Flexible and semitransparent organic solar cells (OSCs) have been regarded as the most promising photovoltaic devices for the application of OSCs in wearable energy resources and building-integrated photovoltaics. Therefore, the flexible and semitransparent OSCs have developed rapidly in recent years through the synergistic efforts in developing novel flexible bottom or top transparent electrodes, designing and synthesizing high performance photoactive layer and low temperature processed electrode buffer layer materials, and device architecture engineering. To date, the highest power conversion efficiencies have reached over 10% of the flexible OSCs and 7.7% with average visible transmittance of 37% for the semitransparent OSCs. Here, a comprehensive overview of recent research progresses and perspectives on the related materials and devices of the flexible and semitransparent OSCs is provided.

Flexible and Semitransparent Organic Solar Cells

A novel and simple plasmonic filter based on metal-insulator-metal plasmonic waveguides with a nanodisk resonator is proposed and investigated numerically. By the resonant theory of disk-shaped nanocavity, we find that the resonance wavelengths can be easily manipulated by adjusting the radius and refractive index of the nanocavity, which is in good agreement with the results obtained by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. In addition, the bandwidths of resonance spectra are tunable by changing the coupling distance between the nanocavity and waveguides. This result achieved by FDTD simulations can be accurately analyzed by temporal coupled mode theory. Our filters have important potential applications in high-density plasmonic integration circuits.

Tunable band-pass plasmonic waveguide filters with nanodisk resonators

The tunable multi-channel wavelength demultiplexer (WDM) based on metal-insulator-metal plasmonic nanodisk resonators is designed and numerically investigated by utilizing Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) simulations. It is found that the channel wavelength of WDM is easily tuned by changing the geometrical parameters of the structure and the material filled in the nanodisk resonator. The multi-channel WDM structure consisting of a plasmonic waveguide and several nanodisk resonators increases the transmission up to 70% at telecommunication regime, which is two times higher than the results reported in a recent literature [Opt. Express 18, 11111 (2010)]. Our WDM can find important potential applications in highly integrated optical circuits.

Tunable multi-channel wavelength demultiplexer based on MIM plasmonic nanodisk resonators at telecommunication regime

A compact wavelength demultiplexing structure based on arrayed metal-insulator-metal (MIM) slot cavities is proposed and demonstrated numerically. The structure consists of a bus waveguide perpendicularly coupled with a series of slot cavities, each of which captures SPPs at the resonance frequency from the bus waveguide and tunes the transmission wavelength by changing its geometrical parameters. A cavity theory model is used to design the operating wavelengths of the structure. Moreover, single band transmission of each channel and the adjustable transmission bandwidth can be obtained by altering the drop waveguide positions and the coupling distance. The proposed arrayed slot cavity-based structure could be utilized to develop ultracompact optical wavelength demultiplexing device for large-scale photonic integration.

Wavelength demultiplexing structure based on arrayed plasmonic slot cavities

A surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) refractive index sensor which consists of two metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguides coupled to each other by a ring resonator is proposed. The transmission properties are numerically simulated by finite element method. The sensing characteristics of such structure are systematically analyzed by investigating the transmission spectrum. The results indicate that there exist three resonance peaks in the transmission spectrum, and all of which have a linear relationship with the refractive index of the material under sensing. Through the optimization of structural parameters, we achieve a theoretical value of the refractive index sensitivity as high as 3460nmRIU(-1). Furthermore, this structure can also be used as a temperature sensor with temperature sensitivity of 1.36nm/°C. This work paves the way toward sensitive nanometer scale refractive index sensor and temperature sensor for design and application.

The sensing characteristics of plasmonic waveguide with a ring resonator

A two-dimensional nanoscale structure which consists of two metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguides coupled to each other by a ring resonator is designed. The transmission characteristics of surface plasmon polaritons are studied in this structure. There are several types of modes in the transmission spectrum. These modes exhibit red shift when the radius of the ring increases. The transmission properties of such structure are simulated by the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method, and the eignwavelengths of the ring resonator are calculated theoretically. Results obtained by the theory of the ring resonator are consistent with those from the FDTD simulations.

The transmission characteristics of surface plasmon polaritons in ring resonator

We find that the angle between elementary lattice vectors obviously affects the bandwidth and dispersion of slow light in photonic crystal line-defect waveguides. When the fluctuation of group index is strictly limited in a ±1% range, the oblique lattice structures with the angle between elementary lattice vectors slightly larger than 60° have broader available bandwidth of flat band slow light than triangular lattice structures. For example, for the angle 66°, there are increases of the available bandwidth from 20% to 68% for several different structures. For the same angle and a ±10% variation in group velocity, when group indices are nearly constants of 30, 48.5, 80 and 130, their corresponding bandwidths of flat band reach 20 nm, 11.8 nm, 7.3 nm and 3.9 nm around 1550 nm, respectively. The increasing of bandwidth is related to the shift of the anticrossing point towards smaller wave numbers.

Wideband slow light and dispersion control in oblique lattice photonic crystal waveguides

The 4 × 4 transfer matrix for the magneto-optical layer at oblique incidence is derived. With the help of the transfer matrix, the magneto-optical properties of one-dimensional conjugated magnetophotonic crystals (MPC) heterojunctions are studied. The results show that there exists a Tamm state localized at the interface between conjugated MPC. By coupling the Tamm states, high transmittance and large Faraday rotation angle can be obtained simultaneously in conjugated MPC multiple heterojunctions structure. It can be used to make novel mageto-optical device, promised to further application in optical information process.

Magneto-optical properties of one-dimensional conjugated magnetophotonic crystals heterojunctions

Complete evanescent tunneling gaps in one-dimensional photonic crystals

We study the electromagnetic surface modes supported by the interface between semi-infinite one-dimensional photonic crystals composed of dispersive metamaterials and a homogeneous medium in the presence of the cap layer. A new type of surface mode is found in such structure, and these surface modes can exhibit strong resonance at the first period of the photonic crystal. These resonant surface modes originate from the material dispersion. Another type of surface mode with structural resonance can appear in the thick cap layer. The influences of physical parameters of the structure on the surface modes have also been investigated.

Tong-Biao Wang

Papers

The transmission characteristics of surface plasmon polaritons in ring resonator

Wideband slow light and dispersion control in oblique lattice photonic crystal waveguides

Magneto-optical properties of one-dimensional conjugated magnetophotonic crystals heterojunctions

Complete evanescent tunneling gaps in one-dimensional photonic crystals

Electromagnetic surface modes in one-dimensional photonic crystals with dispersive metamaterials