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Silicon nitride grating based planar spectral splitting concentrator for NIR light harvesting
Optics Express
|August 6, 2020
Summary
This study introduces a multi-layered solar spectral splitting planar concentrator for harvesting near-infrared (NIR) light. The novel design achieves significant NIR guiding and power conversion efficiencies for potential building-integrated photovoltaics.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Renewable Energy
- Materials Science
Background:
- Efficient solar energy harvesting is crucial for renewable energy solutions.
- Near-infrared (NIR) light represents a significant portion of the solar spectrum often underutilized.
- Developing advanced materials and structures for spectral splitting is key to improving solar cell performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a multi-layered solar spectral splitting planar concentrator.
- To optimize the device for harvesting near-infrared (NIR) light energy.
- To explore its potential for building-integrated photovoltaics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a multi-layered structure featuring silicon nitride subwavelength diffraction gratings on glass substrates.
- Optimization of gratings to diffract specific NIR bands (700-1400 nm) into guided modes.
- Integration of photovoltaic cells at the layer edges for electricity generation.
Main Results:
- Achieved an overall NIR guiding efficiency of approximately 18%.
- Demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of approximately 11%.
- The subwavelength grating design enabled efficient light concentration at the layer edges.
Conclusions:
- The developed spectral splitting planar concentrator effectively harvests NIR solar energy.
- The design shows promise for applications in building-integrated photovoltaics.
- Further research can explore scalability and long-term stability.
