Theoretical Analysis of the Performance of One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

A simple analytical model that allows designing one-dimensional photonic crystal based dye sensitized solar cells of optimized performance, accounting for the actual optical features of the device, is herein presented. Based on the theoretical description of the effect of coupling such Bragg mirrors to the light harvesting electrode, recently reported experimental values of the spectral dependence of incident photon to current conversion efficiency attained for such structures are fairly reproduced and rationalized. A thorough analysis of them in terms of the interplay between the effect of the electrode thickness and the characteristics of the Bragg reflection, such as intensity, spectral position, and width, is provided. Predictions on the maximum enhancement factors expected for realistic structures are also presented.