Broadband light management using low-Q whispering gallery modes in spherical nanoshells

Yan Yao, Jie Yao, Vijay Kris Narasimhan, Zhichao Ruan, Chong Xie, Shanhui Fan and Yi Cui ()
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Yan Yao: Stanford University
Jie Yao: Stanford University
Vijay Kris Narasimhan: Stanford University
Zhichao Ruan: Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University
Chong Xie: Stanford University
Shanhui Fan: Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University
Yi Cui: Stanford University

Nature Communications, 2012, vol. 3, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Light trapping across a wide band of frequencies is important for applications such as solar cells and photodetectors. Here, we demonstrate a new approach to light management by forming whispering-gallery resonant modes inside a spherical nanoshell structure. The geometry of the structure gives rise to a low quality-factor, facilitating the coupling of light into the resonant modes and substantial enhancement of the light path in the active material, thus dramatically improving absorption. Using nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) as a model system, we observe broadband absorption enhancement across a large range of incident angles. The absorption of a single layer of 50-nm-thick spherical nanoshells is equivalent to a 1-μm-thick planar nc-Si film. This light-trapping structure could enable the manufacturing of high-throughput ultra-thin film absorbers in a variety of material systems that demand shorter deposition time, less material usage and transferability to flexible substrates.

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1664

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