Design strategies for ultra-high efficiency photovoltaics

While concentrator photovoltaic cells have shown significant improvements in efficiency in the past ten years, once these cells are integrated into concentrating optics, connected to a power conditioning system and deployed in the field, the overall module efficiency drops to only 34 to 36%. This efficiency is impressive compared to conventional flat plate modules, but it is far short of the theoretical limits for solar energy conversion. Designing a system capable of achieving ultra high efficiency of 50% or greater cannot be achieved by refinement and iteration of current design approaches.

This thesis takes a systems approach to designing a photovoltaic system capable of 50% efficient performance using conventional diode-based solar cells. The effort began with an exploration of the limiting efficiency of spectrum splitting ensembles with 2 to 20 sub cells in different electrical configurations. Incorporating realistic non-ideal performance with the computationally simple detailed balance approach resulted in practical limits that are useful to identify specific cell performance requirements. This effort quantified the relative benefit of additional cells and concentration for system efficiency, which will help in designing practical optical systems.

Efforts to improve the quality of the solar cells themselves focused on the development of tunable lattice constant epitaxial templates. Initially intended to enable lattice matched multijunction solar cells, these templates would enable increased flexibility in band gap selection for spectrum splitting ensembles and enhanced radiative quality relative to metamorphic growth. The III-V material family is commonly used for multijunction solar cells both for its high radiative quality and for the ease of integrating multiple band gaps into one monolithic growth. The band gap flexibility is limited by the lattice constant of available growth templates. The virtual substrate consists of a thin III-V film with the desired lattice constant. The film is grown strained on an available wafer substrate, but the thickness is below the dislocation nucleation threshold. By removing the film from the growth substrate, allowing the strain to relax elastically, and bonding it to a supportive handle, a template with the desired lattice constant is formed. Experimental efforts towards this structure and initial proof of concept are presented.

Cells with high radiative quality present the opportunity to recover a large amount of their radiative losses if they are incorporated in an ensemble that couples emission from one cell to another. This effect is well known, but has been explored previously in the context of sub cells that independently operate at their maximum power point. This analysis explicitly accounts for the system interaction and identifies ways to enhance overall performance by operating some cells in an ensemble at voltages that reduce the power converted in the individual cell. Series connected multijunctions, which by their nature facilitate strong optical coupling between sub-cells, are reoptimized with substantial performance benefit.

Photovoltaic efficiency is usually measured relative to a standard incident spectrum to allow comparison between systems. Deployed in the field systems may differ in energy production due to sensitivity to changes in the spectrum. The series connection constraint in particular causes system efficiency to decrease as the incident spectrum deviates from the standard spectral composition. This thesis performs a case study comparing performance of systems over a year at a particular location to identify the energy production penalty caused by series connection relative to independent electrical connection.

Rate and Microstructure Effects on the Dynamics of Carbon Nanotube Foams

Soft hierarchical materials often present unique functional properties that are sensitive to the geometry and organization of their micro- and nano-structural features across different lengthscales. Carbon Nanotube (CNT) foams are hierarchical materials with fibrous morphology that are known for their remarkable physical, chemical and electrical properties. Their complex microstructure has led them to exhibit intriguing mechanical responses at different length-scales and in different loading regimes. Even though these materials have been studied for mechanical behavior over the past few years, their response at high-rate finite deformations and the influence of their microstructure on bulk mechanical behavior and energy dissipative characteristics remain elusive.

In this dissertation, we study the response of aligned CNT foams at the high strain-rate regime of 10² - 10⁴ s^-1. We investigate their bulk dynamic response and the fundamental deformation mechanisms at different lengthscales, and correlate them to the microstructural characteristics of the foams. We develop an experimental platform, with which to study the mechanics of CNT foams in high-rate deformations, that includes direct measurements of the strain and transmitted forces, and allows for a full field visualization of the sample’s deformation through high-speed microscopy.

We synthesize various CNT foams (e.g., vertically aligned CNT (VACNT) foams, helical CNT foams, micro-architectured VACNT foams and VACNT foams with microscale heterogeneities) and show that the bulk functional properties of these materials are highly tunable either by tailoring their microstructure during synthesis or by designing micro-architectures that exploit the principles of structural mechanics. We also develop numerical models to describe the bulk dynamic response using multiscale mass-spring models and identify the mechanical properties at length scales that are smaller than the sample height.

The ability to control the geometry of microstructural features, and their local interactions, allows the creation of novel hierarchical materials with desired functional properties. The fundamental understanding provided by this work on the key structure-function relations that govern the bulk response of CNT foams can be extended to other fibrous, soft and hierarchical materials. The findings can be used to design materials with tailored properties for different engineering applications, like vibration damping, impact mitigation and packaging.

Mitigating Scarring and Inflammation during Corneal Wound Healing using Nanofiber-Hydrogel Scaffolds

Due to the universal lack of donor tissue, there has been emerging interest in engineering materials to stimulate living cells to restore the features and functions of injured organs. We are particularly interested in developing materials for corneal use, where the necessity to maintain the tissue’s transparency presents an additional challenge. Every year, there are 1.5 – 2 million new cases of monocular blindness due to irregular healing of corneal injuries, dwarfing the approximately 150,000 corneal transplants performed. The large gap between the need and availability of cornea transplantation motivates us to develop a wound-healing scaffold that can prevent corneal blindness.

To develop such a scaffold, it is necessary to regulate the cells responsible for repairing the damaged cornea, namely myofibroblasts, which are responsible for the disordered and non-refractive index matched scar that leads to corneal blindness. Using in vitro assays, we identified that protein nanofibers of certain orientation can promote cell migration and modulate the myofibroblast phenotype. The nanofibers are also transparent, easy to handle and non-cytotoxic. To adhere the nanofibers to a wound bed, we examined the use of two different in situ forming hydrogels: an artificial extracellular matrix protein (aECM)-based gel and a photo-crosslinkable heparin-based gel. Both hydrogels can be formed within minutes, are transparent upon gelation and are easily tunable.

Using an in vivo mouse model for epithelial defects, we show that our corneal scaffolds (nanofibers together with hydrogel) are well-tolerated (no inflammatory response or turbidity) and support epithelium regrowth. We developed an ex vivo corneal tissue culture model where corneas that are wounded and treated with our scaffold can be cultured while retaining their ability to repair wounds for up to 21 days. Using this technique, we found that the aECM-based treatment induced a more favorable wound response than the heparin-based treatment, prompting us to further examine the efficacy of the aECM-based treatment in vivo using a rabbit model for stromal wounds. Results show that treated corneas have fewer myofibroblasts and immune cells than untreated ones, indicating that our corneal scaffold shows promise in promoting a calmer wound response and preventing corneal haze formation.

Scalable Methods for Deterministic Integration of Quantum Emitters in Photonic Crystal Cavities

We investigated four unique methods for achieving scalable, deterministic integration of quantum emitters into ultra-high Q{V photonic crystal cavities, including selective area heteroepitaxy, engineered photoemission from silicon nanostructures, wafer bonding and dimensional reduction of III-V quantum wells, and cavity-enhanced optical trapping. In these areas, we were able to demonstrate site-selective heteroepitaxy, size-tunable photoluminescence from silicon nanostructures, Purcell modification of QW emission spectra, and limits of cavity-enhanced optical trapping designs which exceed any reports in the literature and suggest the feasibility of capturing- and detecting nanostructures with dimensions below 10 nm. In addition to process scalability and the requirement for achieving accurate spectral- and spatial overlap between the emitter and cavity, these techniques paid specific attention to the ability to separate the cavity and emitter material systems in order to allow optimal selection of these independently, and eventually enable monolithic integration with other photonic and electronic circuitry.

We also developed an analytic photonic crystal design process yielding optimized cavity tapers with minimal computational effort, and reported on a general cavity modification which exhibits improved fabrication tolerance by relying exclusively on positional- rather than dimensional tapering. We compared several experimental coupling techniques for device characterization. Significant efforts were devoted to optimizing cavity fabrication, including the use of atomic layer deposition to improve surface quality, exploration into factors affecting the design fracturing, and automated analysis of SEM images. Using optimized fabrication procedures, we experimentally demonstrated 1D photonic crystal nanobeam cavities exhibiting the highest Q/V reported on substrate. Finally, we analyzed the bistable behavior of the devices to quantify the nonlinear optical response of our cavities.

Light-matter Interactions in Semiconductors and Metals: From Nitride Optoelectronics to Quantum Plasmonics

This thesis puts forth a theory-directed approach coupled with spectroscopy aimed at the discovery and understanding of light-matter interactions in semiconductors and metals.

The first part of the thesis presents the discovery and development of Zn-IV nitride materials.The commercial prominence in the optoelectronics industry of tunable semiconductor alloy materials based on nitride semiconductor devices, specifically InGaN, motivates the search for earth-abundant alternatives for use in efficient, high-quality optoelectronic devices. II-IV-N2 compounds, which are closely related to the wurtzite-structured III-N semiconductors, have similar electronic and optical properties to InGaN namely direct band gaps, high quantum efficiencies and large optical absorption coefficients. The choice of different group II and group IV elements provides chemical diversity that can be exploited to tune the structural and electronic properties through the series of alloys. The first theoretical and experimental investigation of the ZnSnxGe1−xN2 series as a replacement for III-nitrides is discussed here.

The second half of the thesis shows ab−initio calculations for surface plasmons and plasmonic hot carrier dynamics. Surface plasmons, electromagnetic modes confined to the surface of a conductor-dielectric interface, have sparked renewed interest because of their quantum nature and their broad range of applications. The decay of surface plasmons is usually a detriment in the field of plasmonics, but the possibility to capture the energy normally lost to heat would open new opportunities in photon sensors, energy conversion devices and switching. A theoretical understanding of plasmon-driven hot carrier generation and relaxation dynamics in the ultrafast regime is presented here. Additionally calculations for plasmon-mediated upconversion as well as an energy-dependent transport model for these non-equilibrium carriers are shown.

Finally, this thesis gives an outlook on the potential of non-equilibrium phenomena in metals and semiconductors for future light-based technologies.

Composite second-order performance improvement in optical fibre CATV transmission system using chirped fibre grating

Theoretically, we analyse the dispersion compensation characteristics of the chirped fibre grating (CFG) in an optical fibre cable television (CATV) system and obtain the analytic expression of the composite second-order (CSO) distortion using the time-domain form of the field envelope wave equation. The obtained result is in good agreement with the numerical simulation result. Experimentally, we verify the result by making use of the tunable characteristics of CFG to change the dispersion compensation amount and obtain an optimal CSO performance in a 125km fibre transmission link. Both the theoretical and experimental results show that the CSO performance can be improved by properly choosing the dispersion compensation amount for a certain fibre transmission link.

一种闭环控制的光纤光栅动态色散补偿仪

利用啁啾光纤光栅的应变调谐特性，将色散补偿的啁啾光纤光栅斜贴于悬臂梁的侧面，通过应力实现啁啾量调整而改变其色散补偿量的大小，同时利用固定在同一悬臂梁的均匀布拉格光栅传感器，实现了闭环自动控制色散补偿量，研制出了一种新型的光纤光栅动态色散补偿仪。该色散补偿仪工作在1550nm波段，典型性能数据为：色散动态补偿范围-1000-1680ps／nm，插入损耗小于1．5dB，动态调谐步进响应时间小于50ms，基本上能满足10Gb／s光纤通信系统中色散动态补偿的要求。

Laser beam shaping system with a radial birefringent filter

Reshaping of a Gaussian laser beam into a uniform or other intensity distribution is required for various applications. The laser beam shaping system with a radial birefringent filter is presented in this paper. With such a system the Gaussian beams can be transformed into uniform or annular beams. The theory and simulation of the proposed systems are described in detail. The primary advantage of such a system is that the out beam pro. le can be tunable with the rotation of the radial birefringent element.

Analysis of dispersion compensation by chirped fiber grating in directly and externally modulated CATV systems

The dispersion compensation effect of the chirped fiber grating (CFG) is analyzed theoretically, and analytic expressions are derived for composite second-order (CSO) distortion in analog modulated sub-carrier multiplexed (AM-SCM) cable television (CATV) systems with externally and directly modulated transmitters. Simulations are given for the two kinds of modulations and for standard single mode fiber and non-zero dispersion shift fiber (NZDSF) systems. The results show that CFG could be used as a dispersion compensator in directly modulated systems, but its dispersion coefficient should be adjusted much more precisely than the externally modulated system. The requirements for the NZDSF system could be loosened much. It is proposed that directly modulated source may be used as a transmitter in CATV systems combined with tunable CFG dispersion compensator being adjusted precisely, which may be more cost-effective than externally modulation technology. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Propriedades ópticas, magnéticas e estruturais de monocristais Cs2NaAlF6 dopados com cromo trivalente

Este trabalho teve por objetivo a realização do estudo das propriedades ópticas, magnéticas e estruturais do cristal elpasolita Cs2NaAlF6 dopado com as concentrações de 0,1%, 1,0%, 3,0%, 10,0%, 30,0% e 50,0% de Cr3+. O interesse no estudo deste sistema reside na existência de uma larga e intensa banda de luminescência na temperatura ambiente, que se estende do visível ao infravermelho próximo, podendo então ser utilizado como fonte de radiação sintonizável em dispositivos ópticos, optoeletrônicos e detectores, entre outros. Para a investigação das propriedades ópticas foram feitas medidas de luminescência, excitação e luminescência resolvida no tempo, na temperatura ambiente e a baixas temperaturas. Os resultados obtidos mostram largas bandas de luminescência atribuídas aos íons de Cr3+, ocupando dois sítios octaédricos não equivalentes. Os resultados também mostram que a intensidade integrada da luminescência, o baricentro da banda de emissão e o tempo de vida do estado luminescente variam com a concentração de impureza residente no sistema. Foram realizadas medidas de calor específico em função do campo magnético em uma larga faixa de temperatura, cujos resultados mostram o aparecimento do efeito Schottky a baixas temperaturas. Medidas de susceptibilidade magnética em funcão da temperatura também foram realizadas, e mostram um comportamento paramagnético, típico do íon impureza Cr3+, com um ordenamento magnético de curto alcance. Para a determinação das propriedades estruturais foram realizadas medidas de difração de nêutrons na temperatura ambiente.

ICF中可调法布里-珀罗滤波器间距稳定度研究

在神光Ⅱ第9路ICF高功率激光装置中，采用可调法布里-珀罗（F-P）滤波器对幅度调制效应进行补偿，根据补偿装置的技术要求，提出-种应用nm量级精度的电容式位移传感器对可调F-P滤波器间距稳定度进行监控的系统，详细论述了监控系统的结构与工作原理。给出了电容式位移传感器的驱动电路及数据处理与控制软件的设计方案，并对电容式位移传感器的精度进行了标定。实验结果表明，该位移监控系统能够使可调F—P滤波器的间距稳定度保持在15nm／h以内，使幅度调制效应的调制深度优于4％。

一种利用相位掩模版对光栅波长进行微调的光栅刻写方法

提出并实验证实了一种刻写光栅时既能保护相位版又能对光栅的反射波长进行微调的方法．通过调整光纤和相位版之间的距离，利用1550nm单模光纤和掺铒分别实现了0．48nm和2．2nm的光栅反射波长的调节．在相位版和光纤之间的距离保持在3mm的条件下，既可以保护相位版又可以获得高质量的光栅．

Molecular Antennas and Photoactive Nanomaterials based on Energy Transfer Processes

110 p.

Gradient force pattern, focal shift, and focal switch in an apodized optical system

In this paper, the evolution of the gradient force pattern, focal shift, and focal switch induced by a three-portion pure phase-shifting apodizer is numerically investigated in detail. The results show that the proposed apodizer may induce tunable gradient force on the particles in the focal region, focal shift, and focal switch. By adjusting the geometrical parameters of the phase-shifting apodizer, multiple traps may occur with changeable distance between them, and the shape of the optical trap also evolves evidently. More interestingly, for certain geometrical parameters of the proposed apodizer, by changing the phase shift of inner annular portion, the considerable focal shift may occur with focal switch accompanying, which is discussed to show that this kind of apodizer may be a very promising method of transporting trapped particles. © 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Cr~(2+):ZnSe的激光输出和调谐性能

Cr~(2+):ZnSe具有很宽的吸收带和发射带,是中红外波段优秀的可调谐激光材料。从吸收光谱、发射光谱以及角度调谐输出对Cr~(2+):ZnSe晶体的激光输出性能进行了研究。采用真空高温扩散法制备Cr~(2+):ZnSe晶体.获得了高浓度的Cr~(2+)离子掺杂的厚1.7 mm,直径10 mm的薄片ZnSe晶体。使用中心波长2.05μm,最大输出功率8 W的Tm离子掺杂的光纤激光器抽运,使用平凹腔结构搭建谐振腔,获得了最大平均功率1.034 W,中心波长2.367μm,线宽10 nm的连续激光输出。利用角度调谐的方法,对Cr:ZnSe晶体的调谐性能进行了研究,在100 nm范围内获得了调谐输出。