Optical absorption enhancement by photonic quasicrystals in thin films for photovoltaic applications

We have simulated the use of 12-fold photonic quasicrystals (PQCs) as resonant nanophotonic structures for the enhancement of the optical absorption of photovoltaic materials. PQCs offer a high degree of control in their geometry, which is between perfectly ordered and random structures. We have computed the enhancement in the optical absorption and compared it with ordered and disordered photonic crystal patterns. The results show that PQCs mimic well the properties of random patterns. The enhancement in the absorption of a thin film solar cell can be controlled through the radius of the cylinders used as photonic features.