Should solar cells be replaced with optical devices to capture light?

Solar cells can operate at increased efficiencies under higher solar concentration and replacing solar cells with optical devices to capture light is an effective method of decreasing the cost of a system without compromising the amount of solar energy absorbed.

How to improve light capture in solar cells?

One way to improve light capture in solar cells is to employ light trapping schemes which were extensively studied in the field of inorganic photovoltaics. These light trapping techniques were initially developed for solar cells with thick active layers.

Can light trapping reduce optical losses in organic solar cells?

Minimizing optical losses due to insufficient absorption in the thin organic active layer requires novel designs of light trapping schemes. In the article, we reviewed state of the art light trapping techniques for organic solar cells.

Why do thin film organic solar cells need a light trapping scheme?

For thin film organic solar cells, light trapping schemes need to be modified due to the low refractive index of the substrate, or practical difficulties of employing large textured structures, and also the fundamentally different optical behavior of light in thin films.

How is light trapping induced in a V-shaped solar cell?

In such a V-shaped geometry, light trapping effects are induced via multiple bounces of the reflected light which would otherwise be lost in planar solar cells. The largest enhancement can be found for light with wavelength in the absorption minimum or close to the absorption edge of the active material.

How do organic solar cells work?

For organic solar cells, demonstrations can be found in references , , . Small metallic nanoparticles embedded in the active layer of solar cells, can act as optical antennas for light and store energy in the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) (Fig. 6 b).