Solar concentrators with remote sensitization

A remote sensitization solar concentrator for receiving sunlight and for communicating light of lower energy than the sunlight to an optically coupled solar cell, the solar concentrator comprising:

• a substrate;
• a primary chromophore, the primary chromophore operable to receive at least some optical radiation, the primary chromophore further effective to absorb at least one wavelength of at least some of the optical radiation, the primary chromophore luminescent in a spectral band that is absorbed by the solar cell;
• an auxiliary chromophore, the auxiliary chromophore operable to receive at least some optical radiation, the auxiliary chromophore further effective to absorb at least one wavelength of at least some of the optical radiation;
• an optical waveguide for confining and directing light emitted by the primary chromophore to an optical communication region, the waveguide comprising the substrate and at least one lower refractive index medium adjacent the front and rear surfaces of the substrate, such that light is preferably refracted at an interface between the waveguide and at least one adjacent medium of lower refractive index;
• wherein the primary chromophore is embedded in the waveguide, is responsive to light within a first spectral band, and emits some light within a second spectral band,
• wherein the auxiliary chromophore is responsive to light within a third spectral band, and emits at least some light within the first spectral band, and
• wherein the primary chromophore and the auxiliary chromophore are physically separated by a sufficient distance for the auxiliary chromophore to luminesce.