Abstract

Absorption enhancement in thin metal-backed solar cells caused by dipole scatterers embedded in the absorbing layer is studied using a semi-analytical approach. The method accounts for changes in the radiation rate produced by layers above and below the dipole, and treats incoherently the subsequent scattering of light in guided modes from other dipoles. We find large absorption enhancements for strongly coupled dipoles, exceeding the ergodic limit in some configurations involving lossless dipoles. An antireflection-coated 100-nm layer of a-Si:H on Ag absorbs up to 87% of incident above-gap light. Thin layers of both strong and weak absorbers show similar strongly enhanced absorption.

Recent Publications

Student author • Faculty author

71.

J. Parker, David W. Mar, Joshua R. Puzey, John H. Hankinson, Kevin P. Byram, C. Lee, Michael K. Mayeda, Richard C. Haskell, Qimin Yang, S. Greenfield, and R. Epstein

Thermal links for the implementation of an optical refrigerator

Journal of Applied Physics 105 (2009) 013116.
72.

Andrew P. Higginbotham, Octavi E. Semonin, Sandra A. Bruce, Clarence W. Chan, David A. Mann, M. Maurer, W. Bang, I. V. Churina, J. Osterholz, I. Kim, T. Ditmire, and Thomas D. Donnelly

Generation of Mie size microdroplet aerosols with applications in laser-driven fusion experiments

Review of Scientific Instruments 80 (2009) 063503.
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73.

Peter N. Saeta, Harry A. Atwater, Vivian E. Ferry, Jeremy N. Munday, and Domenico Pacifici

How much can guided modes enhance absorption in thin solar cells?

Optics Express 17 (2009) 20975-20990.
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74.

Junbo Park, S. M. Watson, Caitlin M. Furjanic, Dariya K. Draganova, M. J. Carey, J. A. Borchers, Chih-Yung Chen, Patricia D. Sparks, and James C. Eckert

Probing the Effect of Structural Roughness on Domain Wall Formation in Spin Valves Using the Off-Specular Reflectivity Technique

IEEE Transactions on Magnetism 44 (2008) 2839-2841.
75.

S. Kneip, B. I. Cho, D. R. Symes, H. A. Sumeruk, G. Dyer, I. V. Churina, A. V. Belolipetski, A. Henig, O. Werhan, E. Förster, Thomas D. Donnelly, and T. Ditmire

K-shell Spectroscopy of Plasmas Created by Intense Laser Irradiation of Micron-scale Cone and Sphere Targets

High Energy Density Physics 4 (2008) 41-48.
76.

Gregory Minton and Vatche Sahakian

New mechanism for nonlocality from string theory: UV-IR quantum entanglement and its imprints on the CMB

Physical Review D 77 (2008) 026008.
77.

Junbo Park, K. W. Alt, Caitlin M. Furjanic, Dariya K. Draganova, Samuel D. Eisenberg, D. Tighe, M. J. Carey, J. A. Borchers, Patricia D. Sparks, and James C. Eckert

Thickness of the Pinned Layer as a Controlling Factor in Domain Wall Formation During Training in IrMn-based Spin Valves

Journal of Applied Physics 103 (2008) 07C111.
78.

S. M. Watson, Stephanie M. Moyerman, J. A. Borchers, M. Doucet, William J. Gannett, M. J. Carey, Patricia D. Sparks, and James C. Eckert

Spiral domain wall formation in spin valves with ultra-thin antiferromagnetic layers

Journal of Applied Physics xx (2007) (submitted).
79.

Thomas Helliwell and D. A. Konkowski

Quantum healing of classical singularities in power-law spacetimes

Classical and Quantum Gravity 24 (2007) 3377-3390.
80.

Caitlin M. Furjanic, Dariya K. Draganova, Whitney E. Buchanan Shepherd, Stephanie M. Moyerman, William J. Gannett, Patricia D. Sparks, M. J. Carey, and James C. Eckert

The effects of ruthenium and grain size on spin valves with ultra-thin antiferromagnetic pinning layers

IEEE Transactions on Magnetism 43 (2007) 2845-2847.