Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spectrum splitting using multi-layer dielectric meta-surfaces for efficient solar energy harvesting

  • Invited paper
  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We designed a high-efficiency dispersive mirror based on multi-layer dielectric meta-surfaces. By replacing the secondary mirror of a dome solar concentrator with this dispersive mirror, the solar concentrator can be converted into a spectrum-splitting photovoltaic system with higher energy harvesting efficiency and potentially lower cost. The meta-surfaces are consisted of high-index contrast gratings (HCG). The structures and parameters of the dispersive mirror (i.e. stacked HCG) are optimized based on finite-difference time-domain and rigorous coupled-wave analysis method. Our numerical study shows that the dispersive mirror can direct light with different wavelengths into different angles in the entire solar spectrum, maintaining very low energy loss. Our approach will not only improve the energy harvesting efficiency, but also lower the cost by using single junction cells instead of multi-layer tandem solar cells. Moreover, this approach has the minimal disruption to the existing solar concentrator infrastructures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. M.A. Green, K. Emery, Y. Hishikawa, W. Warta, E.D. Dunlop, Progr. Photovolta. Res. Appl. 20(1), 12 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. W. Shockley, H.J. Queisser, J. Appl. Phys. 32(3), 510 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. R. King, D. Law, K. Edmondson, C. Fetzer, G. Kinsey, H. Yoon, R. Sherif, N. Karam, Appl. Phys. Lett. 90(18), 183516 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. T. Takamoto, T. Agui, A. Yoshida, K. Nakaido, H. Juso, K. Sasaki, K. Nakamora, H. Yamaguchi, T. Kodama, H. Washio, et al., in 35th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) (IEEE, 2010), 2010, pp. 000412–000417

  5. M.A. Green, Mater. Sci. Eng. B 74(1), 118 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. A. Imenes, D. Mills, Solar Energy Mater. Solar Cells 84(1), 19 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. A. Bielawny, P. Miclea, A. Rhein, R. Wehrspohn, S. Van Riesen, S. Glunz, in SPIE, vol. 6197, 2006, p. 619704

  8. M.A. Green, A. Ho-Baillie, Prog. Photovolta. Res. Appl. 18(1), 42 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. J.D. McCambridge, M.A. Steiner, B.L. Unger, K.A. Emery, E.L. Christensen, M.W. Wanlass, A.L. Gray, L. Takacs, R. Buelow, T.A. McCollum et al., Prog. Photovolta. Res. Appl. 19(3), 352 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. B. Mitchell, G. Peharz, G. Siefer, M. Peters, T. Gandy, J.C. Goldschmidt, J. Benick, S.W. Glunz, A.W. Bett, F. Dimroth, Prog. Photovolta. Res. Appl. 19(1), 61 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. M. Stefancich, A. Zayan, M. Chiesa, S. Rampino, D. Roncati, L. Kimerling, J. Michel, Opt. Express 20(8), 9004 (2012)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. N. Yu, P. Genevet, M.A. Kats, F. Aieta, J.P. Tetienne, F. Capasso, Z. Gaburro, Science 334(6054), 333 (2011)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. X. Ni, N.K. Emani, A.V. Kildishev, A. Boltasseva, V.M. Shalaev, Science 335(6067), 427 (2012)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. C.F. Mateus, M.C. Huang, Y. Deng, A.R. Neureuther, C.J. Chang-Hasnain, IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett. 16(2), 518 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. V. Karagodsky, F.G. Sedgwick, C.J. Chang-Hasnain, Opt. Express 18(16), 16973 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. K. Ikeda, K. Takeuchi, K. Takayose, I.S. Chung, J. Mørk, H. Kawaguchi, Appl. Opt. 52(5), 1049 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  17. V. Karagodsky, B. Pesala, C. Chase, W. Hofmann, F. Koyama, C.J. Chang-Hasnain, Opt. Express 18(2), 694 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. C.J. Chang-Hasnain, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 26(1), 014043 (2011)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. D. Fattal, J. Li, Z. Peng, M. Fiorentino, R.G. Beausoleil, Nat. Photonics 4(7), 466 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. F. Lu, F.G. Sedgwick, V. Karagodsky, C. Chase, C.J. Chang-Hasnain, Opt. Express 18(12), 12606 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. L. Carletti, R. Malureanu, J. Mørk, I.S. Chung, Opt. Express 19(23), 23567 (2011)

  22. S.Y. Chou, P.R. Krauss, P.J. Renstrom, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 14(6), 4129 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. D. Rosenblatt, A. Sharon, A.A. Friesem, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 33(11), 2038 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  24. R. Magnusson, M. Shokooh-Saremi, Opt. Express 16(5), 3456 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. D.L. Brundrett, E.N. Glytsis, T.K. Gaylord, Opt. Lett. 23(9), 700 (1998)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. K.S. Yee, IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag. 14(3), 302 (1966)

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  27. M. Moharam, T. Gaylord, JOSA 71(7), 811 (1981)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. S. Horne, G. Conley, J. Gordon, D. Fork, P. Meada, E. Schrader, T. Zimmermann, in Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, vol. 1 (IEEE, 2006), pp. 694–697

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported as part of the Center for Energy Nanoscience, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science under Award Number DE-SC0001013.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Elecrical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

    Yuhan Yao, He Liu & Wei Wu

Authors
  1. Yuhan Yao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. He Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wei Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Wu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yao, Y., Liu, H. & Wu, W. Spectrum splitting using multi-layer dielectric meta-surfaces for efficient solar energy harvesting. Appl. Phys. A 115, 713–719 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-014-8419-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-014-8419-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation