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Effective Medium Analysis of Plasmonic Silver Nanoparticle Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2011

Rudi Santbergen
Affiliation:
Delft University of Technology, Photovoltaic Materials and Devices laboratory/DIMES, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft, the Netherlands
Jeroen Sap
Affiliation:
Delft University of Technology, Photovoltaic Materials and Devices laboratory/DIMES, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft, the Netherlands
Tristan Temple
Affiliation:
Delft University of Technology, Photovoltaic Materials and Devices laboratory/DIMES, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft, the Netherlands Southampton University, Electronics and Computer Science, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Serge Solntsev
Affiliation:
Delft University of Technology, Photovoltaic Materials and Devices laboratory/DIMES, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft, the Netherlands
Arno HM Smets
Affiliation:
Delft University of Technology, Photovoltaic Materials and Devices laboratory/DIMES, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft, the Netherlands
René van Swaaij
Affiliation:
Delft University of Technology, Photovoltaic Materials and Devices laboratory/DIMES, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft, the Netherlands
Miro Zeman
Affiliation:
Delft University of Technology, Photovoltaic Materials and Devices laboratory/DIMES, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft, the Netherlands
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Abstract

Films of silver nanoparticles have optical properties that are useful for applications such as plasmonic light trapping in solar cells. We illustrate experimentally and by means of simulations how the particle shape affects the optical properties. In addition we show that these nanoparticle films can be represented by an effective medium layer with an almost identical reflectance and transmittance. The Bergman effective medium theory that we used provides a link between the nanoparticle shape and the optical properties. This insight can be used for the optical analysis of nanoparticle films and for further optimization of plasmonic solar cells.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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