Abstract

The effect of surface roughness on the optical absorption of a porous material is numerically investigated. We performed a comparative study among different porous geometries and we demonstrate that the presence of the roughness significantly increases the optical absorption of light. This effect is optimized by using a proper matching layer that minimizes losses and maximizes absorption. Enhanced absorption is achieved over a broad range of wavelengths in these simple bilayered structures. The results of this work can be used to design more effective light trapping devices, e.g., third-generation photovoltaic backreflector exploiting the bandgap incident radiation.

© 2016 Optical Society of America

Maximal absorption regime in random media

Volodymyr B. Koman, Christian Santschi, and Olivier J. F. Martin
Opt. Express 24(22) A1306-A1320 (2016)

Disordered nanophotonic surfaces for enhanced light collection in semiconductor solar cells

Chelsea Carlson and Stephen Hughes
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 35(5) 1093-1104 (2018)

Light absorption enhancement of amorphous silicon film coupled with metal nanoshells

Peihong Cheng, Hongxia Zhao, Jilong Bao, Ligang Wu, Dongsheng Li, and Deren Yang
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 30(2) 405-409 (2013)

Electric and magnetic resonances in optical metamaterial for efficient absorption enhancement in ultrathin CdTe-based photovoltaic cells

Lin Cui, Ming-Yuan Huang, Yu-Meng You, Yu-Jun Zhang, Gao-Min Li, Shi-Lin Liu, and Chuan-Kun Liu
Opt. Mater. Express 6(5) 1480-1487 (2016)

Effect of surface roughness on metal enhanced fluorescence in planar substrates and optical fibers

Elizaveta Klantsataya, Alexandre François, Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem, Beniamino Sciacca, Agnieszka Zuber, and Tanya M. Monro
Opt. Mater. Express 6(6) 2128-2138 (2016)