US 12,674,976 B2Granted

Monolithic mirror and method for designing same

AssigneeSilbat Energy Solutions, S.L.

InventorAntonio Ignacio Luque Lopez

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

The present invention refers to a mirror comprising a plurality of one-dimensional photonic crystals, the mirror having very high reflectance in a very broad range of wavelengths, a broad range of directions, even hemispheric, and all the polarizations of the incident photons. The invention also refers to a method for designing said mirror and a photovoltaic cell comprising such a mirror.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a mirror having total reflectance in a predefined vacuum wavelength range ([λA, λB]) for incident unpolarized radiation with an angle of incidence (θ) lower than or equal to a predefined maximum angle of incidence (θmax), comprising:

forming m stacked one-dimensional photonic crystals, wherein for each i-th photonic crystal a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material are selected, wherein each i-th photonic crystal is formed by stacking a plurality of alternate layers of the first dielectric material having a first thickness, and the second dielectric material having a second thickness, the first dielectric material having an index of refraction different than the index of refraction of the second dielectric material;
wherein each photonic crystal comprises a plurality of unit cells repeated identically a prescribed number of times, each unit cell comprising a layer of the first dielectric material and a layer of the second dielectric material,
wherein the reflectance of each photonic crystal as a function of vacuum wavelength (λ0) shows the shape of a rectangular pulse of unity height with rounded corners in an interval
(
λ
0
L
,
λ
0
T
)
between a leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
L
)
and a trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
T
)
,
said pulse in said interval being identified as total reflection band, the leading edge wavelength value and the trailing edge wavelength value being dependent on the angle of incidence (θ) and on the polarization of the incident radiation,
wherein for each i-th photonic crystal, a leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
L
)
of the total reflection band of the i-th photonic crystal is set for θ=0,
the first thickness (hal,i) for the layer of first dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal and the second thickness (hbl,i) for the layer of second dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal satisfy the following relationships:
h
al
,
i
=
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
L
4
⁢
π
⁢
n
al
,
i
⁢
{
2
⁢
π
-
arccos
[
(
1
-
n
al
,
i
n
bl
,
i
)
2
-
4
⁢
(
n
al
,
i
/
n
bl
,
i
)
(
1
+
(
n
al
,
i
/
n
bl
,
i
)
)
2
]
}
h
bl
,
i
=
h
al
,
i
(
n
al
,
i
/
n
bl
,
i
)
wherein nai,l and nbl,i are, respectively, the indices of refraction of the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal, and
wherein the trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
T
)
of the total reflection band of the i-th photonic crystal is given by:
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
T
=
8
⁢
n
al
,
i
⁢
h
al
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
al
,
i
)
X
⁡
(
1
+
r
)
wherein parameter X is obtained by solving in X the equation αTM+1=0 for the predefined maximum angle of incidence (θmax) and for transversal magnetic (TM) polarization, wherein said equation is solved by an iteration method whose initial value is X=1,
wherein
α
TM
=
cos
⁡
(
π
⁢
X
/
2
)
⁢
(
1
+
Z
)
2
4
⁢
Z
-
cos
⁡
(
π
⁢
rX
/
2
)
⁢
(
1
-
Z
)
2
4
⁢
Z
Z
=
n
bl
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
ai
,
i
)
/
(
n
ai
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
bl
,
i
)
)
r
=
cos
2
(
θ
al
,
i
)
-
(
Zh
bl
,
i
h
al
,
i
)
⁢
cos
2
(
θ
bl
,
i
)
cos
2
(
θ
al
,
i
)
+
(
(
Zh
bl
,
i
/
h
al
,
i
)
⁢
cos
2
(
θ
bl
,
i
)
)
θ
al
,
i
=
arcsin
⁢
(
sin
⁡
(
θ
max
)
n
al
,
i
)
θ
bl
,
i
=
arcsin
⁢
(
sin
⁡
(
θ
max
)
n
bl
,
i
)
wherein the leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
L
)
is set to:
a value equal to λA, for i=1, and
a value equal to the trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
-
1
T
)
of the total reflection band of the (i−1)-th photonic crystal for θ=θmax and TM polarization, for i>1,
wherein m is the number of the photonic crystal which fulfils that the trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
m
T
)
of the total reflection band of said m-th photonic crystal for θ=θmax and TM polarization is equal to or greater than λB.

385 more elements

A method of manufacturing a mirror having maximum reflectance in a predefined vacuum wavelength range ([λA,λB]) for incident unpolarized radiation with an angle of incidence (θ) lower than or equal to a predefined maximum angle of incidence (θmax), comprising:

forming m stacked one-dimensional photonic crystals, wherein for each i-th photonic crystal a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material are selected, wherein each i-th photonic crystal is formed by stacking a plurality of alternate layers of the first dielectric material having a first thickness, and the second dielectric material having a second thickness, the first dielectric material having an index of refraction different than the index of refraction of the second dielectric material;
wherein each photonic crystal comprises a plurality of unit cells repeated identically a prescribed number of times, each unit cell comprising a layer of the first dielectric material and a layer of the second dielectric material,
wherein the reflectance of each photonic crystal as a function of vacuum wavelength (λ0) shows the shape of a rectangular pulse of unity height with rounded corners in an interval
(
λ
0
L
,
λ
0
T
)
between a leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
L
)
and a trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
T
)
,
said pulse in said interval being identified as total reflection band, the leading edge wavelength value and the trailing edge wavelength value being dependent on the angle of incidence (θ) and on the polarization of the incident radiation,
wherein for each i-th photonic crystal, a trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
t
,
i
T
)
of the total reflection band of the i-th photonic crystal is set for θ=θmax and TM polarization,
the first thickness (hat,i) for the layer of first dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal and the second thickness (hbt,i) for the layer of second dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal satisfy the following relationships:
h
at
,
i
=
λ
0
⁢
t
,
i
T
4
⁢
π
⁢
n
at
,
i
×
{
arccos
[
⁠
(
1
-
n
bt
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
at
,
i
)
/
(
n
at
,
i
⁢
cos
⁢
(
θ
bt
,
i
)
)
)
2
-
4
⁢
n
bt
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
at
,
i
)
/
(
n
at
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
bt
,
i
)
)
(
1
+
n
bt
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
at
,
i
)
/
(
n
at
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
bt
,
i
)
)
)
2
]
⁠
}
h
bt
,
i
=
h
at
,
i
⁢
n
at
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
at
,
i
)
/
(
n
bt
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
bt
,
i
)
)
wherein nat,i and nbt,i are, respectively, the indices of refraction of the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal,
wherein
θ
at
,
i
=
arcsin
⁢
(
sin
⁡
(
θ
max
)
n
at
,
i
)
θ
bt
,
i
=
arcsin
⁢
(
sin
⁡
(
θ
max
)
n
bt
,
i
)
and
wherein the leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
t
,
i
L
)
of the total reflection band of the i-th photonic crystal is given by:
λ
0
⁢
t
,
i
L
=
8
⁢
n
at
,
i
⁢
h
at
,
i
X
⁡
(
1
+
r
)
wherein parameter X is obtained by solving in X the equation αTM+1=0 for θ=0, wherein said equation is solved by an iteration method whose initial value is X=3,
wherein
α
TM
=
cos
⁡
(
π
⁢
X
/
2
)
⁢
(
1
+
Z
)
2
4
⁢
Z
-
cos
⁡
(
π
⁢
rX
/
2
)
⁢
(
1
-
Z
)
2
4
⁢
Z
Z
=
n
bt
,
i
/
n
at
,
i
r
=
1
-
(
Z
⁢
h
bt
,
i
/
h
at
,
i
)
1
+
(
Z
⁢
h
bt
,
i
/
h
at
,
i
)
wherein the trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
t
,
i
T
)
is set to:
a value equal to λB, for i=1, and
a value equal to the leading edge wavelength value of the total reflection band of the (i−1)-th photonic crystal for θ=0, for i>1,
wherein m is the number of the photonic crystal which fulfils that the leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
t
,
m
L
)
of the total reflection band of said m-th photonic crystal for θ=0 is equal to or smaller than λA.

391 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/253,479Filed 20 Nov 2020
Published: US 2023/0418051 A128 Dec 2023
Granted: 7 Jul 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G02B 27/0012
Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00: optical design, e.g. procedures, algorithms,…
G02B 1/005
Made of materials engineered to provide properties not available in nature, e.g. metamaterials: made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap…
G02B 5/0858
At least one of the reflecting layers comprising metal: the reflecting layers comprising a single metallic layer with one or more dielectric layers
H02S 10/30
PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power: thermophotovoltaic systems

Family

US 2023/0418051 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Dec 2023
US 12,674,976 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

forming m stacked one-dimensional photonic crystals, wherein for each i-th photonic crystal a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material are selected, wherein each i-th photonic crystal is formed by stacking a plurality of alternate layers of the first dielectric material having a first thickness, and the second dielectric material having a second thickness, the first dielectric material having an index of refraction different than the index of refraction of the second dielectric material;
wherein each photonic crystal comprises a plurality of unit cells repeated identically a prescribed number of times, each unit cell comprising a layer of the first dielectric material and a layer of the second dielectric material,
wherein the reflectance of each photonic crystal as a function of vacuum wavelength (λ0) shows the shape of a rectangular pulse of unity height with rounded corners in an interval
(
λ
0
L
,
λ
0
T
)
between a leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
L
)
and a trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
T
)
,
said pulse in said interval being identified as total reflection band, the leading edge wavelength value and the trailing edge wavelength value being dependent on the angle of incidence (θ) and on the polarization of the incident radiation,
wherein for each i-th photonic crystal, a leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
L
)
of the total reflection band of the i-th photonic crystal is set for θ=0,
the first thickness (hal,i) for the layer of first dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal and the second thickness (hbl,i) for the layer of second dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal satisfy the following relationships:
h
al
,
i
=
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
L
4
⁢
π
⁢
n
al
,
i
⁢
{
2
⁢
π
-
arccos
[
(
1
-
n
al
,
i
n
bl
,
i
)
2
-
4
⁢
(
n
al
,
i
/
n
bl
,
i
)
(
1
+
(
n
al
,
i
/
n
bl
,
i
)
)
2
]
}
h
bl
,
i
=
h
al
,
i
(
n
al
,
i
/
n
bl
,
i
)
wherein nai,l and nbl,i are, respectively, the indices of refraction of the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material of the i-th photonic crystal, and
wherein the trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
T
)
of the total reflection band of the i-th photonic crystal is given by:
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
T
=
8
⁢
n
al
,
i
⁢
h
al
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
al
,
i
)
X
⁡
(
1
+
r
)
wherein parameter X is obtained by solving in X the equation αTM+1=0 for the predefined maximum angle of incidence (θmax) and for transversal magnetic (TM) polarization, wherein said equation is solved by an iteration method whose initial value is X=1,
wherein
α
TM
=
cos
⁡
(
π
⁢
X
/
2
)
⁢
(
1
+
Z
)
2
4
⁢
Z
-
cos
⁡
(
π
⁢
rX
/
2
)
⁢
(
1
-
Z
)
2
4
⁢
Z
Z
=
n
bl
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
ai
,
i
)
/
(
n
ai
,
i
⁢
cos
⁡
(
θ
bl
,
i
)
)
r
=
cos
2
(
θ
al
,
i
)
-
(
Zh
bl
,
i
h
al
,
i
)
⁢
cos
2
(
θ
bl
,
i
)
cos
2
(
θ
al
,
i
)
+
(
(
Zh
bl
,
i
/
h
al
,
i
)
⁢
cos
2
(
θ
bl
,
i
)
)
θ
al
,
i
=
arcsin
⁢
(
sin
⁡
(
θ
max
)
n
al
,
i
)
θ
bl
,
i
=
arcsin
⁢
(
sin
⁡
(
θ
max
)
n
bl
,
i
)
wherein the leading edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
L
)
is set to:
a value equal to λA, for i=1, and
a value equal to the trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
i
-
1
T
)
of the total reflection band of the (i−1)-th photonic crystal for θ=θmax and TM polarization, for i>1,
wherein m is the number of the photonic crystal which fulfils that the trailing edge wavelength value
(
λ
0
⁢
l
,
m
T
)
of the total reflection band of said m-th photonic crystal for θ=θmax and TM polarization is equal to or greater than λB.

385 more elements

Facts

Application

18/253,479Filed 20 Nov 2020

Published

US 2023/0418051 A128 Dec 2023

Granted

7 Jul 2026

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G02B 27/0012
Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00: optical design, e.g. procedures, algorithms,…
G02B 1/005
Made of materials engineered to provide properties not available in nature, e.g. metamaterials: made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap…
G02B 5/0858
At least one of the reflecting layers comprising metal: the reflecting layers comprising a single metallic layer with one or more dielectric layers
H02S 10/30
PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power: thermophotovoltaic systems