Absorption of light in InP nanowire arrays

Nicklas Anttu, Alireza Abrand, Damir Asoli, Magnus Heurlin, Ingvar Aberg, Lars Samuelson, Magnus Borgström

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

An understanding of the absorption of light is essential for efficient photovoltaic and photodetection applications with III-V nanowire arrays. Here, we correlate experiments with modeling and verify experimentally the predicted absorption of light in InP nanowire arrays for varying nanowire diameter and length. We find that 2,000 nm long nanowires in a pitch of 400 nm can absorb 94% of the incident light with energy above the band gap and, as a consequence, light which in a simple ray-optics description would be travelling between the nanowires can be efficiently absorbed by the nanowires. Our measurements demonstrate that the absorption for long nanowires is limited by insertion reflection losses when light is coupled from the air top-region into the array. These reflection losses can be reduced by introducing a smaller diameter to the nanowire-part closest to the air top-region. For nanowire arrays with such a nanowire morphology modulation, we find that the absorptance increases monotonously with increasing diameter of the rest of the nanowire.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)816-823
JournalNano Reseach
Volume7
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Nano Technology

Free keywords

  • indium phosphide
  • semiconductor
  • nanowire
  • absorption of light

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