Light transport in planar luminescent solar concentrators: the role of DCM self-absorption.

The influence of self-absorption in a 4-dicyano-methylene-2-methyl-6-p-dimethyl amino-styrl-4H-pyran (DCM) doped polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) optical waveguide on the light transport efficiency has been evaluated. A Monte Carlo technique was used to simulate intermolecular energy transfer and calculate the energy emission profile of an active waveguide. The calculated and measured edge emission profiles were found to be in excellent agreement. The edge emission spectra for various distances of excitation from the edge were used to estimate the DCM self-absorption cross section.