We investigate the performance of cylindrical luminescent solar concentrators (CLSCs) with near-infrared lead sulfide quantum dots (QDs) in the active region. We fabricate solid and hollow cylinders from a composite of QDs in polymethylmethacrylate, prepared by radical polymerization, and characterize sample homogeneity and optical properties using spectroscopic techniques. We additionally measure photo-stability and photocurrent outputs under both laboratory and external ambient conditions. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical calculations which demonstrate that the hollow CLSCs have higher absorption of incident radiation and lower self-absorption compared to solid cylindrical and planar geometries with similar geometric factors, resulting in a higher optical efficiency.

© 2011 OSA

1. W. H. Weber and J. Lambe, “Luminescent greenhouse collector for solar radiation,” Appl. Opt.15(10), 2299–2300 (1976). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. B. C. Rowan, L. R. Wilson, and B. S. Richards, “Advanced Material Concepts for Luminescent Solar Concentrators,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.14(5), 1312–1322 (2008). [CrossRef]
3. K. Barnham, J. L. Marques, J. Hassard, and P. O’Brien, “Quantum-dot concentrator and thermodynamic model for the global redshift,” Appl. Phys. Lett.76(9), 1197–1199 (2000). [CrossRef]
4. M. H. V. Werts, J. W. Hofstraat, F. A. J. Geurts, and J. W. Verhoeven, “Fluorescein and eosin as sensitizing chromophores in near-infrared luminescent ytterbium (III), neodymium (III) and erbium(III) chelates,” Chem. Phys. Lett.276(3-4), 196–201 (1997). [CrossRef]
5. V. Sholin, J. D. Olson, and S. A. Carter, “Semiconducting polymers and quantum dots in luminescent solar concentrators for solar energy harvesting,” J. Appl. Phys.101(12), 123114 (2007). [CrossRef]
6. M. J. Currie, J. K. Mapel, T. D. Heidel, S. Goffri, and M. A. Baldo, “High-efficiency organic solar concentrators for photovoltaics,” Science321(5886), 226–228 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. C. L. Mulder, P. D. Reusswig, A. M. Velázquez, H. Kim, C. Rotschild, and M. A. Baldo, “Dye alignment in luminescent solar concentrators: I. Vertical alignment for improved waveguide coupling,” Opt. Express18(S1), A79–A90 (2010). [CrossRef]
8. S. Tsoi, D. J. Broer, C. W. M. Bastiaansen, and M. G. Debije, “Patterned dye structures limit reabsorption in luminescent solar concentrators,” Opt. Express18(S4Suppl 4), A536–A543 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. R. W. MacQueen, Y. Y. Cheng, R¨. G. C. R. Clady, and T. W. Schmidt, “Towards an aligned luminophore solar concentrator,” Opt. Express18(S2Suppl 2), A161–A166 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. U. Rau, F. Einsele, and G. C. Glaeser, “Efficiency limits of photovoltaic fluorescent collectors,” Appl. Phys. Lett.87(17), 171101 (2005). [CrossRef]
11. R. Reisfeld, “New developments in luminescence for solar energy utilization,” Opt. Mater.32(9), 850–856 (2010). [CrossRef]
12. W. Lü, I. Kamiya, M. Ichida, and H. Ando, “Temperature dependence of electronic energy transfer in PbS quantum dot films,” Appl. Phys. Lett.95(8), 083102–083104 (2009). [CrossRef]
13. K. R. McIntosh, G. Lau, J. N. Cotsell, K. Hanton, D. L. Batzner, F. Bettiol, and B. S. Richards, “Increase in External Quantum Efficiency of Encapsulated Silicon Solar Cells from a Luminescent Down-Shifting layer,” Prog. Photovolt. Res. Appl.17(3), 191–197 (2009). [CrossRef]
14. Y. Teng, J. Zhou, X. Liu, S. Ye, and J. Qiu, “Efficient broadband near-infrared quantum cutting for solar cells,” Opt. Express18(9), 9671–9676 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. G. V. Shcherbatyuk, R. H. Inman, C. Wang, R. Winston, and S. Ghosh, “Viability of using near infrared PbS quantum dots as active materials in luminescent solar concentrators,” Appl. Phys. Lett.96(19), 191901 (2010). [CrossRef]
16. Y. Gao, S. Reischmann, J. Huber, T. Hanke, R. Bratschitsch, A. Leitenstorfer, and S. Mecking, “Encapsulating of single quantum dots into polymer particles,” Colloid Polym. Sci.286(11), 1329–1334 (2008). [CrossRef]
17. L. Pang, Y. Shen, K. Tetz, and Y. Fainman, “PMMA quantum dots composites fabricated via use of pre-polymerization,” Opt. Express13(1), 44–49 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. K. R. McIntosh, N. Yamada, and B. S. Richards, “Theoretical comparison of cylindrical and square-planar luminescent solar concentrators,” Appl. Phys. B88(2), 285–290 (2007). [CrossRef]
19. G. V. Shcherbatyuk, R. H. Inman, and S. Ghosh, “Anomalous photo-induced spectral changes in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots,” J. Appl. Phys.110(5), 053518 (2011). [CrossRef]
20. J. Bomm, A. Büchtemann, A. J. Chatten, R. Bose, D. J. Farrell, N. L. A. Chan, Y. Xiao, L. H. Slooff, T. Meyer, A. Meyer, W. G. J. H. M. van Sark, and R. Koole, “Fabrication and full characterization of state-of-the-art quantum dot luminescent solar concentrators,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells95(8), 2087–2094 (2011). [CrossRef]

Appl. Opt.

• W. H. Weber and J. Lambe, “Luminescent greenhouse collector for solar radiation,” Appl. Opt.15(10), 2299–2300 (1976). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. B

• K. R. McIntosh, N. Yamada, and B. S. Richards, “Theoretical comparison of cylindrical and square-planar luminescent solar concentrators,” Appl. Phys. B88(2), 285–290 (2007). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• G. V. Shcherbatyuk, R. H. Inman, C. Wang, R. Winston, and S. Ghosh, “Viability of using near infrared PbS quantum dots as active materials in luminescent solar concentrators,” Appl. Phys. Lett.96(19), 191901 (2010). [CrossRef]
• U. Rau, F. Einsele, and G. C. Glaeser, “Efficiency limits of photovoltaic fluorescent collectors,” Appl. Phys. Lett.87(17), 171101 (2005). [CrossRef]
• W. Lü, I. Kamiya, M. Ichida, and H. Ando, “Temperature dependence of electronic energy transfer in PbS quantum dot films,” Appl. Phys. Lett.95(8), 083102–083104 (2009). [CrossRef]
• K. Barnham, J. L. Marques, J. Hassard, and P. O’Brien, “Quantum-dot concentrator and thermodynamic model for the global redshift,” Appl. Phys. Lett.76(9), 1197–1199 (2000). [CrossRef]

Chem. Phys. Lett.

• M. H. V. Werts, J. W. Hofstraat, F. A. J. Geurts, and J. W. Verhoeven, “Fluorescein and eosin as sensitizing chromophores in near-infrared luminescent ytterbium (III), neodymium (III) and erbium(III) chelates,” Chem. Phys. Lett.276(3-4), 196–201 (1997). [CrossRef]

Colloid Polym. Sci.

• Y. Gao, S. Reischmann, J. Huber, T. Hanke, R. Bratschitsch, A. Leitenstorfer, and S. Mecking, “Encapsulating of single quantum dots into polymer particles,” Colloid Polym. Sci.286(11), 1329–1334 (2008). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• B. C. Rowan, L. R. Wilson, and B. S. Richards, “Advanced Material Concepts for Luminescent Solar Concentrators,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.14(5), 1312–1322 (2008). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• V. Sholin, J. D. Olson, and S. A. Carter, “Semiconducting polymers and quantum dots in luminescent solar concentrators for solar energy harvesting,” J. Appl. Phys.101(12), 123114 (2007). [CrossRef]
• G. V. Shcherbatyuk, R. H. Inman, and S. Ghosh, “Anomalous photo-induced spectral changes in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots,” J. Appl. Phys.110(5), 053518 (2011). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• L. Pang, Y. Shen, K. Tetz, and Y. Fainman, “PMMA quantum dots composites fabricated via use of pre-polymerization,” Opt. Express13(1), 44–49 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. L. Mulder, P. D. Reusswig, A. M. Velázquez, H. Kim, C. Rotschild, and M. A. Baldo, “Dye alignment in luminescent solar concentrators: I. Vertical alignment for improved waveguide coupling,” Opt. Express18(S1), A79–A90 (2010). [CrossRef]
• S. Tsoi, D. J. Broer, C. W. M. Bastiaansen, and M. G. Debije, “Patterned dye structures limit reabsorption in luminescent solar concentrators,” Opt. Express18(S4Suppl 4), A536–A543 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. W. MacQueen, Y. Y. Cheng, R¨. G. C. R. Clady, and T. W. Schmidt, “Towards an aligned luminophore solar concentrator,” Opt. Express18(S2Suppl 2), A161–A166 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Teng, J. Zhou, X. Liu, S. Ye, and J. Qiu, “Efficient broadband near-infrared quantum cutting for solar cells,” Opt. Express18(9), 9671–9676 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Mater.

• R. Reisfeld, “New developments in luminescence for solar energy utilization,” Opt. Mater.32(9), 850–856 (2010). [CrossRef]

Prog. Photovolt. Res. Appl.

• K. R. McIntosh, G. Lau, J. N. Cotsell, K. Hanton, D. L. Batzner, F. Bettiol, and B. S. Richards, “Increase in External Quantum Efficiency of Encapsulated Silicon Solar Cells from a Luminescent Down-Shifting layer,” Prog. Photovolt. Res. Appl.17(3), 191–197 (2009). [CrossRef]

Science

• M. J. Currie, J. K. Mapel, T. D. Heidel, S. Goffri, and M. A. Baldo, “High-efficiency organic solar concentrators for photovoltaics,” Science321(5886), 226–228 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells

• J. Bomm, A. Büchtemann, A. J. Chatten, R. Bose, D. J. Farrell, N. L. A. Chan, Y. Xiao, L. H. Slooff, T. Meyer, A. Meyer, W. G. J. H. M. van Sark, and R. Koole, “Fabrication and full characterization of state-of-the-art quantum dot luminescent solar concentrators,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells95(8), 2087–2094 (2011). [CrossRef]

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