Nanoplasmonics: a frontier of photovoltaic solar cells
Gu Min,
Ouyang Zi,
Jia Baohua,
Stokes Nicholas,
Chen Xi,
Fahim Narges,
Li Xiangping,
Ventura Michael James,
Shi Zhengrong
Affiliations
Gu Min
Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 Victoria, Australia
Ouyang Zi
Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 Victoria, Australia
Jia Baohua
Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 Victoria, Australia
Stokes Nicholas
Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 Victoria, Australia
Chen Xi
Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 Victoria, Australia
Fahim Narges
Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 Victoria, Australia
Li Xiangping
Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 Victoria, Australia
Ventura Michael James
Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 Victoria, Australia
Shi Zhengrong
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., 9 Xinhua Road, New District, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214028, China
Nanoplasmonics recently has emerged as a new frontier of photovoltaic research. Noble metal nanostructures that can concentrate and guide light have demonstrated great capability for dramatically improving the energy conversion efficiency of both laboratory and industrial solar cells, providing an innovative pathway potentially transforming the solar industry. However, to make the nanoplasmonic technology fully appreciated by the solar industry, key challenges need to be addressed; including the detrimental absorption of metals, broadband light trapping mechanisms, cost of plasmonic nanomaterials, simple and inexpensive fabrication and integration methods of the plasmonic nanostructures, which are scalable for full size manufacture. This article reviews the recent progress of plasmonic solar cells including the fundamental mechanisms, material fabrication, theoretical modelling and emerging directions with a distinct emphasis on solutions tackling the above-mentioned challenges for industrial relevant applications.
