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

PI姓名：Noel C. giebink提案编号：1508968太阳代表着地球上最丰富的潜在可持续能源。太阳能电池可以捕捉太阳光并将其转化为电能，这一技术可以通过光子学得到改进。光子学利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光集中方法（如反射镜或透镜）结合起来，以增加输送到太阳能电池的阳光量。提出的研究将使用实验和数学相结合的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。围绕这个项目建立的教育和推广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。本次展览将通过互动活动，突出发光在日常生活中的重要性，解释萤火虫、夜光涂料、发光岩石和类似的好奇心背后的科学。有效地捕获太阳入射是开发新的光伏（PV）设备以将太阳光转化为电能的主要挑战。非成像光学领域解决最佳几何浓度通过透镜或镜子，是最有效的准直光。相比之下，发光聚光器（lc）可以通过吸收并重新发射到波导中来增强来自任何方向的漫射光。拟议研究的总体目标是将发光集中与非成像光学相结合，以利用这两种工艺的优势，更有效地捕获太阳能光伏应用中的光。为此，纳米级光子结构将用于高度定向发光发射，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、保角映射、制造和测试研究。将开发可扩展的光子材料设计策略来控制自发发射方向，并使用一系列有机荧光团和离子掺杂无机纳米晶体制造和测试有前途的材料。此外，非成像光学的离散数学解决方案将针对几种定向发射剖面开发，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中传播和在恒定折射率自由波导中传播之间的形式类比将被利用来利用变换光学作为替代设计工具，通过可扩展的3D打印工艺制造高质量的波导，大面积光学表面。最后，将制作并测试带有转移印刷GaAs光伏的发光聚光器波导，以研究这些结构如何影响太阳能光伏性能。本研究的光学和光子学主题与计划的教育活动和外展活动密切相关。

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.