New Hybrid Light Harvesting Antenna Based on Silicon Nanowires and Metal Dendrimers

The realization of low-cost silicon (Si) light harvesting antennas, made with industrially compatible technology and implementable in current devices, represents a goal with a tremendous impact for several commercial applications. For the first time, the use of Si nanowires (NWs) as energy donor in a light harvesting antenna is demonstrated. Through a detailed study of the optical properties, an energy transfer process from the NWs to the dyes is reported here. In this paper, the realization of this novel hybrid material based on the luminescence of ultra-thin Si NWs and dyes demonstrates the potential of these systems for the transfer of light, opening the route to several strategic applications from photonics to photovoltaics, sensors, and bio-imaging.