Backscattering in Nanoparticles for Energy Harvesting Applications

Recent interest in nanotechnology has focused on enhancing energy harvesting efficiency from sustainable sources, with nanoparticles playing a key role due to their unique properties and applications. A major obstacle to optimal performance is nanoparticle backscattering in metasurfaces over solar cells, which reduces efficiency and undermines the benefits of advanced nanotechnology designs. Current methods for analyzing nanoparticle backscattering involve using an infinite series expansion of the Mie solution or employing computationally intensive numerical field solvers. This work develops simplified analytical models to analyze backscattering and determine the impact of nanoparticle and material selection on enhanced energy harvesting. The results are compared with the Mie solution to validate the model’s findings. The proposed solution improves the performance of nanoparticle-based energy harvesting devices, aligning with global efforts toward a clean and renewable energy future.