0000000000526819

AUTHOR

V Amendola

Controlled 3D Interfacing of Three Components Thin Films for Photovoltaics

One of the main problems related to the low performance of the organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, concerns the low mobility of the materials forming the heterojunction. For this reason, there is competition between the sweep-out and recombination of the photogenerated carriers within the thin film bulk heterojunction (BHJ). To overcome this problem, it is usual to operate by reducing the thickness of the active layer, so that the recombination of charge carriers is inhibited. This choice, however, also translates into a lower absorption of light by the active film itself. Plasmonic structures allow to reduce the "physical" thickness of heterojunction, maintaining constant the "optical" thi…

research product

All-optical tuning of a photonic band-gap via near-infrared laser pulses

We present an all-optical tuning at IR wavelength in a novel photonic crystal consisting of a polystyrene opal with gold nanoparticles. The band-gap can be finely tuned with permanent shifts as large as 30 nm irradiating the sample with ps pulses at a low rep-rate in the visible.

research product

3D ORGANIZATION OF THIN FILMS FOR THREE COMPONENTS ACTIVE LAYER IN PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES

Polymer-fullerene or polymer-polymer based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells can be fabricated by using low-cost manufacturing methods. However, because of the low mobility of organic materials, there is a competition between separation and recombination of the photogenerated carriers within the thin BHJ film. Thus, there is a need to develop strategies to increase light harvesting in the films without increasing the film thickness. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been receiving a lot of interest for exhibiting interesting optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. These novel properties can be exploited in nanotechnology by forming compact and ordered architectures of nanoparticles within …

research product

Fine tuning of a photonic band-gap with picosecond laser pulses

We report on light-driven tuning of the optical properties of colloidal photonic crystals (polystyrene opals) doped with gold nanoparticles (Au-np). Using picosecond pulses at 532 nm we obtained permanent changes in the stop band around 1700 nm, with resonance blue shifts as large as 30 nm.

research product