Dielectric Waveguides and their Use in Solar Cells

In this paper, I discuss a brief history of waveguide technologies, followed by a derivation of the behavior of light in a cylindrical dielectric. The cutoff conditions and an expression relating wavelength modes and wavelength radius will be derived. Next, the effectiveness of nanowire thin films as waveguides for increasing light trapping in solar cells will be discussed. Experimental results will be presented showing decreased light reflection from Si solar cells covered with ZnO nanowire arrays.