Radiation flux enhancement and absorption in thin film

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1984 · J. Opt. Soc. Am.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAA.1.000278· OSTI ID:6702033

Dixit, V; Lodenquai, J; McTavish, J

Flux enhancement of (solar) radiation in dielectric thin films with textured upper surfaces ad diffuse, perfectly reflecting lower surfaces is investigated. In the case of a completely rough surface, considered as a set of randomly oriented smooth microscopic surfaces or facets, the flux enhancement is shown to be n/sup 2/ in the absence of absorption, where n is the refractive index of the film. In cases when the upper surface is not completely rough but may be approximated by a set of facets whose orientations follow a Gaussian distribution, the enhancement is studied numerically and is found to be generally less than n/sup 2/. Absorption is examined, and a general expression for the absorption efficiency of the thin film is derived. Numerical results for efficiency versus absorption coefficiet are presented.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
• OSTI ID: 6702033
• Journal Information: J. Opt. Soc. Am.; (United States), Vol. 1:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
ABSORPTIVITY
SOLAR CELLS
EFFICIENCY
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
FILMS
SOLAR RADIATION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
STELLAR RADIATION
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion