UNS: The intersection of photonics and nonimaging optics in luminescent concentration

UNS：光子学和非成像光学在发光浓度方面的交叉点

• 批准号: 1508968
• 负责人: Noel Giebink
• 金额: $ 30.69万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-01 至 2018-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1508968&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: UNS; intersection; photonics; nonimaging; optics

PI Name: Noel C. GiebinkProposal Number: 1508968The sun represents the most abundant potential source of sustainable energy on earth. Solar cells that capture the sun's rays and convert this energy into electricity can potentially be improved through the science of photonics, which uses materials to mold the flow of light. The overall goal of this research is to combine photonics with traditional methods of light concentration, such as mirrors or lenses, to enhance the amount of sunlight delivered to a solar cell. The proposed research will use a combination of experimental and mathematical approaches to find the best combination of photonic and optic structures, and then test these new structures on solar cells to see if they improve performance. The educational and outreach activities built around this project include an exhibit targeted for middle and high school students at the USA Science and Engineering Festival held in Washington, DC. This exhibit will highlight the importance of luminescence in everyday life by through interactive activities that explain the science underlying fireflies, glow-in-the-dark paint, luminescent rocks, and similar curiosities.The efficient capture of solar incidence is a major challenge in the development of new photovoltaic (PV) devices for the conversion of sunlight to electricity. The field of non-imaging optics addresses optimum geometric concentration via lenses or mirrors, and is most effective for collimated light. In contrast, luminescent concentrators (LCs) can intensify diffuse light incident from any direction by absorbing and re-emitting it into a waveguide. The overall goal of the proposed research is to combine luminescent concentration with non-imaging optics to leverage the advantages of both processes for more efficient capture of light for solar PV applications. Towards this end, nanoscale photonic structures will be engineered for highly directional luminescent emission and coupled with macroscale non-imaging optical surfaces to achieve increases in secondary geometric gain of light collection. The experimental and theoretical approach will combine electromagnetic simulation, ray tracing, conformal mapping, fabrication, and testing studies. Scalable design strategies for photonic materials will be developed to control spontaneous emission direction, and promising materials will be fabricated and tested using a range of organic fluorophores and ion-doped inorganic nanocrystals. Furthermore, discrete mathematical solutions for non-imaging optics will be developed for several directional emission profiles and validated using custom acrylic optic models. From this information, the formal analogy between light propagating in gradient refractive index media and in a constant index freeform waveguide will then be exploited to harness transformation optics as an alternative design tool, with the resulting waveguides fabricated through a process that enables scalable 3D printing of high quality, large area optical surfaces. Finally, luminescent concentrator waveguides with transfer-printed GaAs photovoltaics will be fabricated and tested to study how these structures impact solar PV performance. The optics and photonics themes of this research tie in closely with the planned educational activities and outreach.

PI 姓名：Noel C. Giebink 提案编号：1508968 太阳是地球上最丰富的潜在可持续能源。 捕获太阳光线并将其转化为电能的太阳能电池可以通过光子学来改进，光子学使用材料来塑造光的流动。 这项研究的总体目标是将光子学与传统的聚光方法（例如镜子或透镜）结合起来，以增加传递到太阳能电池的阳光量。 拟议的研究将结合实验和数学方法来找到光子和光学结构的最佳组合，然后在太阳能电池上测试这些新结构，看看它们是否能提高性能。 围绕该项目开展的教育和外展活动包括在华盛顿特区举行的美国科学与工程节上为中学生和高中生举办的展览。 该展览将通过互动活动来强调发光在日常生活中的重要性，这些活动解释了萤火虫、夜光涂料、发光岩石和类似好奇心背后的科学原理。有效捕获太阳光入射是开发将太阳光转化为电能的新型光伏 (PV) 设备的主要挑战。 非成像光学领域通过透镜或镜子解决最佳几何集中问题，并且对于准直光最有效。 相比之下，发光聚光器 (LC) 可以通过吸收漫射光并将其重新发射到波导中来增强从任何方向入射的漫射光。 拟议研究的总体目标是将发光聚光与非成像光学相结合，利用这两种过程的优势，为太阳能光伏应用更有效地捕获光。 为此，纳米级光子结构将被设计用于高度定向的发光发射，并与宏观非成像光学表面相结合，以实现光收集的二次几何增益的增加。 实验和理论方法将结合电磁模拟、射线追踪、保形映射、制造和测试研究。 将开发光子材料的可扩展设计策略来控制自发发射方向，并将使用一系列有机荧光团和离子掺杂无机纳米晶体来制造和测试有前途的材料。 此外，还将针对多个定向发射轮廓开发非成像光学器件的离散数学解决方案，并使用定制丙烯酸光学模型进行验证。 根据这些信息，光在梯度折射率介质和恒定折射率自由形状波导中传播之间的形式类比将被用来利用变换光学作为替代设计工具，并通过可扩展的高质量、大面积光学表面的 3D 打印工艺制造出最终的波导。 最后，将制造并测试带有转移印刷砷化镓光伏器件的发光聚光器波导，以研究这些结构如何影响太阳能光伏性能。 这项研究的光学和光子学主题与计划的教育活动和推广密切相关。