Partially disordered photonic-crystal thin films for enhanced and robust photovoltaics

We present a general framework for the design of thin-film photovoltaics based on a partially disordered photonic crystal that has both enhanced absorption for light trapping and reduced sensitivity to the angle and polarization of incident radiation. The absorption characteristics of different lattice structures are investigated as an initial periodic structure is gradually perturbed. We find that an optimal amount of disorder controllably introduced into a multi-lattice photonic crystal causes the characteristic narrow-band, resonant peaks to be broadened resulting in a device with enhanced and robust performance ideal for typical operating conditions of photovoltaic applications. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4711144]