  Simulations of metal nanopatterns embedded in a thin photovoltaic absorber
show significantly enhanced absorbance within the semiconductor, with a more
than 300% increase for {\lambda} = 800 nm. Integrating with AM1.5 solar
irradiation, this yields a 70% increase in simulated short circuit current
density in a 60 nm amorphous silicon film. Embedding such metal patterns inside
an absorber maximally utilizes enhanced electric fields that result from
intense, spatially organized, near-field scattering in the vicinity of the
pattern. Appropriately configured (i.e. with a thin insulating coating), this
optical metamedium architecture may be useful for increasing photovoltaic
efficiency in thin film solar cells, including offering prospects for realistic
ultrathin hot electron cells.
