title: Transmission enhancement based on strong interference in metal-semiconductor layered film for energy harvesting.
abstract: A fundamental strategy to enhance optical transmission through a continuous metallic film based on strong interference dominated by interface phase shift is developed. In a metallic film coated with a thin semiconductor film, both transmission and absorption are simultaneously enhanced as a result of dramatically reduced reflection. For a 50-nm-thick Ag film, experimental transmission enhancement factors of 4.5 and 9.5 are realized by exploiting Ag/Si non-symmetric and Si/Ag/Si symmetric geometries, respectively. These planar layered films for transmission enhancement feature ultrathin thickness, broadband and wide-angle operation, and reduced resistance. Considering one of their potential applications as transparent metal electrodes in solar cells, a calculated 182% enhancement in the total transmission efficiency relative to a single metallic film is expected. This strategy relies on no patterned nanostructures and thereby may power up a wide spectrum of energy-harvesting applications such as thin-film photovoltaics and surface photocatalysis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Kaikai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Kening
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qiu