FDTD modeling to enhance the performance of an organic solar cell embedded with gold nanoparticles

Optical enhancement is demonstrated in a bilayer P3HT-C60 solar cell by embedding gold nanoparticles directly into the P3HT layer of the photovoltaic device. FDTD simulations are used to model the observed performance gain. A qualitative agreement between the experimental and numerical results is achieved. This validates the numerical model and the simulation is subsequently extended to predict the performance gain of the bilayer device constructed with thinner P3HT layer. The numerical results reveal that the plasmonic structure has even larger effect on such thinner bilayer device. The enhancement is expected to be most significant when the p-n interface is allowed to assume the conformal hemispherical profile of the metal particles.