title: Plasmonic nano-antenna a-Si:H solar cell.
abstract: In this work the effects of plasmonics, nano-focusing, and orthogonalization of carrier and photon pathways are simultaneously explored by measuring the photocurrents in an elongated nano-scale solar cell with a silver nanoneedle inside. The silver nanoneedles formed the support of a conformally grown hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) n-i-p junction around it. A spherical morphology of the solar cell functions as a nano-lens, focusing incoming light directly on the silver nanoneedle. We found that plasmonics, geometric optics, and Fresnel reflections affect the nanostructured solar cell performance, depending strongly on light incidence angle and polarization. This provides valuable insight in solar cell processes in which novel concepts such as plasmonics, elongated nanostructures, and nano-lenses are used.
authors.affiliation: Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Nanophotonics-Physics of Devices, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.divece@uu.nl
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Vece
authors.forename: Yinghuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Stephan N F
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: van Duren
authors.forename: Jamie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Charry
authors.forename: Lourens
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Ruud E I
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Schropp
mesh_terms: D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D007909:Lenses; D008027:Light; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement / Q000737:chemistry; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry; D012993:Solar Energy
chemical_list: D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; C005506:polycarbonate; D012834:Silver; D006859:Hydrogen; D012825:Silicon