Loading...

Theoretical calculation of scattering efficiency of isotropic and anisotropic scattering particles employed in nanostructured solar cells

Sasanpour, P ; Sharif University of Technology

958 Viewed
  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.1088/2040-8978/16/5/055703
  3. Abstract:
  4. Light scattering design in dye and quantum dot sensitized solar cells is one of the main concerns in enhancing their light harvesting efficiency, and also in improving their power conversion efficiency. Herein, we present a theoretical analysis to calculate the dependence of the light scattering efficiency in dye solar cells that have employed scattering agents with various sizes and morphologies incorporated in nanostructured photoanodes with different designs. Various isotropic and anisotropic nanostructures, including filled and hollow spheres, spherical voids, nanowires and hollow fibres in a size range of 100 nm to 900 nm, have been considered as scattering centres. The scattering materials are included in the photoanode of dye solar cells, either on top of the mesoporous layer or embedded in an active medium, and the scattering cross section has been calculated accordingly. The results indicate that employing hollow isotropic and anisotropic structures with thin wall thicknesses as a separate layer on top of the active meso-porous film may result in better scattering efficiency in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible wavelength range; however, a submicron filled sphere works better in near infrared (NIR) wavelength range. Incorporating anisotropic hollow fibres in the meso-porous photoelectrode will result in enhanced optical scattering features. The proposed model can provide a useful general framework for optimization of the photoanode of dye solar cells, employing various novel types of sensitizers
  5. Keywords:
  6. Anisotropy ; Efficiency ; Infrared devices ; Light scattering ; Mesoporous materials ; Nanowires ; Solar cells ; Wavelength ; Anisotropic nanostructures ; Nanostructured solar cells ; Near-infrared wavelength ; Power conversion efficiencies ; Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells ; Scattering cross section ; Scattering efficiency ; Scattering particles ; Scattering
  7. Source: Journal of Optics (United Kingdom) ; Vol. 16, issue. 5 , 2014 ; ISSN: 20408978
  8. URL: http://iopscience.iop.org/2040-8986/16/5/055703