Numerical Study of an Efficient Solar Absorber Consisting of Metal Nanoparticles

We propose and theoretically investigate an efficient solar light absorber based on a multilayer structure consisting of tungsten nanoparticle layers and SiO2 layers. According to our calculation, average absorbance over 94% is achieved in the wavelength range between 400 and 2500 nm for the proposed absorber. The excellent performance of the absorber can be attributed to the localized surface plasmon resonance as well as the Fabry-Perot resonance among the metal-dielectric-metal layers. We compare the absorbing efficiency of tungsten nanosphere absorber with absorbers consisting of the other metal nanoparticles and conclude that iron can be an alternative material for tungsten in solar energy systems for its excellent absorbing performance and the similar optical properties as tungsten. Besides, a flat multilayer absorber is designed for comparison, and it is also proved to have a good absorbing performance for solar light.