Enhanced light harvesting in dye-sensitized solar cells coupled with titania nanotube photonic crystals: A theoretical study

Herein we present a theoretical analysis on the optical properties and the photocurrent enhancement of nanotube-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) coupled with a TiO₂ nanotube (NT) photonic crystal (PC). It is found that the introduction of a TiO₂ nanotube PC produces both Bragg mirror effect and Fabry-Perot cavity behavior, leading to a significant enhancement of light harvesting for photons in the photonic bandgap and at the two band edges. In addition, an increased amount of surface-anchored dye due to the larger surface area in the NT PC layer also causes absorption enhancement in the whole visible spectrum. The effects of structural parameters of the PC, such as the thickness of the PC layer, the axial lattice constant, the diameter of the nanotube, and light incident angle, on the optical properties and photocurrent magnification are thoroughly studied. The optimum structural parameters are proposed, which not only provide guidance but also offer further opportunities in the design and applications of TiO₂ nanotube photonic crystals.