Metal-mesh-integrated lateral nanowire array solar cells for ultra-thin photovoltaic antennas

An integrated photovoltaic antenna based on a lateral nanowire array solar cell and metal mesh is proposed and studied by three-dimensional electromagnetic simulation. The results show that the integration of the metal meshed antenna significantly enhances the absorption of the nanowire array due to the diffraction effects of the two-dimensional grating and the excitation of localized surface plasmons. By optimizing the nanowire diameter, antenna linewidth, and gap between them, the integrated solar cell achieves a maximum conversion efficiency of 11.1%, 38% higher than that before integration. The antenna exhibits an operational frequency range of 5.88-6.16 THz (S₁₁ < 10 dB) and radiation efficiency of 59.617%, which are almost unaffected by the underlying solar cell due to the ultra-small thickness of nanowires. This study may pave the way for the development of ultra-thin flexible high-performance integrated photovoltaic antennas.