Limit of light coupling strength in solar cells

We introduce a limit for the strength of coupling light into the modes of solar cells. This limit depends on both a cell's thickness and its modal properties. For a cell with refractive index n and thickness d, we obtain a maximal coupling rate of 2c root n(2) - 1/d, where c is speed of light. Our method can be used in the design of solar cells and in calculating their efficiency limits; besides, it can be applied to a broad variety of resonant phenomena and devices. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4801311]