The internal quantum effi ciency (IQE) of solid-state dye sensitized solar cells (ssDSCs) is measured using a hybrid optical modeling plus absorptance measurement approach which takes into account the parasitic absorption of the hole transport material (HTM). Across device thicknesses of 1 to 4 microns, ssDSCs sensitized with Z907 and TT1 dyes display relatively constant IQEs of approximately 8...

In this study we apply an existing optical characterisation technique to establish reliably the complex refractive indices of layers comprising a natural multilayer reflector in the beetle Chrysochroa raja. Its reflector characteristics, ultrastructure and layer thicknesses were established using electron and optical microscopy. We recorded a significant number of wavelength dependent optical d...

Dichalcogenides with the common formula MX(2) are layered materials with electrical properties that range from semiconducting to superconducting. Here, we describe optimal imaging conditions for the optical detection of ultrathin, two-dimensional dichalcogenide nanocrystals containing single, double and triple layers of MoS(2), WSe(2) and NbSe(2). A simple optical model is used to calculate the...

We present a short review of some optical devices based on multilayered porous silicon, which can be easily obtained by varying the formation current during the etching process. These include Bragg reflectors and Fabry–Pérot microcavities, which can be adjusted from the visible to the near infrared. The interface roughness, tragic in the case of multilayers, is studied. It can be drastically re...

This paper addresses the statistics underlying cloudy sky radiative transfer (RT) by inspection of the distribution of the path lengths of solar photons. Recent studies indicate that this approach is promising, since it might reveal characteristics about the diffusion process underlying atmospheric radiative transfer (Pfeilsticker, 1999). Moreover, it uses an observable that is directly related...

We have developed the 3-dimensional optical model for thin film silicon solar cells (amorphous, microcrystalline, single or multijunction) with nanorough surfaces/interfaces. For these cells the external quantum efficiency, short circuit current, total reflectance and all absorption losses can be computed taking into account roughness, angular distribution of scattered light, thicknesses and ex...

Water is a persistent background in virtually all biosensors, yet is difficult to quantify. We apply an interferometric optical balance to measure water film accumulation from air onto several types of prepared silica surfaces. The optical balance uses in-line common-path interferometry with balanced quadratures to measure the real-time accumulation of molecular films. The accumulated water thi...

Studies of the interactions between cells and surrounding environment including cell culture surfaces and their responses to distinct chemical and physical cues are essential to understanding the regulation of cell growth, migration, and differentiation. In this work, we demonstrate the capability of a label-free optical imaging technique-surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-to quantitatively invest...

In this study we analyze and discuss the optical properties of various tandem architectures: mechanically stacked (four-terminal) and monolithically integrated (two-terminal) tandem devices, consisting of a methyl ammonium lead triiodide (CH(3)NH(3)PbI(3)) perovskite top solar cell and a crystalline silicon bottom solar cell. We provide layer thickness optimization guidelines and give estimates...