Abstract: A solar cell system comprises a solar cell comprising a grid and a photo-sensitive area, wherein the grid includes a conductor, and an optical micro-structure positioned between the conductors, wherein the micro-structure covers at least a portion of the conductors.

Abstract: Ultra-compact concentrators and illuminators that approach the thermodynamic limit to optical performance can be realized with purely imaging strategies. Two-stage reflector systems where each optical surface is tailored to eliminate one order of aberration—so-called aplantic designs are described. The contours are monotonic functions that can be expressed analytically—important in facilitating optimization studies and practical fabrication. The radiative performance of the devices presented herein is competitive with, and even superior to, that of high-flux nonimaging systems. Sample results of practical value in solar concentration and light collimation are presented for systems that cover a wide range of numerical aperture.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for non-imaging optical systems to couple incoherent light from a source such as high-brightness lamps into optical fibers, and to deliver the light into the human body for photothermal and/or photochemical surgery. The incoherent light radiated from the light source is concentrated with a non-imaging light concentrator and the light is delivered to a body tissue for photothermal and/or photochemical medical treatment. The concentrator captures nearly the light source's full radiative output, and concentrates the collected radiation back to power densities close to the power densities of the hot plasma regions at the core of the light source. The concentrator couples the light into a photonic conduit such as optical fibers, and the photonic conduit delivers the concentrated intense light to surgical applications including contact (interstitial) procedures and non-contact treatments (within the internal body cavities as well as the surfaces of organs), and inside the body.

Abstract: A system and method for concentrating the intensity of light emitted by a high-intensity source for delivery to a remote target, so that the power density of the active radiating region of the source is nearly restored at the target. The source is surrounded by a plurality of nonimaging concentrators. If the source is elongated, the concentrators are similarly elongated and parallel to the source. If the source is compact, the preferred geometric pattern of the concentrators is dodecahedral. The geometry of the concentrators is designed in accordance with the edge-ray principle of nonimaging optics. Channels such as optical fibers or light pipes are coupled optically to the absorbers of the concentrators, to conduct the concentrated light to the remote target.