Abstract: A luminaire has a light source and a shell integrator. The shell integrator has a transparent dome over the light source, with inner and outer surfaces formed as arrays of lenslets. Each lenslet of the inner surface images the light source onto a respective lenslet of the outer surface, and each lenslet of the outer surface images the respective lenslet of the inner surface as a virtual image onto the light source. The dome may be substantially hemispherical. The light source and the integrator may be at an input of a collimator.

Abstract: An optical component called the Phase Space Combiner (PSC) is designed to join several bundles of rays. The bundles of rays, when represented in ray phase-space, occupy non-connected regions before passing through the PSC, while their representation in ray phase space occupies a single simply connected region (without holes) after passing through the PSC. Obviously, when used in reverse way it splits one bundle in several parts. We present herein the idea of using Multiple Individual Optics, MIO, not for collimating the light from the LEDs but as a PSC. Then a Single Common Optics, SCO, which can be an optical train, is used to get the desired intensity pattern. This hybrid SCO and MIO strategy combines most of the advantages of both approaches.

Abstract: A luminaire includes a mixing chamber having an array of apertures in one wall, a light source to supply light into the mixing chamber, and an array of optics outside the mixing chamber, each positioned to cooperate with a respective one of the apertures to emit light from the mixing chamber as a beam. The shape, size, and/or direction of the output light beam are controllably varied by controlling the shape, size, and/or position of each aperture relative to its associated optic.

Abstract: Some photovoltaic cells have a front face accepting incoming incident light and opaque gridlines overlying part of the front face, electrically bonded to the face, with upper reflective facets oblique to the plane of the front face and producing outgoing reflected light. An optical interface parallel to and in front of the front face transmits incoming light to the front face and to the gridlines and reflects back towards the front face by total internal reflection at least some of the outgoing reflected light. Some photovoltaic devices have a triple junction photovoltaic cell, a single junction photovoltaic cell, and a reflective surface arranged to distribute incoming light between the cells. The surface may be a frequency-selective mirror that apportions light so when the cells are in series the power produced, and preferably the photocurrent, is greater than if all the light fell on the triple junction cell alone.

Abstract: One example of a solar voltaic concentrator has a primary Fresnel lens with multiple panels, each of which forms a Kohler integrator with a respective panel of a lenticular secondary lens. The resulting plurality of integrators all concentrate sunlight onto a common multi-junction photovoltaic cell. The integrators provide matching illumination in the different wavebands required by the different junctions. Luminaires using a similar geometry are also possible.

Abstract: A folded circularly symmetric illumination optic comprising a first light transfer mode having a first central refractive surface and a second central refractive surface, wherein one of the first and second central refractive surfaces has at least one peened feature; a second light transfer mode having a first refractive surface, a first TIR surface, a second TIR surface and a second refractive surface; a third light transfer mode having a first refractive surface, a first TIR surface and a second refractive surface, wherein the first TIR surface has at least one peening feature, and wherein the second refractive surface is conical; wherein the first TIR surface and second refractive surface of the second light transfer mode is coincident at least one point, wherein the second refractive surface of the third light transfer mode is coincident with the first TIR surface and second refractive surface of the second light transfer mode.

Abstract: An optoelectronic cooling system is equally applicable to an LED collimator or a photovoltaic solar concentrator. A transparent fluid conveys heat from the optoelectronic chip to a hollow cover over the system aperture. The cooling system can keep a solar concentrator chip at the same temperature as found for a one-sun flat-plate solar cell. Natural convection or forced circulation can operate to convey heat from the chip to the cover.

Abstract: One optical system comprises a first optical surface, a faceted second optical surface, and a faceted third optical surface. The optical system is operative to convert a first bundle of rays that is continuous in phase space outside the first optical surface into a second bundle of rays that is continuous in phase space outside the third optical surface. Between the second and third optical surfaces the rays making up the first and second bundles form discrete sub-bundles each passing from a facet of the second optical surface to a facet of the third optical surface. The sub-bundles do not form a continuous bundle in a phase space that has dimensions representing the position and angle at which rays cross a surface transverse to the bundle of rays.

Abstract: The present embodiments provide methods and systems to homogenize illumination on a target.

Abstract: A luminaire has a light source and a shell integrator. The shell integrator has a transparent dome over the light source, with inner and outer surfaces formed as arrays of lenslets. Each lenslet of the inner surface images the light source onto a respective lenslet of the outer surface, and each lenslet of the outer surface images the respective lenslet of the inner surface as a virtual image onto the light source. The dome may be substantially hemispherical. The light source and the integrator may be at an input of a collimator.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide an illumination optical system. The optical system can include a first surface and a second surface. Each of the first and second surfaces can further comprises a multiplicity of corresponding Cartesian-oval lenticulations such that each lenticulation of the first surface focuses a source upon a corresponding lenticulation of the second surface and each lenticulation of the second surface focuses a target upon a corresponding lenticulation of the first surface.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide luminance-preserving non-imaging backlights that comprise a luminous source emitting light, an input port that receives the light, an injector and a beam-expanding ejector. The injector includes the input port and a larger output port with a profile that expands away from the input port acting via total internal reflection to keep x-y angular width of the source image inversely proportional to its luminance. The injector is defined by a surface of revolution with an axis on the source and a swept profile that is a first portion of an upper half of a CPC tilted by its acceptance angle. The beam-expanding ejector comprising a planar waveguide optically coupled to the output port of the injector. The ejector includes a smooth upper surface, and a reflective lower surface comprising microstructured facets that refract upwardly reflected light into a collimated direction common to the facets.

Abstract: A folded circularly symmetric illumination optic comprising a first light transfer mode having a first central refractive surface and a second central refractive surface, wherein one of the first and second central refractive surfaces has at least one peened feature; a second light transfer mode having a first refractive surface, a first TIR surface, a second TIR surface and a second refractive surface; a third light transfer mode having a first refractive surface, a first TIR surface and a second refractive surface, wherein the first TIR surface has at least one peening feature, and wherein the second refractive surface is conical; wherein the first TIR surface and second refractive surface of the second light transfer mode is coincident at least one point, wherein the second refractive surface of the third light transfer mode is coincident with the first TIR surface and second refractive surface of the second light transfer mode.

Abstract: A tubular luminaire efficiently utilizes the light of a line of high-brightness unlensed LEDs to reproduce the homogeneous appearance of a neon tube. The transparent tube has an annular cross-section suitable for cost-effective manufacturing by extrusion. The LEDs are mounted in a line on a circuit board that can be positioned either inside or outside the tube. Their light shines into a cylindrical groove, thereby entering within the material of the tube. Above the groove, the wall of the tube has a spiral shape that reflects the light laterally so that it stays within the annular tube for a considerable path length. Volume scattering by a low density of scattering inclusions causes the light to escape as a homogenous glow. Alternatively, mild surface scattering from the inside surface can be used.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method of designing a grooved reflector comprises selecting two given wavefronts; and designing two surfaces meeting at an edge to form a groove such that the rays of each of the given wavefront become rays of a respective one of the given wavefronts after a reflection at each of the surfaces. Multiple grooves may be combined to form a mirror covering a desired area. A mirror may be manufactured according to the design.

Abstract: A condenser for directing light from a UHP arc lamp or other generally cylindrical source onto a target such as a microdisplay in line with a front end of the lamp comprises a primary mirror to direct light from the source towards the back end of the condenser, and a secondary mirror at the back end of the condenser to direct the light from the primary mirror onto the target.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method of designing a grooved reflector comprises selecting two given wavefronts; and designing two surfaces meeting at an edge to form a groove such that the rays of each of the given wavefront become rays of a respective one of the given wavefronts after a reflection at each of the surfaces. Multiple grooves may be combined to form a mirror covering a desired area. A mirror may be manufactured according to the design.

Abstract: In one embodiment of a solar concentrator, a tailored aspheric lens augments the solar-concentrator performance of a concave mirror, widening its acceptance angle for easier solar tracking, making it more cost-competitive for ultra-large arrays. The molded-glass secondary lens also includes a short rod for reducing the peak concentration on a photovoltaic cell that is optically bonded to the end of the rod. The Simultaneous Multiple Surface method produces lens shapes suitable for a variety of medium and high concentrations by mirrored dishes. Besides the rotationally symmetric parabolic mirror itself, other aspheric deviations therefrom are described, including a free-form rectangular mirror that has its focal region at its edge.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method of designing a grooved reflector comprises selecting two given wavefronts; and designing two surfaces meeting at an edge to form a groove such that the rays of each of the given wavefront become rays of a respective one of the given wavefronts after a reflection at each of the surfaces. Multiple grooves may be combined to form a mirror covering a desired area. A mirror may be manufactured according to the design.

Abstract: An optical device for coupling the luminous output of a light-emitting diode (LED) to a predominantly spherical pattern comprises a transfer section that receives the LED's light within it and an ejector positioned adjacent the transfer section to receive light from the transfer section and spread the light generally spherically. A base of the transfer section is optically aligned and/or coupled to the LED so that the LED's light enters the transfer section. The transfer section can comprises a compound elliptic concentrator operating via total internal reflection. The ejector section can have a variety of shapes, and can have diffusive features on its surface as well, including a phosphor coating. The transfer section can in some implementations be polygonal, V-grooved, faceted and other configurations.