@inproceedings{8612a07f875d44d3bd4f72a0e8eb566d,
title = "On optical-absorption peaks in a nonhomogeneous dielectric material over a two-dimensional metallic surface-relief grating",
abstract = "The rigorous coupled-wave approach (RCWA) was used to calculate the optical absorption in a dielectric material deposited over a two-dimensional (2D) metallic surface-relief grating. The dielectric material was taken to be nonhomogeneous in the direction normal to the mean plane of the grating. The grating was chosen to comprise hillocks on a square grid. On illumination by a monochromatic plane waves, the chosen structure should support the excitation of two types of guided-wave modes: surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves and waveguide modes (WGMs). Two cases were considered: (i) a 1D photonic crystal made from layers of silicon oxynitrides of differing composition, and (ii) a tandem solar cell comprising three amorphous-silicon p-i-n junctions. Optical absorption was studied in relation to the direction of propagation, polarization state, and the free-space wavelength of the incident plane wave. Several but not all absorptance peaks were correlated with the excitations of SPP-wave modes and WGMs predicted by the solutions of the underlying canonical boundary-value problems for guided-wave propagation. Some peaks of useful absorptances in the solar cell were also predicted by solutions of the canonical problems.",
author = "Faiz Ahmad and Anderson, {Tom H.} and Civiletti, {Benjamin J.} and Monk, {Peter B.} and Akhlesh Lakhtakia",
note = "Funding Information: The research of F. Ahmed and A. Lakhtakia is partially supported by US National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant number DMS-1619901. The research of B.J. Civiletti, T.H. Anderson, and P.B. Monk is partially supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant number DMS-1619904. Funding Information: F. Ahmad thanks the Graduate School and the College of Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, for a University Graduate Fellowship during the first year of his doctoral studies. A. Lakhtakia thanks the Charles Godfrey Binder Endowment at the Pennsylvania State University for ongoing support of his research.; Nanostructured Thin Films X 2017 ; Conference date: 09-08-2017 Through 10-08-2017",
year = "2017",
doi = "10.1117/12.2274142",
language = "English (US)",
series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",
publisher = "SPIE",
editor = "Mackay, {Tom G.} and Yi-Jun Jen and Akhlesh Lakhtakia",
booktitle = "Nanostructured Thin Films X",
address = "United States",
}