Nanophotonics for renewable energy and light steering

• Grant number: 16/05809-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2016
• End date: June 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Emiliano Rezende Martins
• Grantee: Emiliano Rezende Martins
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Photon control is of paramount importance for optoelectronic devices. Photonic nanostructures can be used to trap photons and control and modify light beams. This research project proposes the employment of photonic nanostructures in two distinct research lines. The first line deals with photon trapping for tandem photovoltaic cells, while the second line deals with unidirectional coupling of light into waveguides, aiming at applications in solar cell concentrators. The aim of the first research line is to design and numerically characterize photonic nanostructures that can boost the efficiency of tandem cells using perovskite and silicon. The structures will be designed to act as optical filters and to trap light in the absorbing layers. This line is part of an international collaboration, of which it is the numerical modelling stage. The second line of research investigates, through numerical modelling, photonic nanostructures that scatter light with high degrees of directionality and asymmetry. First, metallic nanostructures that support plasmonic surface modes will be explored. The excitations of these modes give rise to strong light-matter interactions, thus resulting in large scattering cross sections. The metallic nanostructures can be used as nanoantennas and also as light funnels to assist the unidirectional coupling in waveguides. Parity-Time (PT) diffraction gratings will also be investigated. These gratings have asymmetric amplitude Fourier spectra, which is a property particularly relevant for asymmetric diffraction. Finally, both metallic nanostructures and PT gratings will be brought together in the design of a unidirectional coupler. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MARTINS, AUGUSTO; LI, JUNTAO; DA MOTA, ACHILES F.; WANG, YIN; NETO, LUIZ G.; DO CARMO, JOAO P.; TEIXEIRA, FERNANDO L.; MARTINS, EMILIANO R.; BORGES, BEN-HUR V.. Highly efficient holograms based on c-Si metasurfaces in the visible range. Optics Express, v. 26, n. 8, p. 9573-9583, APR 16 2018. (15/50268-5, 13/07276-1, 16/05809-0, 15/21455-1)

MARTINS, AUGUSTO; BORGES, BEN-HUR VIANA; LI, JUNTAO; KRAUSS, THOMAS F.; MARTINS, EMILIANO R.. Photonic Intermediate Structures for Perovskite/c-Silicon Four Terminal Tandem Solar Cells. IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS, v. 7, n. 5, p. 1190-1196, SEP 2017. (16/05809-0, 15/21455-1)

LI, KEZHENG; LI, JUNTAO; REARDON, CHRISTOPHER; SCHUSTER, CHRISTIAN S.; WANG, YUE; TRIGGS, GRAHAM J.; DAMNIK, NIKLAS; MUEENCHENBERGER, JANA; WANG, XUEHUA; MARTINS, EMILIANO R.; et al. High speed e-beam writing for large area photonic nanostructures - a choice of parameters. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 6, SEP 16 2016. (16/05809-0)

LIANG, HAOWEN; MARTINS, AUGUSTO; BORGES, BEN-HUR V.; ZHOU, JIANYING; MARTINS, EMILIANO R.; LI, JUNTAO; KRAUSS, THOMAS F.. High performance metalenses: numerical aperture, aberrations, chromaticity, and trade-offs. OPTICA, v. 6, n. 12, p. 1461-1470, DEC 20 2019. (16/05809-0, 15/21455-1, 18/25372-1)

ARRUDA, GUILHERME S.; LI, JUNTAO; MARTINS, AUGUSTO; LI, KEZHENG; KRAUSS, THOMAS F.; MARTINS, EMILIANO R.. Reducing the Surface Area of Black Silicon by Optically Equivalent Structures. IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS, v. 10, n. 1, p. 41-45, JAN 2020. (15/21455-1, 16/05809-0)

ABASS, AIMI; GUTSCHE, PHILIPP; MAES, BJORN; ROCKSTUHL, CARSTEN; MARTINS, EMILIANO R.. Insights into directional scattering: from coupled dipoles to asymmetric dimer nanoantennas. Optics Express, v. 24, n. 17, p. 19638-19650, AUG 22 2016. (16/05809-0)

MARTINS, AUGUSTO; LI, JUNTAO; DA MOTA, ACHILES F.; PEPINO, VINICIUS M.; WANG, YIN; NETO, LUIZ G.; TEIXEIRA, FERNANDO L.; MARTINS, EMILIANO R.; BORGES, BEN-HUR V.. Broadband c-Si metasurfaces with polarization control at visible wavelengths: applications to 3D stereoscopic holography. Optics Express, v. 26, n. 23, p. 30740-30752, NOV 12 2018. (16/05809-0, 13/07276-1, 15/21455-1, 15/50268-5)