A conceptual model of the diffuse transmittance of lamellar diffraction gratings on solar cells

Diffraction gratings are effective ways of increasing the light absorption of solar cells and the light extraction of light-emitting diodes. In this paper, we show that simplified modal analysis can be used as a conceptual model for understanding the behavior of the diffuse transmittance of lamellar diffraction gratings on infinite substrates. We use simplified modal analysis to predict the optimum values of period and height for the gratings, and achieve excellent agreement with rigorous coupled wave analysis. Furthermore, we show that for thin filmsolar cells with front surface gratings and flat rear reflectors, modal analysis can be used to predict the optimum parameters for maximum light trapping.One of the authors K.R.C. acknowledges the support of an Australian Research Council fellowship, and also the support of the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics, supported by the Australian Research Council

Nanophotonic light trapping in solar cells

Nanophotonic light trapping for solar cells is an exciting field that has seen exponential growth in the last few years. There has been a growing appreciation for solar energy as a major solution to the world’s energy problems, and the need to reduce materials costs by the use of thinner solar cells. At the same time, we have the newly developed ability to fabricate controlled structures on the nanoscale quickly and cheaply, and the computational power to optimize the structures and extract physical insights. In this paper, we review the theory of nanophotonic light trapping, with experimental examples given where possible. We focus particularly on periodic structures, since this is where physical understanding is most developed, and where theory and experiment can be most directly compared. We also provide a discussion on the parasitic losses and electrical effects that need to be considered when designing nanophotonic solar cells.This work has been supported by the Australian Research Council and the Australian Solar Institute

Design principles for particle plasmon enhanced solar cells

We develop fundamental design principles for increasing the efficiency of solar cells using light trapping by scattering from metal nanoparticles. We show that cylindrical and hemispherical particles lead to much higher path length enhancements than spherical particles, due to enhanced near-field coupling, and that the path length enhancement for an electric point dipole is even higher than the Lambertian value. Silver particles give much higher path length enhancements than gold particles. The scattering cross section of the particles is very sensitive to the thickness of a spacer layer at the substrate, which provides additional tunability in the design of particle arrays.This work is part of the Joint Solar Programme JSP of FOM, which is financially supported by NWO. The JSP is cofinanced by the Foundation Shell Research

Absorption enhancement due to scattering by dipoles into silicon waveguides

We develop an optical model for absorption enhancement and diffuse reflectance by metal nanoparticles on a siliconwaveguide. A point dipole treatment is used, including the effects of the waveguide on both the angular emission spectrum and scattering cross section of the dipoles. The model agrees very well with our experimental results of greatly enhanced electroluminescence and photocurrent from silicon-on-insulator light-emitting diodes and also gives very good agreement with previously reported diffuse reflectance measurements. The results suggest that the main mechanism in the enhancement of diffuse reflectance in this system is a dramatic enhancement in the scattering cross section of waveguided light, rather than a waveguide-mediated dipole-dipole interaction. We also put lower bounds on the radiative efficiency of scattering by the nanoparticles.One of the authors K.R.C. acknowledges the support of an Australian Research Council fellowship. The authors acknowledge the support of the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics, supported by the Australian Research Council

Restricted dog leucocyte antigen (DLA) class II haplotypes and genotypes in Beagles

AbstractBeagles are commonly used in vaccine trials as part of the regulatory approval process. Genetic restriction within this breed and the impact this might have on vaccine responses are rarely considered. This study was designed to characterise diversity of dog leucocyte antigen (DLA) class II genes in a breeding colony of laboratory Beagles, whose offspring are used in vaccine studies. DLA haplotypes were determined by PCR and sequence-based typing from genomic DNA extracted from blood. Breeding colony Beagles had significantly different DLA haplotype frequencies in comparison with pet Beagles and both groups showed limited DLA diversity. Restricted DLA class II genetic variability within Beagles might result in selective antigen presentation and vaccine responses that are not necessarily representative of those seen in other dog breeds

Plasmon-enhanced internal photoemission for photovoltaics: Theoretical efficiency limits

Plasmon-enhanced internal photoemission in metal-semiconductor Schottky junctions has recently been proposed as an alternative photocurrent mechanism for solar cells. Here, we identify and discuss the requirements for efficient operation of such cells and analyze their performance limits under standard solar illumination. We show that the maximum efficiency limit is 20%.We acknowledge the Australian Research Council and the Australian Solar Institute for financial support

A conceptual model of light coupling by pillar diffraction gratings

Diffractivestructures such as pillar gratings are a promising way of coupling light into or out of thin semiconductor devices, for applications in thin film solar cells and light-emitting diodes. In this paper we show that the diffuse transmittance behavior of pillar gratings can be understood using the concept of grating mode interference and that the optimum heights of the grating and an estimate of the optimum period can be predicted with the effective index method. Furthermore, the method also gives good results for structures outside the range for which it was derived, including circular pillars and quasiperiodic structures. We also show that pillar gratings offer substantially improved performance over groove gratings for thin film silicon solar cells.One of the authors K.R.C. acknowledges the support of an Australian Research Council fellowship. The Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics is supported by the Australian Research Council

Letter to the Editor by M.B. Engel and H.R. Catchpole Relating to: Can We See Living Structures in the Cell [by G.N. Ling, Scanning Microscopy Vol. 6, p. 405-450 (1992)] and Reply by G.N. Ling

Dear Editor, As workers in the field of ionic equilibrium in extracellular matrices and cells, and as contributors to this Journal of papers supporting an alternative explanation to that represented by the dominant schools of active transport (ionic pumps), we are surprised by the statement of Ling (1992, p. 449) which appears to limit published criticism of those schools to himself and A.S. Troshin. By an odd coincidence, our abstract (Catchpole et al., 1951) on the distribution of potassium and sodium through selective action of the cations with ground substance and water appeared simultaneously with that of Ling (1951): Tentative hypothesis for selective ionic accumulation in muscle cells . We have also published papers and monographs since that distant time. So much, at least, for longevity

Microprobe Analysis of Element Distribution in Rabbit and Dog Erythrocytes as Examples of High and Low Potassium Cells

The concentrations of Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, K and Fe were determined by microprobe in near 100% hematocrit suspensions of rabbit and dog erythrocytes prepared by freezing and drying. These cells are representative, respectively, of high potassium, low sodium, and high sodium, low potassium cells. Water contents of the cells were the same, as were, approximately, the levels of Cl, S and Fe. Rabbit P was nearly double that of the dog. For the rabbit, the cell Na/K ratio was 0.21 and for the dog 15.4, illustrating the major diffusible electrolyte difference between these two types of cell. The rabbit erythrocytes showed an apparent negative immobile charge density of 95 meq/kg of cell water and the dog 56 meq/kg cell water, a distinct difference. Serum electrolytes in the two species are exactly comparable (Standard Tables). Ionic distribution in these cell types was treated by the Gibbs-Duhem equation representing two heterogeneous systems in thermodynamic equilibrium with the blood serum. Factors to be considered are: (1) the composition of the erythrocyte and its net immobile charge; (2) the physicochemical properties of the individual ions (charge, ionic radius, hydration energy, standard chemical potential); (3) the dielectric constant of the dispersion medium (in this case, water); and (4) the binding constants of the ions. The hypothesis of active transport (the sodium-potassium pump) is specifically rejected as an explanation of ionic differences