Hernán Míguez

Large-scale synthesis of a silicon photonic crystal with a complete three-dimensional bandgap near 1.5 micrometres

Photonic technology, using light instead of electrons as the information carrier, is increasingly replacing electronics in communication and information management systems. Microscopic light manipulation, for this purpose, is achievable through photonic bandgap materials, a special class of photonic crystals in which three-dimensional, periodic dielectric constant variations controllably prohibit electromagnetic propagation throughout a specified frequency band. This can result in the localization of photons, thus providing a mechanism for controlling and inhibiting spontaneous light emission that can be exploited for photonic device fabrication. In fact, carefully engineered line defects could act as waveguides connecting photonic devices in all-optical microchips, and infiltration of the photonic material with suitable liquid crystals might produce photonic bandgap structures (and hence light-flow patterns) fully tunable by an externally applied voltage. However, the realization of this technology requires a strategy for the efficient synthesis of high-quality, large-scale photonic crystals with photonic bandgaps at micrometre and sub-micrometre wavelengths, and with rationally designed line and point defects for optical circuitry. Here we describe single crystals of silicon inverse opal with a complete three-dimensional photonic bandgap centred on 1.46 µm, produced by growing silicon inside the voids of an opal template of close-packed silica spheres that are connected by small ‘necks’ formed during sintering, followed by removal of the silica template. The synthesis method is simple and inexpensive, yielding photonic crystals of pure silicon that are easily integrated with existing silicon-based microelectronics.

Control of the Photonic Crystal Properties of fcc-Packed Submicrometer SiO2 Spheres by Sintering

We acknowledge M. Planes for his help during SEM characterization. This work was partially financed by the Spanish CICyT project No. MAT97-0698-C04 and the Fundacion Ramon Areces

Photonic crystal properties of packed submicrometric SiO2 spheres

In this letter, we investigate the optical properties of packed monodisperse silica submicron spheres by means of optical transmission measurements. The results are compatible with a three dimensional face centered cubic order in these solid structures. The lattice parameter of these structures, and therefore their optical properties, can be easily tuned through the sphere size (between 200 and 700 nm) thus covering the whole visible and near infrared spectrum.

Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells with Tunable Structural Color

The performance of perovskite solar cells has been progressing over the past few years and efficiency is likely to continue to increase. However, a negative aspect for the integration of perovskite solar cells in the built environment is that the color gamut available in these materials is very limited and does not cover the green-to-blue region of the visible spectrum, which has been a big selling point for organic photovoltaics. Here, we integrate a porous photonic crystal (PC) scaffold within the photoactive layer of an opaque perovskite solar cell following a bottom-up approach employing inexpensive and scalable liquid processing techniques. The photovoltaic devices presented herein show high efficiency with tunable color across the visible spectrum. This now imbues the perovskite solar cells with highly desirable properties for cladding in the built environment and encourages design of sustainable colorful buildings and iridescent electric vehicles as future power generation sources.

CdS photoluminescence inhibition by a photonic structure

Here we present experimental evidence of the strong modification of the CdS photoluminescence when it is embedded in a SiO2 colloidal photonic crystal. When the emitted light matches a forbidden photonic band in the matrix, inhibition of the semiconductor photoluminescence is achieved. In this work we prove the effective control of this effect by means of the photonic lattice parameter of the host. CdS was grown by chemical bath deposition and its quality has been checked employing Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy is used to study the morphology of the composite.

Unbroken Perovskite: Interplay of Morphology, Electro-optical Properties, and Ionic Movement

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials have risen up as leading components for light-harvesting applications. However, to date many questions are still open concerning the operation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). A systematic analysis of the interplay among structural features, optoelectronic performance, and ionic movement behavior for FA0.83 MA0.17 Pb(I0.83 Br0.17 )3 PSCs is presented, which yield high power conversion efficiencies up to 20.8%.

Response of Nanoparticle-Based One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals to Ambient Vapor Pressure

Herein we report an analysis of the variation of the optical properties of different nanoparticle-based one-dimensional photonic crystal architectures versus changes in the ambient vapor pressure. Gradual shift of the optical response provides us with information on the sorption properties of these structures and allow us to measure precise adsorption isotherms of these porous multilayers. The potential of nanoparticle-based one-dimensional photonic crystals as base materials for optical sensing devices is demonstrated in this way.

Environmental effects on the photophysics of organic-inorganic halide perovskites

The photophysical properties of films of organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites under different ambient conditions are herein reported. We demonstrate that their luminescent properties are determined by the interplay between photoinduced activation and darkening processes, which strongly depend on the atmosphere surrounding the samples. We have isolated oxygen and moisture as the key elements in each process, activation and darkening, both of which involve the interaction with photogenerated carriers. These findings show that environmental factors play a key role in the performance of lead halide perovskites as efficient luminescent materials.

Full spectrum enhancement of the light harvesting efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells by including colloidal photonic crystal multilayers

Herein we report a theoretical analysis of the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells in which colloidal crystals are introduced in different configurations. We find that piling up different lattice constant crystals leads to light harvesting enhancement in the whole dye absorption range. We provide the optimum structural features of such photonic crystal multilayer needed to achieve a photocurrent efficiency enhancement of around 60% with respect to standard dye sensitized solar cells. We demonstrate that this improvement is the result of the optical absorption amplification effect of slow photon resonant modes partially confined within the absorbing part of the cell by the mirror behavior of the colloidal superlattice.

Collective osmotic shock in ordered materials

Osmotic shock in a vesicle or cell is the stress build-up and subsequent rupture of the phospholipid membrane that occurs when a relatively high concentration of salt is unable to cross the membrane and instead an inflow of water alleviates the salt concentration gradient. This is a well-known failure mechanism for cells and vesicles (for example, hypotonic shock) and metal alloys (for example, hydrogen embrittlement). We propose the concept of collective osmotic shock, whereby a coordinated explosive fracture resulting from multiplexing the singular effects of osmotic shock at discrete sites within an ordered material results in regular bicontinuous structures. The concept is demonstrated here using self-assembled block copolymer micelles, yet it is applicable to organized heterogeneous materials where a minority component can be selectively degraded and solvated whilst ensconced in a matrix capable of plastic deformation. We discuss the application of these self-supported, perforated multilayer materials in photonics, nanofiltration and optoelectronics.