Embedded noble metal nanostructures and surface anti-reflection (AR) layers affect the optical properties of methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) perovskite solar cells significantly. Herein, by employing a combined finite element method and genetic algorithm approach, we report five different types of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells by introducing embedded Ag nanoparticles within the CH3NH3PbI3 layer and/or top ITO cylinder grating as an AR layer. The maximum photocurrent was optimized to reach 23.56 mA/cm2, which was 1.09/1.17 times higher than Tran’s report/ flat cases. It is also comparable with values (23.6 mA/cm2) reported in the literature. The calculations of the electric field and charge carrier generation rate of the optimized solar cell further confirms this improvement than flat cases. It attributes to the synergistic effect of the embedded Ag nanoparticles and ITO AR layer. The results obtained herein hold great promise for future boosting the optical efficiency of perovskite solar cells.

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The unique refractory plasmonic properties and strong enhancement of the electric field within the inherent gap of titanium nitride (TiN) nanodonuts make them excellent candidates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)- and refractive index (RI)-sensing applications. The eccentricity and split angles are critical parameters for tuning the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of the donuts, which were numerically investigated using the finite element method herein. We demonstrated that the proposed donuts provided efficient SERS and RI sensing substrates capable of working in regions ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (NIR). By adjusting the eccentricity and split angles, the corresponding optimized RI sensitivity and SERS enhancement factor reached 1,374 nm/RIU and 6.8 × 104, respectively. Moreover, the effects of both incident polarisation and electromagnetic (EM) field distributions on the LSPR properties were elucidated and discussed. This study provides new insights for understanding the LSPR properties of TiN nanoparticles and enables the rational design of efficient refractory plasmon-based SERS and RI-sensing substrates.

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