Radiation concentrator for a photovoltaic device
AssigneeImperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
InventorKeith WJ Barnham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Concentrator for use with photovoltaic devices includes a waveguide (2) incorporating quantum dots. The quantum dots red-shift the incident radiation to produce red-shifted radiation which is internally reflected within the waveguide (2). A photovoltaic device (10) converts the red-shifted radiation to electrical energy.
Claims17
Apparatus for converting incident radiation to electrical energy, said apparatus comprising:
- a radiation concentrator;
- and
- a photovoltaic device coupled to said concentrator, wherein said radiation concentrator comprises a wave-guide containing a plurality of quantum dots, incident radiation upon said quantum dots being red-shifted by said quantum dots to form red-shifted radiation and said red-shifted radiation being internally reflected within said wave-guide to a wave-guide output, said wave-guide being formed of a material substantially transparent to said red-shifted radiation.
A radiation concentrator for use with a photovoltaic device, said radiation concentrator comprising:
- a wave-guide containing a plurality of quantum dots, incident radiation upon said quantum dots being red-shifted by said quantum dots to form red-shifted radiation and said red-shifted radiation being internally reflected within said wave-guide to a wave- guide output, said wave-guide being formed of a material substantially transparent to said red-shifted radiation, wherein a taper element receives said red-shifted radiation at a taper input facing said wave-guide output and outputs said red-shifted radiation from a taper output to said photovoltaic device, said taper output having a smaller area than said waveguide output and said taper input.
A method of converting incident radiation into electrical energy using a radiation concentrator coupled to a photovoltaic device, said method comprising the step of red-shifting said incident radiation in said radiation concentrator to form red-shifted radiation using quantum dots.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.