Optical grade silicone has various properties that make it attractive for solar concentrators, such as excellent transmission across the solar spectrum and flexible moldability for freeform profiles. In this study, a glass-silicone lens structure is proposed to reduce the optothermal effect on the silicone lens. Experimental measurements and simulation modeling results demonstrate that the focal length sensitivity of the glass-silicone lens with respect to temperature can be reduced by a factor of 10 when compared to a silicone lens alone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOptical technologies in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectrum (7-14 μm) offer important advantages for high-resolution thermal imaging in near or complete darkness. The use of polymeric transmissive materials for IR imaging offers numerous cost and processing advantages but suffers from inferior optical properties in the LWIR spectrum. A major challenge in the design of LWIR-transparent organic materials is that nearly all organic molecules absorb in this spectral window which lies within the so-called IR-fingerprint region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of silicone optical elements is demonstrated for a concentrated photovoltaic system. These components show over 96% transmission through most of the solar spectrum and excellent temperature stability. Unique moldability enables the use of complex freeform designs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report on the fabrication of wholly polymeric one-dimensional (1-D) photonic crystals (i.e., Bragg reflectors, Bragg mirrors) via solution processing for use in the near (NIR) and the short wave (SWIR) infrared spectrum (1-2 μm) with very high reflectance ( ∼ 90-97%).
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