Free-Space Concentration of Diffused Light for Photovoltaics

We are presenting a new strategy to concentrate diffused light in free space based on luminophore doped waveguides with nanophotonic surface control. The efficiency of traditional luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) has been limited due to loss mechanisms associated with every single component of the process, such as the luminophore quantum yield, reabsorption/emission rates, waveguide parasitic absorption, and unwanted escape. Here, we are proposing a paradigm shift to mitigate this issue: Instead of trapping light in waveguides, waveguides are designed to allow for escape under a specific escape cone