Selectively Transparent and Conducting Photonic Crystals and their Potential to Enhance the Performance of Thin-Film Silicon-Based Photovoltaics and Other Optoelectronic Devices

Paul O'Brien

Department of Chemistry and the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Photonics)

Abstract:

Selectively transparent and conducting photonic crystals (STCPCs) are a paradigm shift in the field of PCs as they are the first transparent material to offer the combined properties of tunable spectral reflection and conductivity comparable to that of sputtered indium-tin oxide. In this talk I will present one-dimensional silica-nanoparticle based STCPCs, which are effectively Bragg-stacks, that exhibit broad and intense Bragg reflectance peaks. Given their exceptional properties, these enhanced STCPCs could potentially be the next generation platform for integration into and enhancement of the opto-electronic performance of numerous devices including lasers, electrochemical, biomedical, and optical telecommunication devices. In this talk I will discuss the potential benefits of integrating STCPCs as intermediate reflectors in thin-film silicon-based solar cells, as the rear-contact in building integrated photovoltaic solar cells panels, and as anodes that create microcavities in OLED devices in order to narrow the spectral line width of their emission.

Biography:

Paul O'Brien is a postdoctoral associate in the department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto, currently working with Prof. Ozin's and Prof. Kherani's Group. He just recently completed his Ph.D with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. He is the author of numerous publications that appear in journals such as Advanced Materials, Optics Express and Nano Letters. He is also first author of the recently published patent "Transparent conductive porous nanocomposites and methods of fabrication thereof".