Nanostructured Conductive Tin Oxide for High-Efficiency Light Trapping in Thin Films and Photonic Devices

This project investigates nanostructured conductive tin oxide as a self-assembled electrode for high-efficiency light trapping in photonic devices based on thin films and two-dimensional (2D) materials. These nanostructures scatter the incident light into the plane of the active absorber materials, thereby "trapping" the light for strongly enhanced optical absorption in ultrathin absorbers. This technology enables a drastic reduction in materials consumption and cost compared to wafer-based optoelectronic devices. It has broad potential applications from infrared sensing/imaging to energy harvesting, including direct conversion of heat into electricity. The light trapping in ultrathin absorbers also enables a new group of flexible, high-efficiency photonic devices that can be installed on curved surfaces. The project provides a broad range of cutting-edge research experiences for graduate and undergraduate students. The team also participates in the "sharing science workshop and practicum" at the Museum of Science in Boston to make demos on the light trapping effect that allows visitors to observe an atomically thin graphene layer with naked eyes. The PI (Liu) integrates the new concepts generated from this research project into the Summer Engineering Workshop at Dartmouth College for high-school juniors and seniors. The Co-PI (Kong) participates in the MIT Edgerton Center to inspire K-12 students using the nanostructured materials produced in the research.