confined waves similar to those found in optical fibres. These data provide design principles with which the electromagnetic behaviour of plasmonic metamaterials can be tailored using high aspect ratio nanostructures that are accessible via a variety of synthesis and assembly methods.

Plasmon-assisted radiolytic energy conversion in aqueous solutions

The field of conventional energy conversion using radioisotopes has almost exclusively focused on solid-state materials. Herein, we demonstrate that liquids can be an excellent media for effective energy conversion from radioisotopes. We also show that free radicals in liquid, which are continuously generated by beta radiation, can be utilized for electrical energy generation. Under beta radiation, surface plasmon obtained by the metallic nanoporous structures on TiO₂ enhanced the radiolytic conversion via the efficient energy transfer between plasmons and free radicals. This work introduces a new route for the development of next-generation power sources.

Nanowire antenna absorption probed with time-reversed fourier microscopy

Understanding light absorption in individual nanostructures is crucial for optimizing the light-matter interaction at the nanoscale. Here, we introduce a technique named time-reversed Fourier microscopy that enables the measurement of the angle-dependent light absorption in dilute arrays of uncoupled semiconductor nanowires. Because of their large separation, the nanowires have a response that can be described in terms of individual nanostructures. The geometry of individual nanowires makes them behave as nanoantennas that show a strong interaction with the incident light. The angle-dependent absorption measurements, which are compared to numerical simulations and Mie scattering calculations, show the transition from guided-mode to Mie-resonance absorption in individual nanowires and the relative efficiency of these two absorption mechanisms in the same nanostructures. Mie theory fails to describe the absorption in finite-length vertical nanowires illuminated at small angles with respect to their axis. At these angles, the incident light is efficiently absorbed after being coupled to guided modes. Our findings are relevant for the design of nanowire-based photodetectors and solar cells with an optimum efficiency.

Plasmonic Cu(x)In(y)S2 quantum dots make better photovoltaics than their nonplasmonic counterparts

A synthetic approach has recently been developed which results in Cu(x)In(y)S2 quantum dots (QDs) possessing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) modes in the near-infrared (NIR) frequencies.1 In this study, we investigate the potential benefits of near-field plasmonic effects centered upon light absorbing nanoparticles in a photovoltaic system by developing and verifying nonplasmonic counterparts as an experimental control. Simple QD-sensitized solar cells (QD-SSCs) were assembled which show an 11.5% relative increase in incident photon conversion efficiency (IPCE) achieved in the plasmon-enhanced devices. We attribute this increase in IPCE to augmented charge excitation stemming from near-field "antenna" effects in the plasmonic Cu(x)In(y)S2 QD-SSCs. This study represents the first of its kind; direct interrogation of the influence of plasmon-on-semiconductor architectures with respect to excitonic absorption in photovoltaic systems.

Metamaterial perfect absorber based hot electron photodetection

While the nonradiative decay of surface plasmons was once thought to be only a parasitic process that limits the performance of plasmonic devices, it has recently been shown that it can be harnessed in the form of hot electrons for use in photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and photodetectors. Unfortunately, the quantum efficiency of hot electron devices remains low due to poor electron injection and in some cases low optical absorption. Here, we demonstrate how metamaterial perfect absorbers can be used to achieve near-unity optical absorption using ultrathin plasmonic nanostructures with thicknesses of 15 nm, smaller than the hot electron diffusion length. By integrating the metamaterial with a silicon substrate, we experimentally demonstrate a broadband and omnidirectional hot electron photodetector with a photoresponsivity that is among the highest yet reported. We also show how the spectral bandwidth and polarization-sensitivity can be manipulated through engineering the geometry of the metamaterial unit cell. These perfect absorber photodetectors could open a pathway for enhancing hot electron based photovoltaic, sensing, and photocatalysis systems.

Efficient hybrid plasmonic polymer solar cells with Ag nanoparticle decorated TiO2 nanorods embedded in the active layer

A hybrid plasmonic polymer solar cell, in which plasmonic metallic nanostructures (such as Ag, Au, and Pt nanoparticles) are embedded in the active layer, has been under intense scrutiny recently because it provides a promising new approach to enhance the efficiency of the device. We propose a brand new hybrid plasmonic nanostructure, which combines a plasmonic metallic nanostructure and one-dimensional semiconductor nanocrystals, to enhance the photocurrent of the device through a strong localized electric field and an enhanced charge transport channel. We demonstrate that when Ag nanoparticle decorated TiO2 nanorods were introduced into the active layer of polymer-fullerene based bulk heterojunction solar cells, the photocurrent significantly increased to 14.15 mA cm(-2) from 6.51 mA cm(-2) without a decrease in the open voltage; thus, the energy conversion efficiency was dramatically enhanced to 4.87% from 2.57%.

Programmable photo-electrochemical hydrogen evolution based on multi-segmented CdS-Au nanorod arrays

Programmable photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution have been fabricated based on multi-segmented CdS-Au nanorod arrays, which exhibited high-efficiency and programmability in hydrogen evolution as the photoanodes in the photoelectrochemical cell. Multiple different components each possess unique physical and chemical properties that provide these cascade nanostructures with multiformity, programmability, and adaptability. These advantages allow these nanostructures as promising candidates for high efficient harvesting and conversion of solar energy.

Photochemical preparation of silver nanoparticles supported on zeolite crystals

A facile and rapid photochemical method for preparing supported silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in a suspension of faujasite type (FAU) zeolite nanocrystals is described. Silver cations are introduced by ion exchange into the zeolite and subsequently irradiated with a Xe-Hg lamp (200 W) in the presence of a photoactive reducing agent (2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone). UV-vis characterization indicates that irradiation time and intensity (I0) influence significantly the amount of silver cations reduced. The full reduction of silver cations takes place after 60 s of a polychromatic irradiation, and a plasmon band of Ag-NPs appears at 380 nm. Transmission electron microscopy combined with theoretical calculation of the plasmon absorbance band using Mie theory shows that the Ag-NPs, stabilized in the micropores and on the external surface of the FAU zeolite nanocrystals, have an almost spheroidal shape with diameters of 0.75 and 1.12 nm, respectively. Ag-NPs, with a homogeneous distribution of size and morphology, embedded in a suspension of FAU zeolites are very stable (∼8 months), even without stabilizers or capping agents.

Low-scattering surface plasmon refraction with isotropic materials

We show theoretically and numerically that a planar structure consisting of two isotropic dielectric layers can be used to minimize parasitic scattering of surface plasmon polaritons for arbitrary incidence angle. The average scattering losses are reduced by an order-of-magnitude down to 1-3%. The surface plasmon refraction with the scattering suppression can be accurately described by an analytical model based on the Fresnel equations. The proposed approach can be used for the design of plasmonic lenses, reflectors, plasmonic crystals and plasmonic laser cavities.

Effective absorption enhancement in dielectric thin-films with embedded paired-strips gold nanoantennas

This study focuses on determining the optimized thickness of an absorbing thin-film with embedded gold nanoantennas, for absorption enhancement. Gold paired-strips nanoantennas with small gaps have been proposed for light trapping because of the high localized electric field in the gap due to resonance. Paired-strips nanoantennas with small gaps produce higher effective absorption compared to single-strip gratings. From the average absorption two-dimensional map, the absorption enhancement may increase by a factor of up to 20 for gold paired-strips nanoantennas embedded in a 100 nm thick P3HT:PCBM thin-film.

Plasmonic sectoral horn nanoantennas

In this Letter, plasmonic sectoral horn nanoantennas working at near-infrared wavelength (1550 nm) have been investigated. We demonstrate that, although there are certain differences between the plasmonic and classical radiofrequency (RF) sectoral horn antennas, the plasmonic horns still possess a number of attractive features, like their RF counterparts, such as tunable high directivities, simplicity in fabrication, and ease of coupling to waveguides. As a specific application, we further show how to exploit these findings to optimize an optical wireless nanolink using the proposed horn nanoantennas, and obtain a 60-fold increase in the received power compared with the situation of matched dipole nanoantennas.

Nanoplasmon-enabled macroscopic thermal management

In numerous applications of energy harvesting via transformation of light into heat the focus recently shifted towards highly absorptive nanoplasmonic materials. It is currently established that noble metals-based absorptive plasmonic platforms deliver significant light-capturing capability and can be viewed as super-absorbers of optical radiation. Naturally, approaches to the direct experimental probing of macroscopic temperature increase resulting from these absorbers are welcomed. Here we derive a general quantitative method of characterizing heat-generating properties of optically absorptive layers via macroscopic thermal imaging. We further monitor macroscopic areas that are homogeneously heated by several degrees with nanostructures that occupy a mere 8% of the surface, leaving it essentially transparent and evidencing significant heat generation capability of nanoplasmon-enabled light capture. This has a direct bearing to a large number of applications where thermal management is crucial.

(Gold nanorod core)/(polyaniline shell) plasmonic switches with large plasmon shifts and modulation depths

(Gold nanorod core)/(polyaniline shell) nanostructures are prepared for functioning as active plasmonic switches. The single core/shell nanostructures exhibit a remarkable switching performance, with the modulation depth and scattering peak shift reaching 10 dB and 100 nm, respectively. The nanostructures are also deposited on substrates to form macroscale monolayers with remarkable ensemble plasmonic switching performances.

Ordered arrays of embedded Ga nanoparticles on patterned silicon substrates

We fabricate site-controlled, ordered arrays of embedded Ga nanoparticles on Si, using a combination of substrate patterning and molecular-beam epitaxial growth. The fabrication process consists of two steps. Ga droplets are initially nucleated in an ordered array of inverted pyramidal pits, and then partially crystallized by exposure to an As flux, which promotes the formation of a GaAs shell that seals the Ga nanoparticle within two semiconductor layers. The nanoparticle formation process has been investigated through a combination of extensive chemical and structural characterization and theoretical kinetic Monte Carlo simulations.

Dielectric function of spherical dome shells with quantum size effects

Metallic spherical dome shells have received much attention in recent years because they have proven to possess highly impressive optical properties. The expected distinctive changes occurring owing to quantum confinement of conduction electrons in these nanoparticles as their thickness is reduced, have not been properly investigated. Here we carry out a detailed analytical derivation of the quantum contributions by introducing linearly shifted Associated Legendre Polynomials, which form an approximate orthonormal eigenbasis for the single-electron Hamiltonian of a spherical dome shell. Our analytical results clearly show the contribution of different elements of a spherical dome shell to the effective dielectric function. More specifically, our results provide an accurate, quantitative correction for the dielectric function of metallic spherical dome shells with thickness below 10 nm.

Fabrication and enhanced light-trapping properties of three-dimensional silicon nanostructures for photovoltaic applications

In order to make photovoltaics an economically viable energy solution, next-generation solar cells with higher energy conversion efficiencies and lower costs are urgently desired. Among many possible solutions, three-dimensional (3D) silicon nanostructures with excellent light-trapping properties are one of the promising candidates and have recently attracted considerable attention for cost-effective photovoltaic applications. This is because their enhanced light-trapping characteristics and high carrier collection efficiencies can enable the use of cheaper and thinner silicon materials. In this review, recent developments in the controllable fabrication of 3D silicon nanostructures are summarized, followed by the investigation of optical properties on a number of different nanostructures, including nanowires, nanopillars, nanocones, nanopencils, and nanopyramids, etc. Even though nanostructures with radial p-n junction demonstrate excellent photon management properties and enhanced photo-carrier collection efficiencies, the photovoltaic performance of nanostructure-based solar cells is still significantly limited due to the high surface recombination effect, which is induced by high-density surface defects as well as the large surface area in high-aspect-ratio nanostructures. In this regard, various approaches in reducing the surface recombination are discussed and an overall geometrical consideration of both light-trapping and recombination effects to yield the best photovoltaic properties are emphasized.

Tunable and directional plasmonic coupling within semiconductor nanodisk assemblies

Semiconductor nanocrystals are key materials for achieving localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) excitation in the extended spectral ranges beyond visible light, which are critical wavelengths for chemical sensing, infrared detection, and telecommunications. Unlike metal nanoparticles which are already widely exploited in plasmonics, little is known about the near-field behavior of semiconductor nanocrystals. Near-field interactions are expected to vary greatly with nanocrystal carrier density and mobility, in addition to properties such as nanocrystal size, shape, and composition. Here we demonstrate near-field coupling between anisotropic disk-shaped nanocrystals composed of Cu2-xS, a degenerately doped semiconductor whose electronic properties can be modulated by Cu content. Assembling colloidal nanocrystals into mono- and multilayer films generates dipole-dipole LSPR coupling between neighboring nanodisks. We investigate nanodisks of varying crystal phases (Cu1.96S, Cu7.2S4, and CuS) and find that nanodisk orientation produces a dramatic change in the magnitude and polarization direction of the localized field generated by LSPR excitation. This study demonstrates the potential of semiconductor nanocrystals for the realization of low-cost, active, and tunable building blocks for infrared plasmonics and for the investigation of light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.

Low-power photothermal probing of single plasmonic nanostructures with nanomechanical string resonators

We demonstrate the direct photothermal probing and mapping of single plasmonic nanostructures via the temperature-induced detuning of nanomechanical string resonators. Single Au nanoslits and nanorods are illuminated with a partially polarized focused laser beam (λ = 633 nm) with irradiances in the range of 0.26-38 μW/μm(2). Photothermal heating maps with a resolution of ∼375 nm are obtained by scanning the laser over the nanostructures. Based on the string sensitivities, absorption efficiencies of 2.3 ± 0.3 and 1.1 ± 0.7 are extracted for a single nanoslit (53 nm × 1 μm) and nanorod (75 nm × 185 nm). Our results show that nanomechanical resonators are a unique and robust analysis tool for the low-power investigation of thermoplasmonic effects in plasmonic hot spots.

Enhancement of light output power from LEDs based on monolayer colloidal crystal

One of the major challenges for the application of GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) in solid-state lighting lies in the low light output power (LOP). Embedding nanostructures in LEDs has attracted considerable interest because they may improve the LOP of GaN-based LEDs efficiently. Recent advances in nanostructures derived from monolayer colloidal crystal (MCC) have made remarkable progress in enhancing the performance of GaN-based LEDs. In this review, the current state of the art in this field is highlighted with an emphasis on the fabrication of ordered nanostructures using large-area, high-quality MCCs and their demonstrated applications in enhancement of LOP from GaN-based LEDs. We describe the remarkable achievements that have improved the internal quantum efficiency, the light extraction efficiency, or both from LEDs by taking advantages of diverse functions that the nanostructures provided. Finally, a perspective on the future development of enhancement of LOP by using the nanostructures derived from MCC is presented.

Towards ultra-thin plasmonic silicon wafer solar cells with minimized efficiency loss

The cost-effectiveness of market-dominating silicon wafer solar cells plays a key role in determining the competiveness of solar energy with other exhaustible energy sources. Reducing the silicon wafer thickness at a minimized efficiency loss represents a mainstream trend in increasing the cost-effectiveness of wafer-based solar cells. In this paper we demonstrate that, using the advanced light trapping strategy with a properly designed nanoparticle architecture, the wafer thickness can be dramatically reduced to only around 1/10 of the current thickness (180 μm) without any solar cell efficiency loss at 18.2%. Nanoparticle integrated ultra-thin solar cells with only 3% of the current wafer thickness can potentially achieve 15.3% efficiency combining the absorption enhancement with the benefit of thinner wafer induced open circuit voltage increase. This represents a 97% material saving with only 15% relative efficiency loss. These results demonstrate the feasibility and prospect of achieving high-efficiency ultra-thin silicon wafer cells with plasmonic light trapping.

Colloidal plasmonic back reflectors for light trapping in solar cells

A novel type of plasmonic light trapping structure is presented in this paper, composed of metal nanoparticles synthesized in colloidal solution and self-assembled in uniform long-range arrays using a wet-coating method. The high monodispersion in size and spherical shape of the gold colloids used in this work allows a precise match between their measured optical properties and electromagnetic simulations performed with Mie theory, and enables the full exploitation of their collective resonant plasmonic behavior for light-scattering applications. The colloidal arrays are integrated in plasmonic back reflector (PBR) structures aimed for light trapping in thin film solar cells. The PBRs exhibit high diffuse reflectance (up to 75%) in the red and near-infrared spectrum, which can pronouncedly enhance the near-bandgap photocurrent generated by the cells. Furthermore, the colloidal PBRs are fabricated by low-temperature (<120 °C) processes that allow their implementation, as a final step of the cell construction, in typical commercial thin film devices generally fabricated in a superstrate configuration.

Design of efficient dye-sensitized solar cells with patterned ZnO-ZnS core-shell nanowire array photoanodes

The fabrication of photoanodes with a high light-harvesting ability, direct electron pathway and low exciton recombination is a key challenge in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) today. In this paper, large-scale patterned ZnO-ZnS core-shell nanowire arrays (NWAs) are designed and fabricated as such photoanodes for the fist time. By using the NWA photoanodes with a hexagonal symmetry and FTO-Pt cathodes with an Al reflecting layer, the resulting DSSCs demonstrate a maxiumum efficiency of 2.09%, which is an improvement of 140% compared to the reference cells with line symmetry and no reflecting layer. This improvement is attributed to the enhanced light-harvesting ability of the patterned NWAs, as well as to the remarkable double absorption caused by the Al reflecting layer. Additionally, the ZnO core provides a direct electron pathway and the ZnS shell simultaneously reduces exciton recombination. This study shows an effective method to improve the performance of DSSCs which could be extended to other nanodevices and nanosystems.

Phase space considerations for light path lengths in planar, isotropic absorbers

Fundamental limits for path lengths of light in isotropic absorbers are calculated. The method of calculation is based on accounting for occupied states in optical phase space. Light trapping techniques, such as scattering or diffraction, are represented by the way how the available states are occupied. One finding of the presented investigation is that the path length limit is independent of the light trapping mechanism and only depends on the conditions for light incidence to, and escape from the absorber. A further finding is that the maximum path length is obtained for every light trapping mechanisms which results in a complete filling of the available states in phase space. For stationary solar cells, the Yablonovitch limit of 4dn², with n the refractive index of the absorber, is a very good approximation of this limit.

Enhanced light trapping in solar cells with a meta-mirror following generalized Snell's law

As the performance of photovoltaic cells approaches the Shockley-Queisser limit, appropriate schemes are needed to minimize the losses without compromising the current performance. In this paper we propose a planar absorber-mirror light trapping structure where a conventional mirror is replaced by a meta-mirror with asymmetric light scattering properties. The meta-mirror is tailored to have reflection in asymmetric modes that stay outside the escape cone of the dielectric, hence trapping light with unit probability. Ideally, the meta-mirror can be designed to have such light trapping for any angle of incidence onto the absorber-mirror structure. We illustrate the concept by using a simple gap-plasmon meta-mirror. Even though the response of the mirror is non-ideal with the unwanted scattering modes reducing the light absorption, we observe an order of magnitude enhancement compared to single pass absorption in the absorber. The bandwidth of the enhancement can be matched with the range of wavelengths close to the solar cell absorber band-edge where improved light absorption is required.

Cooperative electromagnetic interactions between nanoparticles for solar energy harvesting

The cooperative electromagnetic interactions between discrete resonators have been widely used to modify the optical properties of metamaterials. Here we propose a general approach for engineering these interactions both in the dipolar approximation and for any higher-order description. Finally we apply this strategy to design broadband absorbers in the visible range from simple n-ary arrays of metallic nanoparticles.

Multilayer nanoparticle arrays for broad spectrum absorption enhancement in thin film solar cells

In this paper, we present a theoretical study on the absorption efficiency enhancement of a thin film amorphous Silicon (a-Si) photovoltaic cell over a broad spectrum of wavelengths using multiple nanoparticle arrays. The light absorption efficiency is enhanced in the lower wavelengths by a nanoparticle array on the surface and in the higher wavelengths by another nanoparticle array embedded in the active region. The efficiency at intermediate wavelengths is enhanced by the simultaneous resonance from both nanoparticle layers. We optimize this design by tuning the radius of particles in both arrays, the period of the array and the distance between the two arrays. The optimization results in a total quantum efficiency of 62.35% for a 0.3 μm thick a-Si substrate.

Recent advances in plasmonic sensors

Plasmonic sensing has been an important multidisciplinary research field and has been extensively used in detection of trace molecules in chemistry and biology. The sensing techniques are typically based on surface-enhanced spectroscopies and surface plasmon resonances (SPRs). This review article deals with some recent advances in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors and SPR sensors using either localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) or propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). The advances discussed herein present some improvements in SERS and SPR sensing, as well as a new type of nanowire-based SPP sensor.

Nanofocusing in circular sector-like nanoantennas

Gold circular sector-like nanoantennas (with a radius of 500 nm and a taper angle of 60°, 90°, and 120°) on glass are investigated in a near-infrared wavelength range (900 - 2100 nm). Amplitude- and phase-resolved near-field images of circular sector-like antenna modes at telecom wavelength feature a concentric circular line of phase contrast, demonstrating resonant excitation of a standing wave of counter-propagating surface plasmons, travelling between a tip and opposite circular edge of the antenna. Transmission spectra obtained in the range 900 - 2100 nm are in good agreement with numerical simulations, revealing the main feature of this antenna configuration, viz., the resonance wavelength, in contrast to triangular antennas, does not depend on the taper angle and is determined only by the sector radius. This feature together with a robust and easily predictable frequency response makes circular sector-like nanoantennas very promising for implementing bowtie antennas and attractive for many applications.

Potential energy surfaces and reaction pathways for light-mediated self-organization of metal nanoparticle clusters

Potential energy surfaces are the central concept in understanding the assembly of molecules; atoms form molecules via covalent bonds with structures defined by the stationary points of the surfaces. Similarly, dispersion interactions give Lennard-Jones potentials that describe atomic clusters and liquids. The formation of molecules and clusters can follow various pathways depending on the initial conditions and the potentials. Here we show that analogous mechanistic effects occur in light-mediated self-organization of metal nanoparticles; atoms are replaced by silver nanoparticles that are arranged by electrodynamic (that is, optical trapping and optical binding) interactions. We demonstrate this concept using simple Gaussian optical fields and the formation of stable clusters with various two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) geometries. The formation of specific clusters is 'path-dependent'; the particle motions follow an electrodynamic potential energy surface. This work paves the way for rational design of photonic clusters with combinations of imposed beam shapes, gradients and optical binding interactions.

Nanocavity enhancement for ultra-thin film optical absorber

A fundamental strategy is developed to enhance the light-matter interaction of ultra-thin films based on a strong interference effect in planar nanocavities, and overcome the limitation between the optical absorption and film thickness of energy harvesting/conversion materials. This principle is quite general and is applied to explore the spectrally tunable absorption enhancement of various ultra-thin absorptive materials including 2D atomic monolayers.

Anisotropic effective medium properties from interacting Ag nanoparticles in silicon dioxide

Films containing a layer of Ag nanoparticles embedded in silicon dioxide were produced by RF magnetron sputtering. Optical transmittance measurements at several angles of incidence (from normal to 75°) revealed two surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks, which depend on electric field direction: one in the ultraviolet and another red-shifted from the dilute Ag/SiO₂ system resonance at 410 nm. In order to investigate the origin of this anisotropic behavior, the structural properties were determined by transmission electron microscopy, revealing the bidimensional plane distribution of Ag nanoparticles with nearly spherical shape as well as the filling factor of metal in the composite. A simple model linked to these experimental parameters allowed description of the most relevant features of the SPR positions, which, depending on the field direction, were distinctly affected by the coupling of oscillations between close nanoparticles, as described by a modified Drude-Lorentz dielectric function introduced into the Maxwell-Garnett relation. This approach allowed prediction of the resonance for light at 75° incidence from the SPR position for light at normal incidence, in good agreement with experimental observation.

Spectral interferometric microscopy reveals absorption by individual optical nanoantennas from extinction phase

Optical antennas transform light from freely propagating waves into highly localized excitations that interact strongly with matter. Unlike their radio frequency counterparts, optical antennas are nanoscopic and high frequency, making amplitude and phase measurements challenging and leaving some information hidden. Here we report a novel spectral interferometric microscopy technique to expose the amplitude and phase response of individual optical antennas across an octave of the visible to near-infrared spectrum. Although it is a far-field technique, we show that knowledge of the extinction phase allows quantitative estimation of nanoantenna absorption, which is a near-field quantity. To verify our method we characterize gold ring-disk dimers exhibiting Fano interference. Our results reveal that Fano interference only cancels a bright mode’s scattering, leaving residual extinction dominated by absorption. Spectral interference microscopy has the potential for real-time and single-shot phase and amplitude investigations of isolated quantum and classical antennas with applications across the physical and life sciences.

Absorption by an optical nanoantenna determines its interaction strength with light, yet this quantity is hidden from conventional spectroscopy. Gennaro et al. now demonstrate a spectroscopic technique that reveals a nanoantenna’s absorption by recovering its amplitude and phase response.

Au@Ag core-shell nanocubes for efficient plasmonic light scattering effect in low bandgap organic solar cells

In this report, we propose a metal-metal core-shell nanocube (NC) as an advanced plasmonic material for highly efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). We covered an Au core with a thin Ag shell as a scattering enhancer to build Au@Ag NCs, which showed stronger scattering efficiency than Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) throughout the visible range. Highly efficient plasmonic organic solar cells were fabricated by embedding Au@Ag NCs into an anodic buffer layer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), and the power conversion efficiency was enhanced to 6.3% from 5.3% in poly[N-9-hepta-decanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4,7-di-2-thienyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT):[6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) based OSCs and 9.2% from 7.9% in polythieno[3,4-b]thiophene/benzodithiophene (PTB7):PC70BM based OSCs. The Au@Ag NC plasmonic PCDTBT:PC70BM-based organic solar cells showed 2.2-fold higher external quantum efficiency enhancement compared to AuNPs devices at a wavelength of 450-700 nm due to the amplified plasmonic scattering effect. Finally, we proved the strongly enhanced plasmonic scattering efficiency of Au@Ag NCs embedded in organic solar cells via theoretical calculations and detailed optical measurements.

Light Management with Nanostructures for Optoelectronic Devices

Light management is of paramount importance to improve the performance of optoelectronic devices including photodetectors, solar cells, and light-emitting diodes. Extensive studies have shown that the efficiency of these optoelectronic devices largely depends on the device structural design. In the case of solar cells, three-dimensional (3-D) nanostructures can remarkably improve device energy conversion efficiency via various light-trapping mechanisms, and a number of nanostructures were fabricated and exhibited tremendous potential for highly efficient photovoltaics. Meanwhile, these optical absorption enhancement schemes can benefit photodetectors by achieving higher quantum efficiency and photon extraction efficiency. On the other hand, low extraction efficiency of a photon from the emissive layer to outside often puts a constraint on the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of LEDs. In this regard, different designs of device configuration based on nanostructured materials such as nanoparticles and nanotextures were developed to improve the out-coupling efficiency of photons in LEDs under various frameworks such as waveguides, plasmonic theory, and so forth. In this Perspective, we aim to provide a comprehensive review of the recent progress of research on various light management nanostructures and their potency to improve performance of optoelectronic devices including photodetectors, solar cells, and LEDs.

3D nanostar dimers with a sub-10-nm gap for single-/few-molecule surface-enhanced raman scattering

Plasmonic nanostar-dimers, decoupled from the substrate, have been fabricated by combining electron-beam lithography and reactive-ion etching techniques. The 3D architecture, the sharp tips of the nanostars and the sub-10 nm gap size promote the formation of giant electric-field in highly localized hot-spots. The single/few molecule detection capability of the 3D nanostar-dimers has been demonstrated by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Bimetallic non-alloyed NPs for improving the broadband optical absorption of thin amorphous silicon substrates

We propose the use of bimetallic non-alloyed nanoparticles (BNNPs) to improve the broadband optical absorption of thin amorphous silicon substrates. Isolated bimetallic NPs with uniform size distribution on glass and silicon are obtained by depositing a 10-nm Au film and annealing it at 600°C; this is followed by an 8-nm Ag film annealed at 400°C. We experimentally demonstrate that the deposition of gold (Au)-silver (Ag) bimetallic non-alloyed NPs (BNNPs) on a thin amorphous silicon (a-Si) film increases the film's average absorption and forward scattering over a broad spectrum, thus significantly reducing its total reflection performance. Experimental results show that Au-Ag BNNPs fabricated on a glass substrate exhibit resonant peaks at 437 and 540 nm and a 14-fold increase in average forward scattering over the wavelength range of 300 to 1,100 nm in comparison with bare glass. When deposited on a 100-nm-thin a-Si film, Au-Ag BNNPs increase the average absorption and forward scattering by 19.6% and 95.9% compared to those values for Au NPs on thin a-Si and plain a-Si without MNPs, respectively, over the 300- to 1,100-nm range.

An analytic approach to modeling the optical response of anisotropic nanoparticle arrays at surfaces and interfaces

Anisotropic nanoparticle (NP) arrays with useful optical properties, such as localized plasmon resonances (LPRs), can be grown by self-assembly on substrates. However, these systems often have significant dispersion in NP dimensions and distribution, which makes a numerical approach to modeling the LPRs very difficult. An improved analytic approach to this problem is discussed in detail and applied successfully to NP arrays from three systems that differ in NP metal, shape and distribution, and in substrate and capping layer. The materials and anisotropic NP structures that will produce LPRs in desired spectral regions can be determined using this approach.

Multiband perfect absorbers using metal-dielectric films with optically dense medium for angle and polarization insensitive operation

The cavity resonant properties of planar metal-dielectric layered structures with optically dense dielectric media are studied with the aim of realizing omnidirectional and polarization-insensitive operation. The angle-dependent coupling between free-space and cavity modes are revealed to be a key leverage factor in realizing nearly perfect absorbers well-matched to a wide range of incidence angles. We establish comprehensive analyses of the relationship between the structural and optical properties by means of theoretical modeling with numerical simulation results. The presented work is expected to provide a simple and cost-effective solution for light absorption and detection applications that exploit planar metal-dielectric optical devices.

Tandem-structured, hot electron based photovoltaic cell with double Schottky barriers

We demonstrate a tandem-structured, hot electron based photovoltaic cell with double Schottky barriers. The tandem-structured, hot electron based photovoltaic cell is composed of two metal/semiconductor interfaces. Two types of tandem cells were fabricated using TiO2/Au/Si and TiO2/Au/TiO2, and photocurrent enhancement was detected. The double Schottky barriers lead to an additional pathway for harvesting hot electrons, which is enhanced through multiple reflections between the two barriers with different energy ranges. In addition, light absorption is improved by the band-to-band excitation of both semiconductors with different band gaps. Short-circuit current and energy conversion efficiency of the tandem-structured TiO2/Au/Si increased by 86% and 70%, respectively, compared with Au/Si metal/semiconductor nanodiodes, showing an overall solar energy conversion efficiency of 5.3%.

Directional Scattering of Semiconductor Nanoparticles Embedded in a Liquid Crystal

Light scattering by semiconductor nanoparticles has been shown to be more complex than was believed until now. Both electric and magnetic responses emerge in the visible range. In addition, directional effects on light scattering of these nanoparticles were recently obtained. In particular, zero backward and minimum-forward scattering are observed. These phenomena are very interesting for several applications such as, for instance, optical switches or modulators. The strong dependence of these phenomena on the properties of both the particle and the surrounding medium can be used to tune them. The electrical control on the optical properties of liquid crystals could be used to control the directional effects of embedded semiconductor nanoparticles. In this work, we theoretically analyze the effects on the directional distribution of light scattering by these particles when the refractive index of a surrounded liquid crystal changes from the ordinary to the extraordinary configuration. Several semiconductor materials and liquid crystals are studied in order to optimize the contrast between the two states.