Abstract

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) are planar waveguides containing an organic or inorganic dye and inorganic solar cells attached to the edges. Light is absorbed by the dye and reemitted into waveguide modes for collection by the solar cells. We describe LSCs based on: (i) organic dyes, (ii) cast LSCs constructed from phycobilisomes, model antenna systems from photosynthesis, (iii) linearly polarized LSCs employing polymerizable liquid crystals, and (iv) hybrid organic/inorganic LSCs based on neodymium glass.

© 2009 Optical Society of America