Modeling and Design of Mixed-coherence Optical Stacks

Abstract : A Mathematica-based program for designing layered optical structures is described that can compute the optical properties at an arbitrary angle of incidence for stacks containing anisotropic and dispersive materials as well as stacks that contain a mixture of coherent and incoherent sections. The program can be used to calculate the properties of a fully specified optical stack or can be used to optimize some property of the stack by varying the thickness or optical properties of the constituent layers. Examples are provided for optimization of a solar cell that has coherent optical layers deposited on an essentially incoherent substrate.