Metamaterial Integrated Solar Concentrator

An optical device comprising:

• a metamaterial layer having a negative index of refraction;
• a photovoltaic cell;
• and
• an optical waveguide having a trapezoidal cross section, a first face and second face arranged opposite the first face, the optical waveguide having four trapezoidal side faces joining the first face and the second face, the first face having a larger area than the second face, the optical waveguide arranged between the metamaterial layer and the photovoltaic cell with the metamaterial layer positioned at the first face of the optical waveguide and the photovoltaic cell positioned at the second face of the optical waveguide,
• wherein the optical waveguide has a tilt angle θT of less than 90 degrees, and greater than
• sin
• -
• 1
• 
• (
• n
• A
• n
• O
• )
• -
• sin
• -
• 1
• 
• (
• n
• A
• 
• sin
• 
• 
• θ
• i
• n
• O
• )
• ,
• for all angles of incidence θi within the acceptance cone of the metamaterial, wherein θC is the critical angle of the optical waveguide with a surrounding external medium and θMO is an angle of refraction between the metamaterial layer and the optical waveguide, nA is the index of refraction of an external environment, surrounding environment, nO is the index of refraction of the optical waveguide, and θi is the angle of incidence of incident radiation on the metamaterial layer.